Unified rock pillar strength formula for mine design

IF 3.7 2区工程技术 Q3 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment Pub Date : 2025-02-06 DOI:10.1007/s10064-025-04104-6

Cesar Arriagada, Javier Vallejos, Lorena Burgos, Adeline Delonca, Felipe Ochoa-Cornejo, Jorge Velásquez

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This paper presents a new equation to design rock pillars in underground excavations. The study is based on rigorous statistical analysis of empirical databases and equations used in the engineering design process. The new formula has three fitting functions that consider the rock mass quality, the shape of the rock pillar, and the scale effects. The new equation has two distinctive advantages: (1) It takes into account the Rock Mass Rating of Bieniawski-1989 (RMR_B89), and (2) It unifies the strength of the intact rock, scaling the strength of laboratory tests to the scale of rock pillars. The results suggest that the proposed new formula (and corresponding fitting formulae) provide better estimations than empirical approaches, at both the laboratory and rock pillar scale levels. Specific recommendations to use the equations are based on the rock mass quality, geometrical properties, and spatial location of the rock pillars. The premise of this study was to overcome the three main disadvantages of empirical formulae used in the engineering design of rock pillars: (1) disregarding of the rock mass quality of rock pillars in the formulation. (2) Dependency on local site geomechanical conditions (site conditions dependent equations). (3) The non-uniformity between the intact rock strength measured in the laboratory and the pillar strength. The results of this work provide a step forward in the design of rock pillars, structures engineered with the natural in-situ rock mass, to sustain underground openings, and guarantee safe underground excavations.

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来源期刊

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment 工程技术-地球科学综合

CiteScore

7.10

自引率

11.90%

发文量

445

审稿时长

4.1 months

期刊介绍： Engineering geology is defined in the statutes of the IAEG as the science devoted to the investigation, study and solution of engineering and environmental problems which may arise as the result of the interaction between geology and the works or activities of man, as well as of the prediction of and development of measures for the prevention or remediation of geological hazards. Engineering geology embraces: • the applications/implications of the geomorphology, structural geology, and hydrogeological conditions of geological formations; • the characterisation of the mineralogical, physico-geomechanical, chemical and hydraulic properties of all earth materials involved in construction, resource recovery and environmental change; • the assessment of the mechanical and hydrological behaviour of soil and rock masses; • the prediction of changes to the above properties with time; • the determination of the parameters to be considered in the stability analysis of engineering works and earth masses.