Minetech Vol. 16 No.6 pp 23~ 28 Nov. = Dee., 1995, Slope Stability of Opencast Coal Mine Dump — A Case Study S.K. Chaulya* FEE RC Te Te Promrers val Aifies ar fine ar He rare) saree Taf Be a ear a IEE arte & Beet fare wt ee ar a ea Wie ache Re Ua are sare sre &r 1H once wr SI Et aT ty Be AT Gr & enter er eT FET a) eae TM OT 1S err STH Hon He Tere sitrwre ee aT yar iter fir ar Br ore weet ae var vite sitwst 1 gate eit Be Petter one ee era earfirca wr sreray fran men Br 2U& entices & oneera & fed wear aa wa ‘fattr (1979) wr fear wear 1 EWA Te fe ez He SRL fee gre B THT eee Bre 1 ETT 1 et Pe Patan Parca THAR AT Vat ara aren #1 eo! the problems associated with open pit mining is the disposal ofa large volume of overburden waste ‘meterial or spoil, thet ranges through silts ard clays to large Sze boulders. Niller et a! (1979), classified spoil materiale into thiee grours viz. predorrinanty soll soi, mixed sot ‘and rock spoil, and predomonartly rock spoil The storage o! ‘este material from miningoperetions shouldbe performed keeping in view the danger to men and properties posed by the failure of dump slopes. The parameters of resource Fecovery, miningcast, safety end ervionment re influences by the instabilty of waste dumps. Incceasing emphasis on opercast mining has aggravated the prebioms. Spoil of the rine dump consists of @ combination of ‘coerseand fine material The steblliyof a partieularopencest ‘mine dumo exhibiting shallow circular failure surfaces is ‘analysed by the Serma frit equilbrium method, Stability analyses based upon equilbriurn mathocs ara consideradte bbe applicable for the soft and loose materials invoWved. An approach is given te stabilize the slooes. LIMIT EQUILIBRIUM METHOD ‘Thelimitequilbrum method of slope steility analysis hos been widely used for designing slopes in spol or loose ‘and weathored rocks. It has be0n found to be satisfactory ane suficienty Smpleto be employed for practical problems. There are at present several methods of slebiity analysis ‘which apply the equibrium priniciple. Most ofthese methods utize the technique of sices and the availeble strength is ‘computed on tho basis of Mob Couloms's faiure criterion (Sarma, 1979). The methods mainly diffe in the shape of the ‘ascumed slip surfaces end in the handling of indeterminacy Of the protiem. A free body ciagram of sol mass, hounded! by the top surfece is analysed using statisical equations. Strength paramators and pore pressure distributions ae ‘assigned to the cross-section, based on laboratory testing, Two important aspects of stability analysis by the ‘equilibrium method aro the determination of the fector of safety (FOS) and locating the entice sli surface 2) The fector of safety is commonly defined as the ratio, of available shear sirength of the soll to the shear resistance required to maintain equiibrium, The factor of safety is given by Shear strength available to resist cliding FOS = Shear strass mabiizad along failure surfaco Ih the context of the fimit equilioium method, the factor of saferyis dofinod as that factor by which the shear strength parameters must be reduced in order to bring the potentia ‘aiure mass into a state of Imiting equilbrum, When the materi hes both echosion (e) and angle of intemal friction itis usuel toapply thesamefacter toc arei tan 9: Denoting the reduced parameters by en apostrophe, ‘and the factor by k c= ok tan =tano/k ‘Thon, k = FOS, when cand o! ere associated with incipient faikure Generally spoil dumps are designed with a factor of safoty 0! 1.1 t0 1.18 and present only a minor risk of feilure (Willer et af, 1979; D'Andrea ot al. 1982; Khandelwal & Mozumdar, 1987 b; Melnikov & Chesnokove, 1969). Spoil dumps engineered for a factor of safety less then 1.1 are subject 10 greater risks even with accurate data. owing ta anomalous conditions such as the heights of spoil material cor undariays which avo likely to eeour theeughout the dumo (Khendelwal& Mozumdar, 1987: Yudhbir & Basuchar, 1988: * Sciontat, Centr Mining Resoaroh Institute, Berwe Rosd, Dharbbad - 626.007 (INDIADCoates, 1972). Tablo 1 ilustroatos the minimum factor of safety tecommended for the design of waste duvps. (b) The critical failure surtaceis the lip surface which has thelowestfacior of safety, Sinceall other slip surfaces result in higher factors of safety, eny method of analysis thatdoes not determine the critical sipsurface ‘willresult in unsafe situations. The Felenious method ‘can be used for the determination of the eftealfalure ‘surface (Purmia, 1987; Nauyen, 1988). ‘SARMA LIMIT EQUILIBRIUM METHOD. Sarma (1979) limit equilsitum method enalysis is @ ‘genotal methed ta deterrrine the stability of slopes of a variety of shapes. Slopes with complexprofiles with circular, ron circular, orplaner sliding edrfaces er any combination of these, and active-passive wedge faiiures can be analysed utilizing this method. The analysis ellows different shear strengths to be specified for the side and base of each slice External forces can be included for eech slice, and submergence of any part of the slope ie automstically incorporated into the analysis. closed form solution is used to calculate the critical horizontal acceleration | K,) required to induce 2 state of Emiting equilibrium in the sling mass. The static fector of safety (FOS) is determined by reducing the shear strength Yalues toh ard. to tan o/FOS end e/FOS unti the ertical acceleration K, is reduced to zero, Inorder to assess whether the analysis is accoptebie, a checkis carried out to determine whether al the effective Toble1 Suggested FOS for Different Conditions (After British Colurrbia Mine Weste Rock File Reso: h Comrities, 1991) ‘STABILITY CONDITION ‘Suggested Minimum Design Values for factor of Satety CASE A CASE B STABILITY OF DUMP SURFACE — Short Terry (During construction) 10 10 — Long Term (reclamation - abandonment) 12 wi (OVERALL STABILITY (DEEP SEATED STABILITY) — Short Terr (Stati 13-18 11-13 — Long Term (Statie) 15 13 — Pseudo-Static earthquake! 118 10 CASE A — Low level of confidence in critical analysis parameters, — Possibly uneonsorvative interpretation of conditions, assumptions, — Severe consequences of faire, — Simplified stabilty analysis methad (Chants, simplified meviad of slices) — Stability analysis method poorly simulates physical conditions, — Poor understanding of potential failure mechanism (s CASE B — High level of conticence in critical analysis parameters, — Conservative interpretation of conditions. assumption, — Minimal consoquances of filur, bility enehysis method, — Rigorous — Stabllty analysis method simulates physical corditions well, — High level of conticence in critica! failure mechanism (s. 24normal stresses actingacross ths base and sideot each slice are postive. DETERMINATION OF INDEX AND SHEAR STRENGTH PROPERTIES OF THE WASTE MATERIAL Two waste dumps of an opencast coal mine have boon chosen for estimation of siope stability, camples have een collected from waste dumps and lauorarary analysis for the spall material carried out, (Singh & Punmia, 1870; Teyor. 1982; Jurrkis, 1965; Afanasyew, 1978: Lambe, 1977. Desai, 1986, Hribar eta, 1986, Punmria, 1987). Final resulis of the Isboratory test aro givon in Table 2. Teblez ‘Summary of the Laboratory Test Results 1, Water content 55% 2. Spesific gravity (6) 1.864 3. Void ratio te) 0.787 4. Porosity in) 43.1% 5, Degree of saturation {s) 18.63% 8. Unit woight ha 14.92 KNen= 7. Seve enalysis Gravel = 11% Sard = 89% 8. Direct shear test c= 6ikPa a = 30 9. Texel test c= BakPa ° 20° ESTIMATION OF SLOPE STABILITY OF ‘THE MINE DUMPS Fig. 1 shows the leyout of overburden dump of an ‘opencastenal mine withreduced lavels and groundeortours at 5 m intervals. Stebiity analysis has been cartied out for five piaces on the two dumps (marked 05, 8, C, Dand E on the plan) 7" The following assumptions are made to derive the stability of dump slaves — The sol is assumed to be in @ state of plastic. cequilibriurn. — The scil is considered to be horogenecus in directions normal to the eross-section, — The factor of safety is the same value along all segments of the potential ‘alure surface, —Theshearstrongthof the materalischaractorzed by a cchesion cand a fiction angle a which are related by the equetion c+ otane s — Failures assumed to cecur on 2 circular failure surface wnich passes through the toe of te sope Shear stiength parameters(c, o)are determined in the laboratory with great certainty = Thereare ncexteinal forces ectingon the dump, — The ground water table lias much below the foundation surface end the soll mass is free raining innatute, Thus waterand pore pressures in the dump are neglitle, excep: in the reiny ‘season (Robertson, 1986) — The base is assumed to be competent, and wit rot fal The stabilty analysis has been carried out by the Sarma limiting equilrium mothod ard a summary of the stabilty enalysisisaven in Taole 3, thas been seentthat the dump site And B are at the limit of ptabilty end failure can Table 3 Summary of the Stability Analysis SL Dump Site Height Slope Angle FOS No. Cc) (dog) = 1 A 8 3750107 2 8 9 3800 1.03 Fi c 628 201518, 4 D 438 ©3488 137 5 E 665 144 31.18 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ‘Tho original geometry of the dumps has bean shown to bepotentaly unstabe, In the rainy season, felures occur as tho unit density! the spoilmatorialinereasos.as voids are filed with water and increase in pore pressure. n addition, the cheer strength of the dump decreases aufficinty to ‘pose a serous threat to life, property and access to the pit. Extensive changes in the geomevy of the dumps end ‘other oreventive measures are, therefore, required to improve stability. ‘The following sctions may be taken to stabilize the dumps Gabions may be used for theconstruction of retaining structures, They are rectenguler cages med= of hexagonal steel wire mesh laced together and filled with siones, 2. Wire netting along the slopes with reinforcarrent by long bolis/pegs, 3. Construction of aretainirg wall atthe tov ofthe dump. 4, Compaction of spol atthe toe of the dump. 25SCALE = 1:10,0005. Bonching of the dump slope. A bench on be ‘constructed near the crestot the dump andexcavated ‘material can Ee spread over the top of the dump (Brewner, 1970; Cheuiya & Singh, 1992, Smith et a, 1973) 6. Reduction of he dump slone anale and hydre-seecing of the slopes, Plantotion aasiate the removal of weter by tanspiration, and the formation of a mat of roots cen stablize the surface of stesp slopes ICheulya & Singh, 1992 b; Akers, et al, 1974), Repsir work should be scheduled to increase stability progressively. Careful alanning is necessary to ensure that adverse secondary effects do not arise irom the changes ‘made in the site by fepsir work, Several factors should be: considered in planning for dump stabilzetion measures 1. Continual clean-up operations in the toe ree, though necessary or maintaining access to the pit, have a destabilizng influence. 2. The potential erosion whieh may oceur if a stable weathered surface is disturbed, 3. Tho exposure of weak zonoe migh advorsely affect dump stabi. 4. Thopossibiity of earth moving operations temoctoriy reducing the stability of any area of the dump. An incorrect sequence of earth moving operations could lead: to instability 5. The long-term effectiveness of the proposed work ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The author would lke 10 express his gratitude 10 Prof. J. G. Singh, Head, Department of Mining Enginsering, Senaras Hindu University (B. H. U.), under whose guidance these studies were considered. He would alsotike to thark Dr. C. Ghosh, Lecturer, Deptt. of Civil Engg, BH. U.,forhis help and support in this work REFERENCES APANASYEV. V,(1976)Soi Mechanics, Mir Publishers, Moscow. ‘AKERS, J.D. and MUTER, B.A. (1974) : Gob pit stabiliztion and reclamation, Proc. of the th Mineral Waste Utilization Symp, Chicago, op. 226-299. BRAWNER, C.O, end MILIGAN, V. (1970) atabiity ‘penpitrninina, Proc. ofthe First Int. Cont. on Stability in Openpit Min, Vancouver, Canada. British Columbis mine Wesie Rock Pile Research Committee (1991) Investigation ard design manuel, Interim Guideline, Canade, CHAULYA, S. K.and SINGH, T.N. (1992): Extornal dumping of overburden in epencast mine, indian J. of Engr, 22 (1 & 2), 65-73, CHAULYA 8. 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K,(1989)° Mechanics of spoilcumpinstabilty& relevantgectechnicaldesign aspect, Thitd National Seminar on Surface Mines, Dhanbad, po.5.5.1-5.5.8 ° MINETECH S$ &T SPECIAL Organizations engaged in various S & T projects are welcome to contribute technical papers to be included in our forthcoming special issue. Papers dealing with ongoing or completed Coal S & T projects may be sent (conforming to the format followed by MINETECH) to the Chief General Manager (MT, S&T and ME), CMPDI Ltd., Gondwana Place, Kanke Road, Ranchi so as to reach him before the 31st January, 1996. NEW RATES OF HONORARIUM The honorarium payable to the authors etc. contributing to MINETECH hasbeen revised. The new rates are as follows : 1. Writing in English 2. Writing in Hindi Rs. 90/- for 1000 words Rs.150/- for 1000 words Rs. 15/- for 1000 words Rs. 10/- for 1000 words 3. Vetting 4. Proof Reading