Characteristics of biplanar wedge spoil pile instabilities and methods to improve stability

1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Resat Ulusay ◽  
Dinçer Çaglan ◽  
Fehmi ArIkan ◽  
M Fatih Yoleri

The stability of spoil piles in surface coal mines is an important factor in the successful exploitation of coal reserves. Spoil pile instability must be avoided not only to ensure negligible risk in both personnel and equipement but also to prevent increased production costs. Since mining began at the Eskihisar strip coal mine, southwest Turkey, stability problems have been experienced in both spoil piles adjacent to highwalls (slices) and outside dumping areas. This paper outlines the results of field and laboratory investigations performed to describe the causes and mechanism of pile instabilities threatening production along the highwalls. Back-analysis of failures and monitoring data have revealed that failures occur along planar surfaces that define two-wedge shaped blocks. In addition, shear strength of the moist underclay at the base of piles and changes in the floor dip are the controlling factors in the development of failures. It is also noted that sharp decreases in shear strength after peak values for the the underclay indicated that weak basal planes exhibit a shear strength at or approaching the residual value at the time of failure. Results show that failures are most likely initiated along the spoil &#150 natural ground interface and propagate into spoil mass. Three possible remedial measures have been evaluated by carrying out two-dimentional stability analyses, and the most effective method for improving spoil pile stability appeared to be spreading of a rockfill material on the floor after coal production. Key words: back-analysis, biplanar wedge failure, pile instability, rockfill blanket, shear strength.

1993 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Ulusay ◽  
M.F. Yolerì ◽  
V. Doyuran

Eskihisar open pit mine, located at Yatagan, southwest Turkey, produces thermal coal for a power generating plant. As mining of strips advanced southwards, instability appeared to be highly critical due to the movements in the southeast wall slopes adjacent to the state highway running parallel to the pit boundary. This situation called for an immediate response to initiate a detailed geotechnical investigation program and to redesign the pit slopes. This paper outlines the most probable mode and mechanism of instability along the southeast wall, as well as field and laboratory studies, results of back analysis, discussion of the data requirements, and results of slope stability analyses performed to ensure adequate overall stability. The studies revealed that the most critical failures may occur along two or three planar surfaces, by combination of fault, bedding plane, and localized strata steepening adjacent to the fault, in multiplanar failure mode controlled by faulted blocks. The stability is sensitive to changes in length of the lower part of the basal sliding surface, as well as to the configuration and shear strength of black and highly plastic underclay. The effects of a buttress of intact rock and slope flattening on the stability are compared and discussed. Key words : back analysis, multiplanar failure, shear strength, slope stability, toe buttressing.


Author(s):  
M Filali ◽  
A Nechnech ◽  
J de Rosa ◽  
H Gadouri ◽  
B Meziani

The purposeof this study isto present the results of geotechnical investigations and landslide analysis in a marl deposit at the Sahel (coast) of Algiers in northern Algeria, where many landslides take place in the Plaisancian marls, particularly following rainfall periods each year, causing severe damage to infrastructures and buildings. The physico-mechanical characteristics of the soils obtained from three different sites (El-Achour, Daly-Brahim and Ouled-Fayet) were analysed to identify the mechanism of these landslides. In the study, the laboratory test results providing grain-size distribution, Atterberg limits, water content, shear strength, and compressibility were analysed. The findings showed that, although the soils were characterised by slightly higher plasticity at Ouled-Fayet, they were generally homogeneous in the studied sites. The upper soils, generally weathered, exhibited low shear strength parameters, which are lower than the undisturbed formation beneath. The stability analysis based on limit equilibrium methods (LEM) showed the significant influence of pore water pressures on slope stability, suggesting that the weathered soils are prone to instability processes due to the effect of long rainy periods.


2010 ◽  
Vol 168-170 ◽  
pp. 2439-2444
Author(s):  
Ming Wei Liu ◽  
Ying Ren Zheng

On the stability analysis of complex slope, the determination of rock-soil masses shear strength parameters is very important. It’s very necessary to use the back analysis method to verify experiment result of rock-soil masses parameters for the important slope engineering. Because the sensitivity of shear strength parameters to displacement parameters is very poor, so that we couldn’t get the satisfactory shear strength parameters result by traditional back analysis method. Aiming at the problems of traditional back analysis method, this paper puts forward a totally new method of back analysis, which is applicable to the shear strength parameters of rock-soil masses through the integration of complex variable differentiation method, optimization method and elastic-plasticity finite-element method. The method mathematically back calculates shear strength parameters of rock-soil masses on the basis of displacement of measuring point. The sample calculation result indicates that the method possesses high accuracy and searching efficiency, and is a method of back analysis of displacement deserving popularizing.


1989 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Stead ◽  
R. Singh

The stability of loosewall slopes in surface coal mines is an important factor in the successful exploitation of surface coal mine reserves. Loosewall instability must be avoided not only to ensure negligible risk to both personnel and excavation plant but also to prevent increased production costs. In 1976 the United Kingdom National Coal Board Opencast Executive initiated a programme of slope stability research projects at the Mining Engineering Department of the University of Nottingham. This paper examines the data collected on loosewall slope failures over the last 10 years. The results of a preliminary programme of back analyses of selected loosewall instabilities using limit equilibrium techniques are discussed. Key words: loosewall, coal, database, back analysis.


2012 ◽  
Vol 204-208 ◽  
pp. 241-245
Author(s):  
Yang Jin

The stability of soil slope under seepage is calculated and analyzed by using finite element method based on the technique of shear strength reduction. When the condition of seepage or not is considered respectively, the critical failure state of slopes and corresponding safety coefficients can be determined by the numerical analysis and calculation. Besides, through analyzing and comparing the calculation results, it shows that seepage has a negative impact on slope stability.


Author(s):  
Andrew Lees ◽  
Michael Dobie

Polymer geogrid reinforced soil retaining walls have become commonplace, with routine design generally carried out by limiting equilibrium methods. Finite element analysis (FEA) is becoming more widely used to assess the likely deformation behavior of these structures, although in many cases such analyses over-predict deformation compared with monitored structures. Back-analysis of unit tests and instrumented walls improves the techniques and models used in FEA to represent the soil fill, reinforcement and composite behavior caused by the stabilization effect of the geogrid apertures on the soil particles. This composite behavior is most representatively modeled as enhanced soil shear strength. The back-analysis of two test cases provides valuable insight into the benefits of this approach. In the first case, a unit cell was set up such that one side could yield thereby reaching the active earth pressure state. Using FEA a test without geogrid was modeled to help establish appropriate soil parameters. These parameters were then used to back-analyze a test with geogrid present. Simply using the tensile properties of the geogrid over-predicted the yield pressure but using an enhanced soil shear strength gave a satisfactory comparison with the measured result. In the second case a trial retaining wall was back-analyzed to investigate both deformation and failure, the failure induced by cutting the geogrid after construction using heated wires. The closest fit to the actual deformation and failure behavior was provided by using enhanced fill shear strength.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Joon-Sang An ◽  
Kyung-Nam Kang ◽  
Ju-Young Choi ◽  
Won-Suh Sung ◽  
Vathna Suy ◽  
...  

The stability of tunnels has mainly been evaluated based on displacement. Because displacement due to the excavation process is significant, back analysis of the structure and ground can be performed easily. Recently, the length of a segment-lined tunnel driven by the mechanized tunneling method is increasing. Because the internal displacement of a segment-lined tunnel is trivial, it is difficult to analyze the stability of segment-lined tunnels using the conventional method. This paper proposes a back analysis method using stress and displacement information for a segment-lined tunnel. A differential evolution algorithm was adopted for tunnel back analysis. Back analysis based on the differential evolution algorithm using stress and displacement was established and performed using the finite difference code, FLAC3D, and built-in FISH language. Detailed flowcharts of back analysis based on DEA using both monitored displacement stresses were also suggested. As a preliminary study, the target variables of the back analysis adopted in this study were the elastic modulus, cohesion, and friction angle of the ground. The back analysis based on the monitored displacement is useful when the displacement is significant due to excavation. However, the conventional displacement-based back analysis is unsuitable for a segment-lined tunnel after construction because of its trivial internal displacement since the average error is greater than 32% and the evolutionary calculation is finalized due to the maximum iteration criteria. The average error obtained from the proposed back analysis algorithm using both stress and displacement ranged within approximately 6–8%. This also confirms that the proposed back analysis algorithm is suitable for a segment-lined tunnel.


2000 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 449-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Harris ◽  
Antoni G Lewkowicz

Active-layer detachment slides are locally common on Fosheim Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, where permafrost is continuous, the active layer is 0.5-0.75 m thick, and summer temperatures are unusually high in comparison with much of the Canadian High Arctic. In this paper we report pore-water pressures at the base of the active layer, recorded in situ on two slopes in late July and early August 1995. These data form the basis for slope stability analyses based on effective stress conditions. During fieldwork, the factor of safety within an old detachment slide on a slope at Hot Weather Creek was slightly greater than unity. At "Big Slide Creek," on a slope showing no evidence of earlier detachment failures, the factor of safety was less than unity on a steep basal slope section but greater than unity elsewhere. In the upper slope, pore-water pressures were only just subcritical. Sensitivity analyses demonstrate that the stability of the shallow active layer is strongly influenced by changes in soil shear strength. Possible mechanisms for reduction in shear strength through time include weathering of soils and gradual increases in basal active layer ice content. However, we suggest here that soil shearing during annual gelifluction movements is most likely to progressively reduce shear strengths at the base of the active layer from peak values to close to residual, facilitating the triggering of active-layer detachment failures.Key words: detachment slides, Ellesmere Island, pore-water pressures, gelifluction.


1970 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Milligan ◽  
K. Y. Lo

In excavations below groundwater level, instability of the base may result from the inflow of water into the excavation. The most important factors influencing the stability are the ground water and detailed soil conditions at the site.Construction problems encountered in excavations in clay strata, underlain by pervious water bearing layers, are described. The remedial measures adopted in each case are also discussed. From a study of the observations made in the case records, it is suggested that excavation in intact clays may be carried out to depths exceeding that limited by the ratio of t/h = 0.5, where t is the distance from the bottom of the excavation to the top of the water bearing stratum, and h is the water head at the top of the water bearing stratum, provided that the clay is not disturbed during construction so that the shear strength of the clay is preserved.


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