Slope Stability

Slope Stability in Quarries
Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program
Why consider
slope stability in
your quarry?
WORSE CASE
SCENARIO
Aberfan disaster
21 October 1966
Aberfan disaster
On Friday, 21 October 1966, at
09:15, colliery waste tip number 7
slid down Merthyr Mountain. As it
collapsed it destroyed two cottages
and went on to demolish virtually
all of Pantglas Junior School and
part of the separate adjacent
senior school.
Aberfan disaster
In total 144 people were killed,

116 of whom were children mostly
between the ages of 7 and 10.
Aberfan disaster
FINDINGS
...the Aberfan disaster is a terrifying
tale of bungling ineptitude by many
men charged with tasks for which
they were totally unfitted, of failure
to heed clear warnings, and of total
lack of direction from above.
Report of the Tribunal appointed to inquire into the Disaster(London: HMSO, 1967)
Aberfan disaster
RECOMMENDATIONS
XV. Men engaged in the daily management

and control of tips should be trained for their
responsibilities (Paragraph 295).
XVI. Managers and surveyors should as soon as
possible be made aware of the rudiments of
soil mechanics and ground-water conditions.
Aberfan disaster
OUTCOME
The full report was released to the public

in 1997 after 30 years.
A subsequent inquiry found that the
current status of the management of
geotechnical issues is lacking.
The problem still exists today.
LESSONS
LEARNT?
LAKE COWAL MINE WALL COLLAPSE

No injuries or deaths
Wall angle too steep + wall moisture + underlying structures
30,000 tonnes moved
Pit wall angle was 29.4 degrees
New inter ramp angle to be reduced to 23 degrees in weathered zone
(source Minister Primary Industries, 01.04.08)
YALLOURN MINE
INCIDENT
No injuries or death
14 November 2007
Eastfield Pit
Demolished 2 coal conveyors
Minor damage to a third conveyor
Latrobe River was breached and ran into the pit
140,000 m3 moved in first 6 days to contain river breach
Latrobe River redirected over 800m
Inspectorate Investigation to report to Minister Feb 18, 2008
What are the potential costs?

Injury and loss of life
Damage to plant
Lost production
Restoration works
Legal liability

Incident:
Hardrock quarry in South
Australia Adelaide Hills;
No recorded history of
significant batter slips;
Incident occurred 2005;
Loader clearing access road
for contract drill rig first thing
in the morning - foggy;
Rainfall previous several days
Highwall batter suddenly gave
way;
Loader flipped over the bottom
batter onto the next bench;
Driver sustained minor injuries
to jaw was wearing seatbelt;
Some damage to FEL.
Purpose of this presentation:

To provide you with:
an understanding of slope instability
in soils, sands and rocks in quarries,
an appreciation of the hazards
associated with quarry excavations,
an increased awareness of inspections
and safe working procedures in relation
to excavations, tips, slurry structures and
stockpiles

Outline:
1. Power Point Presentations on:
Geotechnics
Application in a quarrying environment
Risk management approach to controlling
slope instability hazards
Geotechnics
What is Geotechnical Engineering?
Application in a Quarrying
Environment
Mechanics of Slope Failure
Types of Failures (Modes of Failure)
What is Geotechnical Engineering?

Geotechnics is the engineering discipline
concerned with the physical properties of
soils and rocks as used in engineering
applications.
Geotechnical applications are wide and
varied with major sub disciplines concerned
with building foundations, earth structures
(eg. dams), road construction, tunnelling
and slope stability.
Application in a Quarrying Environment

The main application of geotechnical
techniques in the quarry environment is
related to batter slope stability. This
includes:
Pit operating faces;
Pit overburden faces;
Overburden dumps;
Product stockpiles;
Tailings dam embankment,
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - FREEPORT

Factors Affecting Slope Stability

Slope stability is a function of . .
Material type
Strength of rock or soil
Water and drainage
Geological structure
Batter angle
Climate
Vegetation &
Time

When earth is disturbed, the internal
forces which were in balance, are
subjected to change.

Undisturbed Block of Material
An element of mass showing forces in
equilibrium
Disturbed Block of Material

An element of mass showing affect on
forces

This may result in a situation where the
material becomes unstable and
movement occurs to once again reach a
balance.
Material will move down slope in
response to gravity.
Movement can be very slow, barely
perceptible over many years,
or
Cadia
Orange
N.S.W. 2005
Movement can be devastatingly rapid,

apparent within minutes. Photo courtesy of GHD

Whether or not slope movement
occurs depends on whether the
destabilizing forces are greater
than the resisting forces.

Two Material Types:
Slopes in Soils
Slopes in Rock
Slope Failure in Soils

Soil Classification
Soils can be classified as decomposed
rock with particles ranging in size from
sub 1mm to boulders and forming a
matrix with in filled binding material.
They can be further distinguished as:
1. Cohesive soils (Clays and partly clay)
2. Non Cohesive soils (sand)

Soil Classification
The description and complete classification
of a soil for engineering geology purposes
is a fairly complicated process, and
requires extensive laboratory testing of the
samples. The complete classifications are
based on tests for material types and
sizing, shape, colour, structure,
consistency, moisture, permeability, and
strength and deformation characteristics.

Soil Matrix
The soil matrix comprises 3 parts:
Soil particles
Gas (usually air)
Water
PHREATIC SURFACE
Failure Modes in Soils

Slip Circle Failure:
Failure
Plane

Common type of
landslide consisting
of an upper slump
motion and a lower
flow.
Figure from
Keller (2000)
100+ years of
quarrying

Typical quarry operations subject to these failures are:
Highly weathered rock faces;

Loosely consolidated excavated Overburden faces;
Overburden dumps;
Product stockpiles;
Tailings dam embankment;
Factors contributing to these modes of failure are:
Rock/Soil mass material strength;
Geological structures such as unconformities;
Presence of weak planes;
Water (water ingress and groundwater).

Failure Modes in Engineered Structures

Overburden Dumps
CIRCULAR FAILURE
Failure Modes in Engineered Structures

Tailing Dams
WATER LEVEL RISING
WATER OVERTOPING
SEISMIC ACTIVITY
PIPING
Mechanics of Slope Failure in Rock

Weathered Rock This behaves similarly to
soils.
Sound Rock Batter movement is usually
mass movement along geological features;
Bedding planes,
Discontinuities,
Joints,
Faults
Mechanics of Slope Failure in Rock
Failure Modes in Rocks

Plane Failure:
Failure
Plane

Wedge Failure:

Plane StepFailure:
Ravelling:
Toppling
Failure:

Toppling Failure:

Typical quarry operations subject to these failures are:
Operating faces in Rock;
Operating faces in Overburden comprising

distinct bedding planes or discontinuities;
Factors contributing to these modes of failure
are:
Bedding planes;
Joints;
Faults;
Presence of weak planes;
Water (water ingress and groundwater).

This is not the end, but the

beginning of your quest to
tame your quarry or mine
slope stability!

Slope Stability

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Slope Stability

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Slope Stability in Quarries

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Slope Stability in Quarries

In total 144 people were killed,

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

XV. Men engaged in the daily management

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

The full report was released to the public

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Slope Stability in Quarries

LAKE COWAL MINE WALL COLLAPSE

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries

Workshop Details: IQA Professional Development Program

Slope Stability in Quarries