TA4121 – Underground Stability

Week 12: Crown Pillar and Sill Pillar Design

Mining Engineering Study Program Ridho Kresna Wattimena

Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering Simon Heru Prassetyo
Institut Teknologi Bandung 1
Semester I
Crown or sill pillar

2
Empirical calculation for crown pillar stress based on Tavakoli (1994)

3
Empirical calculation for crown pillar strength based on Tavakoli (1994)

4
FoS of crown pillar with various thickness and rock mass qualities

5
 Sill pillar thickness = 20 m
JOB TITLE : .
(*10^2)
(*10^2)

2.100
FLAC (Version 8.00) 2.100

PlasticLEGEND
zone Strength/Stress 1.900

24-Apr-19 8:01
1.900
contour
step 17991 JOB TITLE : .
3.372E+01 <x< 2.025E+02 1.700
1.700
2 4.697E+01 <y< 2.158E+02 Stope FLAC (Version 8.00)
2 Stope 40 m
M-C Strength/Stress Ratios
1.500
0.00E+00 1.500

2.00E+00 LEGEND
4.00E+00
6.00E+00 24-Apr-19 8:01
Sill pillar 8.00E+00 20 m Sill pillar
1.300
1.300

step 17991
1.00E+01
1.20E+01
FoS = 2−4 3.372E+01 <x< 2.025E+02
Contour interval= 1.00E+00 4.697E+01 <y< 2.158E+02 1.100
1.100
5E 1 Extrap. by averaging Stope
Stope Friction = 4.1000E+01
40 m M-C Strength/Stress Ratios
Cohesion = 8.0000E+05 0.00E+00 0.900
Tension = 8.7000E+06 0.900
2.00E+00
Boundary plot
4.00E+00
0 5E 1 6.00E+00
0.700
0.700 8.00E+00
1.00E+01
1.20E+01
0.500 Contour interval= 1.00E+00 0.500

0.500 0.700 0.900 1.100 1.300 Extrap.

1.500by averaging
1.700 1.900
(*10^2)
0.400 0.600 0.800 1.000 1.200
(*10^2)
1.400 1.600 1.800 2.000 Friction = 4.1000E+01
Cohesion = 8.0000E+05
Tension = 8.7000E+06
Boundary plot
Sill pillar thickness = 5 m

Plastic zone Strength/Stress contour

Stope
Stope 40 m

Sill pillar 5m Sill pillar

FoS = 1−1.2

Stope
40 m Stope
Sill pillar thickness = 10 m, cablebolt L = 6 m
Plastic zone Strength/Stress contour

Filled stope Filled stope

40 m

Cablebolted
Cablebolt sill pillar
10 m
FoS = 1.5−2
Filled stope

40 m Filled stope
Surface crown pillar

Cross-section C
Surface crown pillar thickness can be calculated based on the rock mass qualities (RQD,
R<R, and Q values) using 2 methods:

(1) Bakhtavar method (Bakhtavar et al., 2010)

13.22 × 𝑐 0.03 × 𝑠 0.41 × ℎ0.56

𝑡=
𝛾𝑟 0.03 × 𝑅𝑀𝑅0.56

(2) Scaled span method (Carter, 2014; Barton, 1974; Golder, 1990)

0,5
𝛾
𝐶𝑠 = 𝑆
𝑇 1 + 𝑆𝑅 1 − 0,4 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝛼

10
(1) Bakhtavar method (Bakhtavar et al., 2010)

13.22 × 𝑐 0.03 × 𝑠 0.41 × ℎ0.56

𝑡=
𝛾𝑟 0.03 × 𝑅𝑀𝑅0.56

t (m) Crown pillar thickness

s (m) stope span
h (m) stope height
RMR RMR
c (MPa) cohesion Bakhtavar et al. (2010)

11
(2) Scaled span method (Carter, 2014; Barton, 1974; Golder, 1990)

0.5
𝛾
𝐶𝑠 = 𝑠
𝑇 1 + 𝑠/𝐿 1 − 0.4 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃

T (m) Crown pillar thickness

s (m) Crown pillar span
L (m) Crown pillar length
g Rockmass specific gravity
q (deg.) Orebody dip

12
 Rock Mass Rating, RMR76 = GSI

Very poor Poor Fair Good Very good

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
100
99.5%
95%

50%
Surface crown pillar scaled span, Cs (m)

5%

10
0.5%

1 99.5%

95%

50%

5%
0.5%
0.1
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 4 10 40 100 400 1000
Except-
Very Extremely
Exceptionally poor Extremely poor Very poor Poor Fair Good ionally
good good good
13
Rock tunneling quality index, Q
 Rock Mass Rating, RMR76 = GSI

Very poor Poor Fair Good Very good

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
100
99.5%
95%

50%
Surface crown pillar scaled span, Cs (m)

5%

10
0.5%

1 99.5%

95%

50%

5%
0.5%
0.1
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 4 10 40 100 400 1000
Except-
Very Extremely
Exceptionally poor Extremely poor Very poor Poor Fair Good ionally
good good good
14
Rock tunneling quality index, Q
 Rock Mass Rating, RMR76 = GSI

Very poor Poor Fair Good Very good

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
100
99.5%
95%

50%
Surface crown pillar scaled span, Cs (m)

5%

10
0.5%

Cs = 2.3 m

Cs = 1.5 m RQD = 40
Cs = 1.2 m
Q = 3.2
1
Cs = 0.7 m 99.5%
95% RQD = 60
Q=6
50%

5% RQD = 20 RQD = 80
0.5% Q = 1.2 Q = 16
0.1
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 4 10 40 100 400 1000

Very Extremely Except-

Exceptionally poor Extremely poor Very poor Poor Fair Good ionally
good good good

Rock tunneling quality index, Q 15

Acceptable surface crown pillar risk exposure guidelines (Carter & Miller, 1995)

16
 120

L = 100 m
Crown pillar thickness, T (m) 100 L = 80 m
L = 60 m
L = 40 m
80

60

40

20

0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Rock Quality Designation, RQD
17
Example of surface crown pillar thickness calculation for various vein strike length dan RQD