Underground Excavations In Rock

Underground Excavations in Rock deals with the geotechnical aspects of the design of underground openings for mining and civil engineering processes.

The safe and economical construction of tunnels, mines, and other subterranean works depends on the correct choice of support systems to ensure that the excavations are stable. These support systems should be matched to the characterstics of the rock mass and the excavation techniques adopted. Establishing the support requirements, designing support systems and installing these correctly are essential elements in safe underground construction. This is a comprehensive and practical work which also gives access to user-friendly computer programmes which enable the investigation and design of support techniques. Details on how to obtain this software are also included in the book.

Stability of underground excavations is of great importance to an operating mine because it ensures the safety of the working people and operating equipment, and successful ore production. Due to the complex geological conditions and mine constructions, and variability and uncertainty in estimating rock mass mechanical properties, the assessment of rock mass stability for an underground mine is extremely challenging and difficult. Tackling of this difficult problem is not covered in detail in any of the textbooks currently available in the rock mechanics literature. This monograph aims to cover this gap in the rock mechanics and rock engineering field. This monograph provides detailed procedures for the stability assessment and support design for an underground mine case study. It covers the background of the mine site including the monitored deformation data, the state-of-art methodologies for the stability analysis of rock masses around underground excavations, performed laboratory tests, estimation of the rock mass properties, a brief theory and background of the 3-D Distinct Element Code (3DEC), and numerical modeling of underground rock mass stability including investigation of the effectiveness of rock supports. The monograph is an excellent reference for the senior undergraduates, graduate students, researchers and practitioners who work in the Underground Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering area in the Mining Engineering, Civil Geotechnical Engineering and DEM (Distinct Element Method) Numerical modeling.

This new edition has been completely revised to reflect the notable innovations in mining engineering and the remarkable developments in the science of rock mechanics and the practice of rock angineering taht have taken place over the last two decades. Although "Rock Mechanics for Underground Mining" addresses many of the rock mechanics issues that arise in underground mining engineering, it is not a text exclusively for mining applications. Based on extensive professional research and teaching experience, this book will provide an authoratative and comprehensive text for final year undergraduates and commencing postgraduate stydents. For profesional practitioners, not only will it be of interests to mining and geological engineers, but also to civil engineers, structural mining geologists and geophysicists as a standard work for professional reference purposes.

Surface and Underground Excavations – Methods, Techniques and Equipment (2nd edition) covers the latest technologies and developments in the excavation arena at any locale: surface or underground. In the first few chapters, unit operations are discussed and subsequently, excavation techniques are described for various operations: tunnelling, drifting, raising, sinking, stoping, quarrying, surface mining, liquidation and mass blasting as well as construction of large subsurface excavations such as caverns and underground chambers. The design, planning and development of excavations are treated in a separate chapter. Especially featured are methodologies to select stoping methods through incremental analysis. Furthermore, this edition encompasses comprehensive sections on mining at ‘ultra depths’, mining difficult deposits using non-conventional technologies, mineral inventory evaluation (ore – reserves estimation) and mine closure. Concerns over Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), environment and loss prevention, and sustainable development are also addressed in advocating a solution to succeed within a scenario of global competition and recession. This expanded second edition has been wholly revised, brought fully up-to-date and includes (wherever feasible) the latest trends and best practices, case studies, global surveys and toolkits as well as questions at the end of each chapter. This volume will now be even more appealing to students in earth sciences, geology, and in civil, mining and construction engineering, to practicing engineers and professionals in these disciplines as well as to all with a general or professional interest in surface and underground excavations.

Professionals and students in any geology-related field will find this an essential reference. It clearly and systematically explains underground engineering geology principles, methods, theories and case studies. The authors lay out engineering problems in underground rock engineering and how to study and solve them. The book specially emphasizes mechanical and hydraulic couplings in rock engineering for wellbore stability, mining near aquifers and other underground structures where inflow is a problem.

This new edition has been completely revised to reflect the notable innovations in mining engineering and the remarkable developments in the science of rock mechanics and the practice of rock angineering taht have taken place over the last two decades. Although "Rock Mechanics for Underground Mining" addresses many of the rock mechanics issues that arise in underground mining engineering, it is not a text exclusively for mining applications. Based on extensive professional research and teaching experience, this book will provide an authoratative and comprehensive text for final year undergraduates and commencing postgraduate stydents. For profesional practitioners, not only will it be of interests to mining and geological engineers, but also to civil engineers, structural mining geologists and geophysicists as a standard work for professional reference purposes.

Cavity expansion theory is a simple theory that has found many applications in geotechnical engineering. In particular, it has been used widely to analyse problems relating to deep foundations, in-situ testing, underground excavation and tunnelling, and wellbore instability. Although much research has been carried out in this field, all the major findings are reported in the form of reports and articles published in technical journals and conference proceedings. To facilitate applications and further development of cavity expansion theory, there is a need for the geotechnical community to have a single volume presentation of cavity expansion theory and its applications in solid and rock mechanics. This book is the first attempt to summarize and present, in one volume, the major developments achieved to date in the field of cavity expansion theory and its applications in geomechanics. Audience: Although it is intended primarily as a reference book for civil, mining, and petroleum engineers who are interested in cavity expansion methods, the solutions presented in the book will also be of interest to students and researchers in the fields of applied mechanics and mechanical engineering.