Computational analysis of rock stress, structure and mine seismicity

Under various conditions of rock mass strength, geologic structure and state of stress in the host medium, a mine structure may exhibit transient instability, expressed as seismic emissions from the zone of influence of mining. In this paper, the mechanics of rock mass deformation leading to transient instability are considered briefly, and techniques for numerical simulation and analysis of various modes of instability are discussed. Two computational schemes are considered: boundary elements (displacement discontinuities) for elastic behaviour of rock with sparse discontinuities, and distinct elements for analysis of true discontinuum behavior. Some applications of these methods are described in identifying burst-prone conditions in a rock mass. An analysis is presented which suggests hydraulic injection of slip-prone features may be applicable in mine stress control and rockburst hazard mitigation.