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Destabilization Mechanism and Prevention Technology of Open-Pit Mine Slope with Soft Interlayer Under Rainfall Infiltration Conditions: A Case Study

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Abstract

There are many factors affecting the stability of open-pit mine slopes, among which slopes with soft interlayers have become an important factor inducing deformation and instability due to their poor mechanical properties. In this paper, for the destabilization of a slope with soft interlayer under rainfall infiltration in an open-pit mine in Zhejiang Province of China during the rainy season, a sudden change of displacement at the monitoring point and the formation of a continuous plastic deformation of the slope are proposed as the criteria for slope destabilization through the establishment of a rainwater seepage-stress coupling model combined with the strength reduction method, and by using COMSOL Multiphysics finite element numerical simulation software to establish a three-dimensional numerical model based on the actual mining slope conditions. The safety principle is introduced through the strength reduction method to analyze the stability of the slope with soft interlayer under the coupling effect of seepage and stress. The safety coefficients of the slope with soft interlayer are calculated by using Numerical methods under the coupling effect of seepage and stress. The influence of rainfall intensity and duration on the stability or safety factor of the slope with soft interlayers was studied through analysis of stress, saturation, displacement, and pore pressure evolution. The mechanism of rainfall affecting slope stability was investigated, and the findings were validated using an engineering case study of a slope with a soft interlayer. The findings show that rainfall intensity is the main factor affecting slope stability in the open-pit mine slope with soft interlayer. The higher the rainfall intensity, the faster the shallow soil forms a saturation zone, whereas soft interlayers speed up the process and endanger slope stability. The slope prevention and control technology of the prestressed anchor cable (rod) framework was proposed based on the slope management construction conditions of the mine, and the effectiveness of the measure was verified through on-site industrial tests. The research findings provide a reference for preventing and controlling slope with soft interlayers in open-pit mines under similar conditions.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for their valuable advices.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Energy and Mining Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China

    Lu He & Xinghai Lei

  2. School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics & Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology-Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

    Guiming Li

  3. University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100049, China

    Yuqi Shang

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  1. Lu He
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Correspondence to Yuqi Shang.

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He, L., Shang, Y., Lei, X. et al. Destabilization Mechanism and Prevention Technology of Open-Pit Mine Slope with Soft Interlayer Under Rainfall Infiltration Conditions: A Case Study. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 41, 859–873 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-024-00941-3

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