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DETERMINATION OF PARAMETERS OF STRESS STATE IN A ROCK MASS CLOSE TO OPEN PIT WALL: CASE STUDY OF THE VOSTOCHNIY OPEN PIT, OLIMPIADINSKOE GOLD DEPOSIT

Anatoliy Kozyrev

Abstract

The stress state of a rock mass close to the Vostochniy open-pit, Olimpiadinskoe gold deposit, was studied with relief methods in the end-face measurement variant. The studies were performed at three observation stations within one engineering-geological rock block and identified the gravitational-tectonic type of acting stress field. The maximum component of the principal stresses is subhorizontal and acts in the zone of influence of the open-pit excavation parallel to the open-pit contour. Reconstruction of the direction of stresses acting outside the zone of influence has been performed on the basis of the comparison of research data and it evidences the subcomponent compression of the rock mass in the horizontal plane. The vertical stresses are determined by the weight of the overlying rocks. Studies of disturbance were performed by television monitoring of boreholes and ultrasonic logging and revealed a zone of increased mining-induced fracturing with the thickness of some meters. But in general, the overall fracturing of the rocks along the exploration borehole path can be characterized as moderate. Investigations of the movement of longitudinal elastic waves in the rock mass and in the samples and comparison of the obtained data have shown that the velocities of elastic waves in the samples exceed the velocities of elastic waves in the rock mass, which is a consequence of the low level of the measured stresses. With a view to clarifying the conclusions about the parameters of subhorizontal stresses outside the open pit excavation at "infinity", it is reasonable to carry out further research within the limits of all the allocated engineering-geological blocks of the Vostochny open pit.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2019/1.3/s03.025

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