Influence of In Situ Stress on Rockburst Potential and Deformation Behavior in Deep Rock Masses
Downloads
As underground mining operations advance to greater depths, increasingly complex geomechanical conditions require reliable assessment of the stress–strain state of the surrounding rock mass to ensure excavation stability and safety. The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of in-situ stress conditions on stress redistribution, yielded zone development, and rockburst susceptibility around deep underground excavations. Numerical modeling was performed using the finite element method implemented in Rocscience RS2 for mining depths ranging from 600 to 1500 m and different lateral stress coefficients. The Hoek–Brown failure criterion was adopted to evaluate rock mass stability and identify yielded zones, while rockburst susceptibility was assessed using the Turchaninov, Wang, and Castro criteria. The results demonstrate that increasing mining depth significantly increases stress concentration around excavations and promotes the expansion of yielded zones. The spatial distribution of deformation and yielded zones is strongly controlled by stress anisotropy, represented by the ratio between horizontal and vertical stresses. Higher lateral stress coefficients redistribute deformation from the roof and floor toward the sidewalls, altering the dominant failure mechanisms. All applied criteria indicate a systematic increase in rockburst susceptibility with depth, although the predicted hazard levels differ among the methods. The novelty of this study lies in the integrated assessment of stress concentration, deformation localization, yielded zone evolution, and rockburst susceptibility within a unified numerical framework. The findings contribute to improved stability assessment, support design, and geotechnical risk management in deep underground mining.
Downloads
[1] Amadei, B., & Stephansson, O. (1997). Rock Stress and Its Measurement. Springer, Dordrecht, Germany. doi:10.1007/978-94-011-5346-1.
[2] Zang, A., & Stephansson, O. (2010). Stress field of the earth’s crust. Springer, Dordrecht, Germany. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-8444-7.
[3] Hudson, J., Harrison, J., & Popescu, M. (2002). Engineering Rock Mechanics: An Introduction to the Principles. Applied Mechanics Reviews, 55(2), 1451165. Pergamon Press. doi:10.1115/1.1451165.
[4] Brady, B. H. G., & Brown, E. T. (1993). Rock mechanics for underground mining. Springer, Dordrecht, Germany. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-2116-9.
[5] Hoek, E., & Brown, E. T. (1980). Empirical strength criterion for rock masses. Journal of the Geotechnical Engineering Division, ASCE, 106(GT9, Proc. Paper, 15715), 1013–1035. doi:10.1061/ajgeb6.0001029.
[6] Brown, E. T., & Hoek, E. (1978). Trends in relationships between measured in-situ stresses and depth. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences & Geomechanics Abstracts, 15(4), 211–215. doi:10.1016/0148-9062(78)91227-5.
[7] Stephansson, O., & Zang, A. (2012). ISRM Suggested Methods for Rock Stress Estimation—Part 5: Establishing a Model for the in Situ Stress at a Given Site. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 45(6), 955–969. doi:10.1007/s00603-012-0270-x.
[8] Hast, N. (1958). The measurement of rock pressure in Mines. Sveriges Geologiska Undersokning, Arsbok, 45(58), 152–170.
[9] Haimson, B. C., & Cornet, F. H. (2003). ISRM suggested methods for rock stress estimation-part 3: Hydraulic fracturing (HF) and/or hydraulic testing of pre-existing fractures (HTPF). International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 40(7–8), 1011–1020. doi:10.1016/j.ijrmms.2003.08.002.
[10] Zoback, M. D. (2007). Reservoir Geomechanics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Knigdom. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511586477.
[11] Herget, G. (1993). Rock Stresses and Rock Stress Monitoring in Canada. Rock Testing and Site Characterization, 473–496. doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-042066-0.50026-4.
[12] Jing, L., & Hudson, J. A. (2002). Numerical methods in rock mechanics. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 39(4), 409–427. doi:10.1016/S1365-1609(02)00065-5.
[13] Jing, L. (2003). A review of techniques, advances and outstanding issues in numerical modelling for rock mechanics and rock engineering. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 40(3), 283–353. doi:10.1016/S1365-1609(03)00013-3.
[14] Gurevich, A. E., & Chilingarian, G. V. (1993). Petroleum related rock mechanics. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 9(4), 352. doi:10.1016/0920-4105(93)90066-n.
[15] Martin, C. D., & Chandler, N. A. (1994). The progressive fracture of Lac du Bonnet granite. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences & Geomechanics Abstracts, 31(6), 643–659. doi:10.1016/0148-9062(94)90005-1.
[16] Imashev, A., Suimbayeva, A., Zhunusbekova, G., Adoko, A. C., & Issakov, B. (2024). Assessing stability of mine workings driven in stratified rock mass. Mining of Mineral Deposits, 18(1), 82–88. doi:10.33271/mining18.01.082.
[17] Waqar, M. F., Guo, S., & Qi, S. (2023). A Comprehensive Review of Mechanisms, Predictive Techniques, and Control Strategies of Rockburst. Applied Sciences (Switzerland), 13(6), 3950. doi:10.3390/app13063950.
[18] Li, H., Yang, Y., Zhang, Z., & Tang, L. (2025). Prediction and classification technology of rockburst hazard in deep buried and high in-situ stress tunnel. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 9633. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-93351-4.
[19] Hoek, E., & Diederichs, M. S. (2006). Empirical estimation of rock mass modulus. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 43(2), 203–215. doi:10.1016/j.ijrmms.2005.06.005.
[20] Imashev, A., Mussin, A., & Adoko, A. C. (2024). Investigating an Enhanced Contour Blasting Technique Considering Rock Mass Structural Properties. Applied Sciences (Switzerland), 14(23), 11461. doi:10.3390/app142311461.
[21] Mussin, A., Imashev, A., Yeskenova, G., Matayev, A., Suimbayeva, A., Zhunusbekova, G., & Shaike, N. (2025). Numerical Assessment of Inter-Pillar Stability in Inclined Ore Bodies for Underground Mining Design. Civil Engineering Journal, 11(9), 3653–3673. doi:10.28991/CEJ-2025-011-09-06.
[22] Ananin, A., Tungushbayeva, Z., Nurshaiykova, G., Akylbaeva, A., Imashev, A., Zeitinova, S., & Gabitova, A. (2025). Using Geoinformation Technologies for Evaluation and Resilience Forecast of Open Pit Walls. Journal of Human, Earth, and Future, 6(3), 571–584. doi:10.28991/HEF-2025-06-03-06.
[23] Turchaninov, I. A., Markov, G. A., Gzovsky, M. V., Kazikayev, D. M., Frenze, U. K., Batugin, S. A., & Chabdarova, U. I. (1972). State of stress in the upper part of the Earth’s crust based on direct measurements in mines and on tectonophysical and seismological studies. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 6(4), 229–234. doi:10.1016/0031-9201(72)90005-2.
[24] Castro, L. A. M., Bewick, R. P., & Carter, T. G. (2012). An overview of numerical modelling applied to deep mining. Innovative Numerical Modelling in Geomechanics, 393–414. doi:10.1201/b12130-22.
[25] Wang, X. & Cai, M. (2017). Coupled Numerical Analysis of Ground Motion near Excavation Boundaries in Underground Mines. Rock and Soil Mechanics, 38, 3347–3354.
- The authors retain all copyrights. It is noticeable that authors will not be forced to sign any copyright transfer agreements.
- This work (including HTML and PDF Files) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
