ADDIS ABABA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY

Underground Mining SURFACE MINING

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND CIVIL ENGINEERING

MINING ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Rock Engineering (MnEg 601)

Dr.Endalu T .
Assistant Professor ,Department of Mining Engineering
Addis Abeba Science and Technology University, Ethiopia
e-mail:endalu2017@gmail.com /endalu.tadele@aastu.edu.et.)
Phone: +251985471825
April 2021,Ethiopia
 Mining Eng’Dep’t :Rock Engineering (MnEg 601)

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

⦿Background of Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering

⦿Over view of rock mechanics application in surface and

underground Mining
 Mining Eng’Dep’t :Rock Engineering (MnEg 601) CH-I

⦿Background of Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering

⦿ Notable scientists and engineers from a variety of
disciplines did some interesting work on rock behavior
during the early part of this century. von Karman
(1911), King (1912), Griggs (1936), Ide (1936), and
Terzaghi (1945).

⦿ None of these persons would have classified

themselves as rock engineers - the title had not been
invented at that time - but all of them made significant
contributions to the fundamental basis of rock
mechanics and engineering.

⦿ The early 1960s were very important in the general

Terzaghi development of rock engineering world-wide
because a number of catastrophic failures occurred in
Evert Hoek
Father of Geotechnical both civil and mining engineering projects. Rock Engineering
Engineering (Soil mechanics))
 Mining Eng’Dep’t :Rock Engineering (MnEg 601)_CH-1

Background of Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering

⦿ In 1960 a coal mine at Coalbrook in South Africa collapsed with the loss of 432
lives.

⦿ This event was responsible for the initiation of an intensive research Programme
which resulted in major advances in the methods used for designing coal pillars
(Salamon and Munro, 1967).

⦿ Rock Engineering is a budding branch of Geosciences and Mining Engineering

which in todays context has been gaining wide attention, momentum and
acceptance by the Mining and Civil engineering projects.
 Mining Eng’Dep’t :Rock Engineering (MnEg 601)_ CH-1
⦿ The present scenario of rapidly expanding mining and civil engineering sectors calls for
scientific approach in formulating designs of opencast, underground and civil excavations.

⦿ Recent years have seen numerical modeling techniques and software's replacing the traditional
methods of rock excavation design.

⦿ Definition of rock mechanics was described by the Committee on Rock Mechanics of

Geological Society of America in 1964 and this was followed by the Committee on Rock
Mechanics of National Academy of Sciences in 1966.

⦿ Rock Mechanics is the theoretical and applied science of behavior of rock. It is that branch of
mechanics, which is concerned, with the response of rock to the field of its environment.
These techniques apply to surface excavation as well as underground.

⦿ It has important role in mine planning and design viz. selection of mining methods, optimum
slope angle, design of support system, drilling and blasting parameters.
Mining Eng’Dep’t :Rock Engineering (MnEg 601) CH-1

Main application area of rock engineering in surface and

underground mining :
⦿Blasting
⦿Ground vibration study
⦿Ground control / strata control
⦿Selection of support systems
⦿Design of stope & pillar
 Mining Eng’Dep’t :Rock Engineering (MnEg 601)_CH-1
Over view of rock mechanics application in surface and underground
Mining
Mining Eng’Dep’t :Rock Engineering (MnEg 601)_CH-1
Over view of rock mechanics application in surface and underground

Underground (Tunneling)
Surface Mining (Open pit)
 Mining Eng’Dep’t :Rock Engineering (MnEg 601)_CH-1
Over view of rock mechanics application in surface and underground Mining

⦿ The deep level gold mines in the Witwatersrand area

in South Africa

⦿ The Kolar gold mines in India

⦿ The nickel mines centred on Sudbury in Canada

⦿ The mines in the Coeur d’Alene area in Idaho in the

USA.

⦿ The gold mines in the Kalgoorlie area in Australia, are

amongst the mines which have suffered from
rockburst problems.

⦿ Sakaro Underground gold mine, Ethiopia. What type

☞ The results of a rock burst in an underground mine
in brittle rock subjected to very high stresses.
of technical challenge is there while mining the
gold???
 Mining Eng’Dep’t :Rock Engineering (MnEg 601)_CH-1
Over view of rock mechanics application in surface and underground Mining
 Mining Eng’Dep’t :Rock Engineering (MnEg 601)_CH-1
Over view of rock mechanics application in surface and underground Mining
 Mining Eng’Dep’t :Rock Engineering (MnEg 601)_CH-1
Over view of rock mechanics application in surface and underground Mining
 Mining Eng’Dep’t :Rock Engineering (MnEg 601)_CH-1
Over view of rock mechanics and engineering application in Civil Engineering Projects

HIGHWAY TUNNEL