Slope Stability Study in Quarries by Different Approaches: Case Chouf Amar Quarry, Algeria

Abstract

Abstract The Lafarge -M‘sila group’s cement plant (Algeria) is supplied by the Chouf Amar limestone quarry, which allows great quarrying at the national level with annual productions of 4.2 mt / year, since several sliding in previous years have disrupted the exploitation and production of the quarry, and in the strategy of the Lafarge group increased its production up to 5mt / year in the medium term 2020-2030; a stability study is necessary to ensure production under the right conditions, the aim of our work is to study Chouf Amar stability and identify the important causes of the landslides that have influenced the site in question. We start with an empirical approach through a geomechanical characterization of the massif was put in place to highlight the instability at the level of the various rock formations. then, a stability analysis was carried out using two different approaches: the analytical approach using the limit equilibrium method (Slide 6) and the numerical approach using two methods: the finite element method (Phase 2 ) and the finite difference method (Flac) in the static and dynamic case considering the state of dry and wet marls. The results show an optimal state of stability on the scale of the full profile north flank of the quarry and bad stability on the scale of the bench’s of the different levels and the main facies of the potential slide is that of the marls.