Three-dimensional limit equilibrium analysis of open pits

Authors: Lu, HH; Fredlund, MD; Fredlund, DG

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_rep/1308_35_Fredlund

Cite As:
Lu, HH, Fredlund, MD & Fredlund, DG 2013, 'Three-dimensional limit equilibrium analysis of open pits', in PM Dight (ed.), Slope Stability 2013: Proceedings of the 2013 International Symposium on Slope Stability in Open Pit Mining and Civil Engineering, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 541-554, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_rep/1308_35_Fredlund

Download citation as:   ris   bibtex   endnote   text   Zotero


Abstract:
The analysis of slope stability in the design and ongoing operations of any particular open pit remains a difficult challenge. Slope failures and loss of equipment, mining time, and lives make stability concerns an issue which warrants research efforts. Engineers have relied for decades on software tools to perform analysis of the slopes of open pits in order to estimate the Factor of Safety (FS). Usually open pit geometry is typical three-dimensional (3D) geometry which cannot adequately be simplified into a two-dimensional (2D) plane strain representation. Traditional analysis has been performed using 2D limit equilibrium methods (LEM) since this method continues to be the simplest to apply. This paper examines the application of the 3D LEM to analyse the slopes of an open pit. The 3D LEM has advantages in that it can consider slips at any particular azimuth vector angle (i.e. it can search the whole 3D open pit model and find the critical slip surface, and critical slip vector). The results of 3D LEM are compared with results from 2D LEM analysis. The result is a methodology which is credible and applicable within a reasonable time frame for the analysis of open pits.

References:
Baker, R. (1980) Determination of the Critical Slip Surface in Slope Stability Computations, International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, John Wiley and Sons, Vol. 4(4), pp. 333–359.
Cavounidis, S. (1987) On the Ratio of Factors of Safety in Slope Stability Analyses, Geotechnique, Thomas Telford, Vol. 37(2), pp. 207–210.
Cheng, Y. and Yip, C. (2007) Three-Dimensional Asymmetrical Slope Stability Analysis Extension of Bishop's, Janbu's, and Morgenstern-Price's Techniques, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. 133(12), pp. 1544-1555.
Hovland, H.J. (1977) Three-dimensional Slope Stability Analysis Method, Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division, American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. 103(9), pp. 971–986.
Hungr, O., Salgado, F.M. and Byrne, P.M. (1989) Evaluation of a Three Dimensional Method of Slope Stability Analysis, Canadian Geotechnical Journal, NRC Research Press, Vol. 26 (4), pp. 679–686.
Jiang, J.C. (1997) Determination of the Three-dimensional Critical Slip Surface in Slope Stability Analysis, PhD thesis, the University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan.
Kalatehjari, R. and Ali, N. (2013) A Review of Three-Dimensional Slope Stability Analyses based on Limit Equilibrium Method, The Electronic Journal of Geotechnical Engineering, Oklahoma State University, 2013(18/A), pp. 119–134.
Lam, L. and Fredlund, D.G. (1993) A General Limit Equilibrium Model for Three-dimensional Slope Stability Analysis, Canadian Geotechnical Journal, NRC Research Press, Vol. 30(6), pp. 905–919.
Read, J. and Stacey, P. (2009) Guidelines for Open Pit Slope Design, CSIRO Publishing.
Sjöberg, J. (1996) Large Scale Slope Stability in Open Pit Mining – A Review, Technical Report, Division of Rock Mechanics, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden.
Sjöberg, J. (1999) Analysis of Large Scale Rock Slopes, PhD Thesis, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden.
Yamagami, T. and Jiang, J.C. (1997) A Search for the Critical Slip Surface in Three-dimensional Slope Stability analysis, Soils and Foundations, Vol. 37(3), pp. 1–16.
Zhang, X. (1988) Three-dimensional Stability Analysis of Concave Slopes in Plan View, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. 114(6), pp. 658–671.




© Copyright 2024, Australian Centre for Geomechanics (ACG), The University of Western Australia. All rights reserved.
View copyright/legal information
Please direct any queries or error reports to repository-acg@uwa.edu.au