%0 Conference Paper %A Kulatilake, P.H.S.W. %A Wang, X. %A Song, W. %D 2014 %T Stability investigations around a tunnel in an iron mine through 3D discontinuum and continuum stress analyses %P 395-407 %E M. Hudyma & Y. Potvin %C Sudbury %8 16-18 September %B Deep Mining 2014: Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Deep and High Stress Mining %X To exploit an underground mine effectively and safely, it is important to have a good understanding of the geotechnical behaviour of the rock mass surrounding underground mine excavations. The aim of this study was to investigate, at the three-dimensional level, the geotechnical behaviour around a tunnel excavated in a metal mine in China. A three-dimensional numerical model was built using the three Three-Dimensional Distinct Element Code (3DEC) software package to simulate a tunnel excavation under a high in situ stress condition and by relying on the information available on lithology, geological structures, in situ stress measurements, physical and mechanical properties of intact rock, discontinuities and interfaces between different rocks. The authors also investigated the effect of the discontinuity network, possible intact rock and discontinuity parameter variability, representation of rock masses as discontinuum or equivalent continuum material and rock support system on the deformation, and stability around the tunnel by conducting several numerical stress analysis cases. The numerical results of these cases were compared with the field deformation monitoring results. A very good agreement was obtained between the collected field deformation monitoring results and the results of the conducted numerical stress analyses. %1 Perth %I Australian Centre for Geomechanics %U https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/1410_26_Kulatilake/ %R 10.36487/ACG_rep/1410_26_Kulatilake