Oil sand cyclic load - deformation behaviour below surface mining equipment

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Operation of ultra class mining equipment in the Athabasca oil sands has proven more costly than anticipated by mining companies as end users. Maintenance of rapidly deteriorating oil sand operating surfaces, due to the cyclic motion of these units, has escalated with increase in size of machines. Conversely, damage to structural components of these tools, due to rapidly deteriorating ground profiles, is also costly. Increased fuel use and emissions, attributed to an increase in rolling resistance with deterioration in oil sand stiffness, continue to generate environmental concerns. Injury to operators is more frequent in the guise of whole body vibration (WBV) induced back issues, attributed to adverse equipment motions in response to poor operating surface conditions. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and oil sand mine operations realize that a lack of understanding of the oil sand surface operating conditions is a dominant root cause of all of the above issues. The intent of this geotechnical based application is increase the knowledge base through a study of oil sand operating surface stiffness change under the cyclic loading action of mining equipment such as trucks, shovels or in-pit crusher plants. As such, considerations of mining equipment operation are purely to define the magnitude and frequency of loading activity; such that cyclic load - deformation response of oil sand may be evaluated in the field, mimicked in a laboratory setting and then modeled. Both conventional and novel geotechnical testing and interpretation techniques will be employed, including proving of passive seismic monitoring as a viable non-intrusive oil sand stiffness monitoring technique. Outcomes will include empirical relations and numerical models providing a mapping of varying underfoot oil sand ground stiffness as progressive mining activities proceed.