Openings Design Method to Mitigate Rock Bursts During Deep Mining Works in the Peruvian Andes

Abstract

Underground mines usually perform works at considerably large depths at which the stress conditions on the rock mass are observed to increase (for example, the Yauliyacu mining unit). This mine exhibits a depth of approximately 1,500 meters, and its depth is being increased even further. The operations at this mine are divided into the upper and lower zone operations. This division eventually created a problem related to the seismicity induced by the mining activities, resulting in a high concentration of stress and accumulated energy, which further led to landslides or rock bursts that directly affected workers, equipment, and the mine infrastructure. The Yauliyacu mining unit exhibits a microseismic system that is strategically distributed throughout the mine, monitoring the occurrence of these events in real time. The microseismic event records during the second semester of 2017 were analyzed to identify the affected levels or the levels exhibiting considerable susceptibility to the manifestation of rock bursts. The redistribution behavior of the main stress in underground horseshoe openings were analyzed for the Yauliyacu mining unit using another type of opening proposed in this study.