OBJECTIVES & WHO SHOULD ATTEND
R 16,777 Per Delegate
Course Objectives: By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Identify the data required for slope design.
- Comprehend laboratory strength data for pit slope characterization.
- Grasp the fundamental components of pit slope.
- Recognize the significance of managing water in pit slopes.
- Understand the impact of wall control blasting on wall stability and pit slope optimization.
- Design and implement monitoring systems and ground control strategies.
- Address practical slope stability challenges using real-world case studies.
This course is ideal:
- Mining engineers and geotechnical engineers
- Geologists involved in open pit stability assessments
- Mine planners and operations managers
- Safety professionals working with ground control engineers
- Students and recent graduates seeking to enhance their knowledge of geomechanics and its applications in mining
COURSE CONTENT
Day 1: Open-Pit Mining Geomechanical Fundamentals & Geological Data Requirements
- Difference between geomechanical engineering and conventional civil engineering.
- Importance of pit slope design in mining operations.
- Key factors in slope design: Safety, economics, environmental impact, legal considerations, and infrastructure.
- Geological data requirements for pit slope design.
- Laboratory testing for soil and rock strength: Uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), triaxial tests, direct shear tests, etc.
- Principles and classification of rock mass strength, including typical values.
Day 2: Slope Stability Analysis & Design Criteria
- Kinematic analysis: Plane failure, wedge failure, toppling failure.
- Analysis approaches: Limit equilibrium vs. numerical methods.
- Simple examples of slope stability analysis (Rocscience Slide, RocSlope, RocFall, etc.)
- Selection criteria for slope angles and design acceptance.
- Models for the pit slope design process
- Pit slope components: Bench design, inter-ramp design, and overall slope design.
- Inter-ramp analysis with cost-benefit integration.
- Overall analysis with cost-benefit integration
Day 3: Slope Monitoring & Risk Management
- Managing slope performance and mitigating risks in open-pit mines.
- Developing and implementing ground control plans.
- Creating and applying Trigger Action Response Plans (TARPs).
- Real-time slope monitoring systems and instrumentation.
- Predicting failures using inverse velocity analysis.
- Water management strategies: Pore pressure control, depressurization, and dewatering techniques.
- Back analysis vs. forward analysis for slope evaluation.
- Introduction to wall control blasting techniques for enhanced safety.
- Rockfall hazards and mitigation methods.
Day 4: Case Studies, Practical Applications & Future Considerations
- Learning from past slope failures: Key lessons and slope optimization strategies.
- Geotechnical life-of-mine (LOM) review examples.
- Final evaluation and knowledge consolidation.
