A Study on Geotechnical Risks in Interaction Between Open–Pit and Block Caving

摘要

There are several geotechnical challenges and risks inherentin the interaction between the open-pit and block cave miningenvironments. This is especially true when they have to worksimultaneously for a short time, as well as when only the cavingoperation is continued. Some of these challenges and risks includethe induced zones of stress due to the large and deep open-pit,instability of the slope, instability of the crown pillar and waterinflows, subsidence, and sometimes instability of the main accessesto the block cave portion of the mine. These challenges usuallyoccur due to cave propagation. In this paper, these geotechnicalchallenges and associated risks have been studied and discussed.It was concluded that the majority of the mentioned geotechnicalrisks could be decreased, and often eliminated, by consideringthe appropriate dimensions of a stable crown pillar, especially insimultaneously working open-pit and block caving operations.