Literature review of other rock piles: Characterization, weathering, and stability

Abstract

The purpose of this report is to present an extensive literature review of• construction of rock piles • factors influencing shear strength of soil • characterization of rock piles throughout the world • the effects of weathering on rock piles throughout the world • stability of rock piles throughout the world. The shape of mine rock piles is mainly based on the nature and topography of where they are emplaced. The dumping method of rock-pile material can be used to classify rock piles. The Questa rock piles were constructed predominantly by end-dumping as side-hill or valley-fill configurations. The rock piles are stratified. The Questa rock piles are some of the largest rock piles in slope length in the world.The geotechnical properties of Questa rock pile material have many similarities with those of rock pile materials worldwide. The majority of rock pile failures have occurred at the coal mines, where the materials are in general weaker than at porphyry-type mines such as Questa rock-pile material. The weathering of Questa rock-pile material during last 25-40 years has caused reduction of rock strength and durability of some samples of the surface layer of GHN rock pile and an increase in cohesion in the locations where in-situ shear tests were conducted. These changes are consistent with those reported in the literature. Many rock pile failures are in coal and other sedimentary rocks because coal deposits consist of weaker rocks and can allow greater pore water pressure into the rock piles that can result in slope instability. Geological significanceThis report summarizes different geological parameters of rock piles from throughout the world. Weathering significanceThis report summarizes studies of weathering characteristics of rock piles from throughout the world. Geotechnical significanceThis report summarizes different geotechnical parameters of rock piles from throughout the world. Interface significanceThis report provides parameters of rock piles similar to Questa rock piles that are both stable and have reported slope failures.

Size effects assessment of mine waste-rock shear strength combining numerical, laboratory and in situ approaches

“…This might be related to strain localisation and heterogeneous strain field after peak strength. The obtained peak and critical state values are in the range of data reported by previous studies on WR materials (Linero et al 2007;Valenzuela et al 2008;McLemore et al 2009;Ovalle et al 2014.…”