Scale Effect on Strength and Failure Modes of Open Pit Cut Slope of Wardha Valley Coalfield in India

摘要

Stability of slopes is one of the basic problems in open cast mines. Economical and safe open pit slopes involve maximization of the angle of inclination of the slope with proper stability. Studies on stability require a complete knowledge of the local geology. Stability of rock slopes depends on the scale of the slope, type of rock, orientation and density of the discontinuities etc. With an increase in size of rock mass, the chances of presence of joints and fractures increases and hence the strength of the rock material reduces due to the inclusion of more discontinuities in the rock mass. In the present study, a mine slope at Wardha Valley Coalfield in India has been numerically analyzed to take into account the effect of number of joint sets on the stability. The results show a reduction in factor of safety with an increase in joint sets.