Assessing Pillar Stability in Underground Stone Mines: Impact of Geological Structures and Stress Variations in the Appalachian Region

A. Elibol, D. Tuncay, Z. Agioutantis

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Roughly 29% of fatalities in underground stone mines have been associated with roof and pillar collapses from the beginning of 2002. The S-pillar software can assess how a significant joint set intersecting a pillar impacts the pillar's stability, but the approach doesn't account for the relative positioning of geological structures concerning the pillars or in cases where multiple joint sets intersect a single pillar. This study delves into the Northern and Central Appalachian region's horizontal stress variations and their influence on the stability of underground limestone mine pillars by investigating their effect on the reduction of the load-bearing capacity of pillars and the potential increase of the risk of pillar failure. Discontinuity sets extracted from point clouds acquired by Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor and the stress data obtained from the World Stress Map are investigated in conjunction with the region's geological history. The maximum horizontal stresses in the Northern and Central Appalachian regions align along the NE-SW direction, contributing to the formation of folds, faults, and discontinuities in the region. These geological phenomena are attributed to the Alleghenian orogeny, representing a pivotal moment in the region's geological history. The research goes beyond the factors such as overburden load and terrain configuration and analyzes the historical geological events that have shaped the area. Expanding analysis of pillar systems to examine varying topographies, geometries and modeling the discontinuities in the area, and adjusting geological information will enhance mine safety considerations. These collapses have occurred in geologically weak zones where a high frequency of discontinuities exists, resulting from a distinctive stress distribution. The paper will present possible correlations between stress distribution, tectonic processes, the Appalachian orogeny, and the geological discontinuities within the pillars and their overall integrity since a significant amount of pillar collapses associated with pillar stability issues have occurred within the Central and Northern Appalachian orogeny.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication58th US Rock Mechanics / Geomechanics Symposium 2024, ARMA 2024
ISBN (Electronic)9798331305086
DOIs
StatePublished - 2024
Event58th US Rock Mechanics / Geomechanics Symposium 2024, ARMA 2024 - Golden, United States
Duration: Jun 23 2024Jun 26 2024

Publication series

Name58th US Rock Mechanics / Geomechanics Symposium 2024, ARMA 2024

Conference

Conference58th US Rock Mechanics / Geomechanics Symposium 2024, ARMA 2024
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityGolden
Period6/23/246/26/24

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright 2024 ARMA, American Rock Mechanics Association.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geochemistry and Petrology
  • Geophysics

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