Slope stability of the Pit Number One, El Encino mine, southern Jalisco, Mexico.

摘要

Experimental and analytical investigations were conducted to evaluate the overall stability for the final slope of the Pit Number One at El Encino mine, an iron ore property in Jalisco, Mexico.;Shear strength of the intact rock and fractures was estimated from laboratory tests and back-analyses of previous slope failures. Back-analysis estimates were found to be more appropriate to represent the shear strength of fractures.;Equal-area stereoplots were used to analyze geological structure data to differentiate structural domains with similar structural characteristics within the final slope. A kinematic analysis was performed for each structural domain using average joint set orientations and major discontinuities projected onto the final slope.;The final pit walls were found to be stable, except for a 36,000 ton wedge and a 12,000 ton plane shear slide. These geometries and other potentially unstable areas were analyzed, and control measures and additional work suggested.