Numerical analysis of rainfall effects on the slope stability of open pit coal mines

Abstract

As the world transitions away from coal, vast areas of closed coal mines and waste dumps must be appropriately reclaimed. One critical element for these areas’ safety is slope stability, given the massive slopes of these mines and dumps. This work examines the effect of extreme rainfall on coal mines’ slopestability by incorporating unsaturated soil mechanics principles in a practical way. Past extreme rainfall events recorded for a Greek lignite mining area were used, and climate projections concluded that this intensity is not expected to change. Then, rainfall infiltration was simulated using the Finite Element Method; a typical slope was employed concerning a lignite mining excavation of 200m height and 14° inclination on fine-grained soils. Finally, the stability was calculated using the Limit Equilibrium Method. Rainfall infiltration caused the Safety Factor to decrease, leading to failure. The groundwater rose at theslope’s face from the slope’s toe upwards and led to the development of a smaller and more local than the initial (before rainfall) sliding surface with a lower Safety Factor. Although this is a smaller surface than the initial one, it is still more than 50m high, proposing a significant hazard with severe consequences for the area.