Transition from surface to underground mining: integrated characterization, monitoring and modeling of rock mass response and its impact on surface structures

随着全球对矿产资源的需求不断增加，加拿大等资源丰富的国家正朝着开发和开采更深、更复杂、更低品位的矿体的方向发展。因此，许多加拿大采矿企业正在考虑从地面采矿方法转向大规模地下采矿方法，以便在矿井生命结束后开采这些更深层次的资源。然而，与这些大规模采矿方法对地表环境产生的诱发差异应变、地表下沉、引发斜坡坍塌等方面的影响有关的实用知识是有限的，既给矿山带来了经济风险，也给矿山人员带来了安全风险。鉴于加拿大北部地区的生态敏感性，可持续采矿做法是一个关键优先事项--即最大限度地开采资源，同时减少不利影响。为了解决这些问题，已经获得了行业资金，以调查在帮助预测采矿引起的地表下沉方面使用先进的数值模拟方法。其目的是通过对现有采矿作业的研究，严格测试这些方法，并制定工作战略，为未来的地下作业做准备。在此基础上，NSERC-CRD的配套资金将用于将复杂的数值方法与先进的岩土仪器系统和岩石特征数据库相结合，以提高我们对地下大规模采矿过程的地表响应及其对安全和经济采矿的贡献的知识。CRD的主要目标将集中在采矿引起的差异应变，特别是小应变(&lt；1%)对露天矿、工程和天然斜坡失稳的影响。最近的研究结果突出了在这一主题上进一步工作的相关性、重要性和必要性。

With ever-increasing global demand for mineral resources, resource-rich countries like Canada are moving towards developing and mining deeper, more complex and lower grade ore bodies. As a result, numerous Canadian mining operations are considering switching from surface to mass underground mining methods in order to mine these deeper resources once pit lives come to an end. However, the body of practical knowledge related to the impacts these mass mining methods have on the surface environment in terms of induced differential strains, surface subsidence, triggering of slope failures, etc., is limited, imposing both economic risks to the mine and safety risks to mine personnel. Given the ecological sensitivity of the northern regions of Canada, sustainable mining practices are a key priority - i.e. maximizing mining of the resources, while reducing adverse effects. To address such issues, industry funding has been obtained to investigate the use of advanced numerical modelling methods in helping to predict mining-induced surface subsidence. The objective is to rigorously test these methods and develop a working strategy through studies of existing mining operations in preparation for future moves underground. Building on this, matching NSERC-CRD funds will be used to work towards integrating sophisticated numerical methods with advanced geotechnical instrumentation systems and rock mass characterization databases to improve our knowledge of surface responses to underground mass mining processes and its contribution to safe and economic mining. The key objectives of the CRD will focus on mining-induced differential strains, and in particular the effects of small strain (<1 %), on the destabilization of open pit, engineered and natural slopes. Recent research findings highlight the relevance, importance and necessity for further work on this subject.