Prediction of Rockfall from Highwall Slope in an Open Cast Mine

Abstract

Rockfalls in mines represent one of the most hazardous events for miners, posing significant risks to safety, equipment, and operations. These incidents occur when rock or debris falls from the walls of a mine, often without warning, and can be triggered by geological factors, blasting practices, ground vibration, water infiltration, stress redistribution and timedependent behaviour of rock. Apart from this, the bench parameters, such as the slope angle of the bench, the friction angle of the material, bench height and width, affect the rockfall. The rockfall incidents history that occurred in the past several years suggest that rockfalls in opencast mines led to the fatal injuries of many individuals. The problems faced due to rockfalls are not repetitive, but they are disastrous in opencast mines once they occur. So, it is necessary to investigate the rockfall in an opencast mining industry. It is also observed from the literature that the kinetic energy of a rockfall helps determine the intensity of rockfall in a mine. Understanding these factors and implementing preventive measures and rapid response strategies is crucial in mitigating rockfall risks. Hence, this study investigates rockfall phenomena in a high wall open cast by determining the kinetic energy of a rockfall. A parametric study has been conducted to determine the effect of various bench parameters on the kinetic energy of rockfall. A predictive model is developed to determine the kinetic energy of rockfall concerning various factors affecting rockfall. The predictive model is also validated using three case studies of high opencast mines. The results from the predictive model and the numerical model for the case study mines match the predictive model that can predict the rock fall intensity for opencast mines. The study also aims to assess the potential risks posed to workers, equipment, and infrastructure in highwall opencast mines. The findings provide valuable insights for implementing appropriate safety measures and developing effective strategies to mitigate rockfall hazards.