Application of digital twins to predict rock-bump hazard of drift pillars

Abstract

Drift pillars are used to protect haulage tunnels from the effects of formation pressure and ingress of the caved rock mass. At the same time, leaving pillars made up of fragile ores exposed to significant compressive stresses poses a risk of dynamic formation pressure. Due to the design features of the mining method and safety regulations, it is not possible to access the drift pillar from the rising side, which limits the ability to make a meaningful instrumental forecast of the rock-bump hazard. Therefore, it is advisable to use digital twins to predict the rock-bump hazard of the drift pillars. The article describes the experience gained by the VNIMI Institute in using the PRESS 3D URAL dedicated software (Polygore LLC, St. Petersburg) and the FIDESYS software package (Fidesys, Moscow) for a comprehensive assessment of the stress-and-strain state and rock-bump hazardous condition of the drift pillar. The first stage included numerical evaluation of the natural tectonic stress field using the PRESS 3D URAL software. At the second stage, an assessment of the man-made stress-and-strain state of the rock mass and the ore drift pillar was performed using the FIDESYS software package during underground mining with the heading-and-stall method. The final stage involved a prediction of the rock-bump hazard of the ore pillar using data on the ore strength properties.