Abstract
Expansion of existing mining activities is driven by a growing demand for raw materials and it is very often characterised by increased mining geological complexity that require an optimal use of natural resources by maximizing recovery. In this conditions, design of the mining method must be based on a good understanding of the rock mass behaviour in order to obtain balance between design, efficient functioning of the mine, safety, economy, and environmental protection.
Design must be based on a good knowledge of geological and mechanical characteristics and behaviour of rock mass using an integrated analysis of stress and deformations. The analysis is based on integration of results of sensing technologies for geo-data acquisition and information extraction, with the results of the deterministic method e.g. finite element method (FEM).
In case of determination of mining surface subsidence and stress re-distribution in the rock mass using FEM, the rock mass model is considered a large-scale problem. FEM modeling of large-scale rock mass deformation is a very challenging task, due to problems related to proper simplification of geology and acceptance of in-situ geo-mechanical parameters.
Expansion of mining activities at KGHM Polish Copper Inc. is constrained and affected by increased geological complexity and folding. The copper deposit is located at the depth of about 800m and about 55m under overlying salt strata of variable height. The main challenge in the design of mining is taking under consideration possible natural hazards. In the presentation a discussion on the mentioned parameters is given.