Improved Procedures for Analyzing the Deformation and Failure Responses of Brittle Rock in High Stress Environments

行业预测表明，随着可用资源趋于更深，未来几十年地下大规模采矿作业的产量将大幅增加。这些作业的经验已经表明，在所考虑的深度处遇到的岩体响应是复杂和严重的。这些都暴露了现有预测工具的局限性。从支撑设计的角度来看，所涉及的高应力环境和复杂应力路径在所依赖的经验设计工具中所代表的经验基础之外。最近在我的研究活动中取得的成功已经确定了基于变形的支撑设计的必要性，其中涉及脆性破坏机制，如剥落。然而，计算变形响应所依赖的数值工具主要是基于剪切的模型和体积膨胀的假设，而在散裂柱中看到的过度膨胀清楚地指向延伸失效机制和定向膨胀。为此，我们开发了一个第一个同类的三维约束相关强度动员模型和相关的三维定向膨胀模型的脆性岩石。作为补充，我们开发了一种柱体规模的3-D粘结块建模技术，能够明确建模挖掘规模的脆性破坏和岩体膨胀，这是由于当破碎的岩石块在被挤压到挖掘中时彼此相对移动时的几何不相容性，以及不同支撑策略对这些的性能响应。为这项发现补助金提出的研究将建立在这些成功的基础上，进一步推进我们对脆性岩体变形和破坏的理解，同时采取重要步骤来推进和验证我们开发的工具。这将通过研究目标来实现，这些目标将使HQP在岩体表征，岩石力学测试，矿山监测数据解释和高级数值建模方面接受实践和最新技术的培训。总之，拟议的研究方案将有助于提供和促进使用新的工具和知识，更适合于加拿大矿山向更深处发展时将遇到的挑战。将制定最佳实践指南，通过改进支护设计战略，帮助更好地管理深部开采应力和不利岩体反应。与现有行业合作伙伴的密切合作将有助于确保研究成果（知识、工具、方法等）将快速有效地转移，促进优化机会，并在新技术的研发和实施之间缩短时间线，提高安全性。HQP将学习加拿大资源行业需求量大的技能，并对加拿大未来的自然资源开发需求具有战略重要性。

Industry forecasts indicate that there will be a significant increase in production from underground mass mining operations over the next decades as available resources trend deeper. Experiences from these operations have already demonstrated that the rock mass responses encountered at the depths being considered are complex and severe. These have exposed limitations in existing predictive tools. From a support design perspective, the high stress environments and complex stress paths involved are outside the experience-base represented in the empirical design tools being relied upon. Recent successes in my research activities have identified the need for deformation-based support design where brittle failure mechanisms like spalling are involved. However, the numerical tools relied upon to calculate deformation responses are dominated by shear-based models and assumptions of volumetric dilation, whereas the excessive bulking seen in spalling pillars clearly point to an extensional failure mechanism and directional dilation. For this, we have developed a first-of-its-kind 3-D confinement-dependent strength mobilization model and associated 3-D directional dilation model for brittle rock. Complementing this is a pillar-scale 3-D bonded-block modelling technique we've developed capable of explicitly modelling excavation-scale brittle failure and rock mass bulking due to geometric incompatibilities when broken pieces of rock move relative to each other as they are squeezed into the excavation, together with the performance response of different support strategies to these.******The research proposed for this Discovery Grant will build on these successes to further advance our understanding of brittle rock mass deformation and failure, while taking important steps to advance and validate the tools we've developed. This will be achieved through research objectives that will see HQP trained in both the state-of-practice and state-of the-art in rock mass characterization, rock mechanics testing, interpretation of mine monitoring data, and advanced numerical modelling. Together, the research program proposed will help to deliver and promote the use of new tools and knowledge more suitable for the challenges that will be encountered as Canadian mines progress to greater depths. Best practice guidelines will be produced that will help contribute to better management of deep mining stresses and adverse rock mass responses through improved support design strategies. Close collaboration with existing industry partners will help to ensure that research deliverables (knowledge, tools, methods, etc.) will be quickly and effectively transferred, facilitating optimization opportunities and improved safety on a reduced time-line between R&D of new techniques and their implementation. HQP will learn skills that are in high demand in the Canadian resource industry and are of strategic importance for Canada's future natural resource development needs.**