Development of a numerical modeling method for assessing the risk of seismically induced damage in deep mines

Purpose and goal
The purpose of this project is to improve mining safety, decrease damage to mine infrastructure and mining equipment, decrease production disturbances and reduce ore losses caused by dangerous rockburst events. The detailed objectives are to: develop a numerical modelling methodology for assessing burst potential at deep underground mines, develop modelling-based burst assessment procedure for given Swedish underground mine settings, and improve the understanding of unstable failures of rock and discontinuities that lead to rockbursts in Swedish underground mines.

Structure and implementation
The study will comprise the following activities: I. Selection of historical rockburst events and data preparation. II. Establishing numerical technique for modelling unstable failure. III. Calibrating the numerical modelling methodology at mine scale. IV. Developing burst potential assessment procedure. Web-based conferences will be used for project progress meetings and discussion. A workshop will be organised with participants from the mines and the university after the project is finished.

Expected results
The expected results from this project will comprise a calibrated numerical modelling methodology at mine scale, and a modelling-based burst assessment procedure for given Swedish underground mine settings. The results from this project will lead to one technical report and at least one peer-reviewed journal paper.