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Squeezing rock phenomenon characterization and management at Draa Sfar underground mine in Morocco

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Abstract

This study aims to assess the squeezing rock severity at Draa Sfar deep underground mine in Morocco. In fact, this phenomenon is one of the frequent geotechnical issues occurring in deep underground mines, especially those excavated in weak rock formations. Therefore, this study is necessary to evaluate the squeezing potential of pelites, which are the most dominant formations at Draa Sfar mine’s deep levels, and to suggest ways for the management of this phenomenon in the mine. In this paper, previous studies related to squeezing rock phenomenon in both mining and tunneling contexts are presented. In addition, five empirical methods for squeezing rocks severity assessment are presented and compared. It was found that the method based on foliation spacing—stress to strength ratio matrix is the most accurate one to use in this study regarding the parameters it involves and its suitability to the underground mining context. Applying this method to Draa Sfar underground mine’s data shows that the squeezing rocks severity in the mine can go from a minor to a severe level depending on the interception angle. This allows for the comparison of the mine to other cases worldwide where the squeezing rock phenomenon was reported. These findings are useful to assess the environmental risk related to the squeezing of pelites at Draa Sfar underground mine and to adapt the galleries’ design to avoid its occurrence. Integrating our results into similar mining projects will serve to reduce the impact of the squeezing rock issue to ensure better mining conditions and to increase the safety of miners worldwide.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the MANAGEM Group and its subsidiary CMG for allowing us to conduct research on the Draa Sfar site as an industrial partner in this project. As a reminder, this publication is part of the work undertaken by different partners composed of MASCIR (Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation and Research), REMINEX Engineering, R&D and Project Management, MANAGEM group, ENSMR (National School of Mines of Rabat), UCA (University Cadi Ayyad) and ENSIAS (National School of Computer Science and Systems Analysis). This research is conducted within the framework of the “Intelligent Connected Mine” project, which has been supported by the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, the Digital Development Agency (DDA), and the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research of Morocco (CNRST) through the Al-Khawarizmi project in addition to MANAGEM group and MASCIR support for this project.

Funding

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National School of Mines of Rabat (ENSMR), Hadj Ahmed Cherkaoui Avenue, Agdal, Rabat, Morocco

    Kaoutar Clero, Said Ed-Diny, Mouhamed Cherkaoui & Mohammed Achalhi

  2. Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation and Research (MASCIR), Mohamed Al Jazouli Street, Madinat Al Irfane, Rabat, Morocco

    Kaoutar Clero, François Bourzeix, Hicham Tagemouati & Mohamed Nadour

  3. Rabat IT Center, National School of Computer Science and Systems Analysis (ENSIAS), IRDA Team, ADMIR Lab, Université Mohammed V, Rabat, Morocco

    Sanaa El Fkihi

  4. R&D and Project Management, REMINEX Engineering, BP 469, Marrakech, Morocco

    Intissar Benzakour, Tarik Soror & Said Rziki

Authors
  1. Kaoutar Clero
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  2. Said Ed-Diny
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  3. Mouhamed Cherkaoui
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  4. Mohammed Achalhi
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  5. Sanaa El Fkihi
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  6. Intissar Benzakour
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  7. Tarik Soror
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  8. Said Rziki
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  10. Hicham Tagemouati
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  11. Mohamed Nadour
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Correspondence to Kaoutar Clero.

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Responsible Editor: Settimio Ferlisi.

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Clero, K., Ed-Diny, S., Cherkaoui, M. et al. Squeezing rock phenomenon characterization and management at Draa Sfar underground mine in Morocco. Euro-Mediterr J Environ Integr 9, 431–443 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41207-023-00441-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41207-023-00441-8

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