Back-analysis and design review of a failed slope at an open-pit coal mine, Mpumalanga, South Africa

dc.contributor.emailmmathapelo.selomane@exxaro.comen
dc.contributor.postgraduateSelomane, Mmathapelo Annah
dc.contributor.unknownProf J L Van Rooyen
dc.date.accessioned2013-09-09T12:03:44Z
dc.date.available2012-08-03en
dc.date.available2013-09-09T12:03:44Z
dc.date.created2012-04-13en
dc.date.issued2012-08-03en
dc.date.submitted2012-08-03en
dc.descriptionDissertation (MSc (Engineering Geology))--University of Pretoria, 2012.en
dc.description.abstractMining activity in open-pit mines may change material properties over time and as a result, shear strengths are reduced and may lead to slope failures. It is therefore important to design slope geometries with an acceptable probability of failure. In the event of slope failure occurring, the process of back-analysis to determine material properties at failure may lead to slope redesign for safety reasons. A case study is presented from the back-analysis performed on a slope failure at an open-pit coal mine in the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. The failure occurred during December 2008 and is believed to be a progressive failure where failure in one material triggered failure through another. Back-analysis, using the method of slices, was performed to obtain material properties at failure with the aim of redesigning the slope. The back-analysis included sensitivity and probabilistic analyses using the 2D limit equilibrium slope stability analysis program, SLIDE (en
dc.description.availabilityrestricteden
dc.description.degreeMSc (Engineering Geology)
dc.description.departmentGeologyen
dc.identifier.citationivity analysis was performed to determine the material property with the most significant influence on the stability of the slope (factor of safety), and a probabilistic analysis was also performed to determine the likelihood of the proposed new slope geometry to fail during future mining activity. The new slope geometry that is proposed has an acceptable probability of failure and an adequate factor of safety. The influence of groundwater does not seem to have a significant effect on the new slope design, based on sensitivity groundwater analyses. Copyrighten
dc.identifier.upetdurlhttp://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-08032012-145737/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/31113
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherUniversity of Pretoria
dc.rights© Rocscience). A sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the material property with the most significant influence on the stability of the slope (factor of safety), and a probabilistic analysis was also performed to determine the likelihood of the proposed new slope geometry to fail during future mining activity. The new slope geometry that is proposed has an acceptable probability of failure and an adequate factor of safety. The influence of groundwater does not seem to have a significant effect on the new slope design, based on sensitivity groundwater analyses. Copyrighen
dc.subjectUCTDen
dc.subjectBack analysisen
dc.subjectGeneralised hoek-brown failure criterionen
dc.subjectSensitivity analysisen
dc.subjectProbability of failureen
dc.subjectFactor of safetyen
dc.subjectCircular failureen
dc.subjectMpumalanga
dc.titleBack-analysis and design review of a failed slope at an open-pit coal mine, Mpumalanga, South Africaen
dc.typeDissertationen

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