Kunaev Institute of Mining, Almaty, Kazakhstan:

Shamganova L. S., Deputy Director of Science, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, shamls@mail.ru
Syedina S. A., Researcher at Geomechanical Control Laboratory, Candidate of Engineering Sciences
Berdinova N. O., Researcher at Rock Pressure Laboratory

Kurzhunkul magnetite deposit is located in the Kostanai Region of Kazakhstan and is an open pit mining project of Sokolovsko–Sarbay Mining and Production Association (SSGPO) since 1983. The current depth of the open pit is 240 m (Level -28 m). It is expected that Kurzhunkul pit reaches the depth of 290 m. The deformation determinant in Kurzhunkul mine is its geological structure represented by complex faulting. Special care and attention should be paid to the northeastern pit wall which is a zone of large and closely spaced tectonic faults essentially extended along the strike and dip of the deposit, and depthward the pit. Unfavorable bedding conditions in combination with weak physical and mechanical properties of fracture fillers can induce movement of rock blocks during extraction of mineral reserves from the weak zone of the northeastern pit wall. This study offers the geomechanical substantiation of stability of NE Kurzhunkul pit wall which is most heavily intersected by tectonic faults and has low strength characteristics.

The study was carried out with grant financing in framework of Project No. AR08053358 Rock Mass Control Based on the Integrated Geomechanical Model toward Mining Safety.

1. Zhirov D. V., Klimov S. A., Melikhova G. S. Structural engineering zoning of Kovdor baddeleyite–apatite–magnetite and weakly ferrous apatite deposit as the framework for the steep pit wall design. Ecology Strategy for the Mining Industry Advancement – Shaping a New Vision in Natural Resources Management. Conference Proceedings. Apatity: KSC RAS, 2014. DOI: 10.13140/2.1.4208.2885
2. Zhirov D. V., Melikhova G. S., Reshetnyak S. P., Rybin V. V., Melikhov M. V. Engineering-geological substantiation of solutions on streng-thening and stabilizing hard rock mass in open-pits. GIAB. 2015. No. 556. pp. 164–174.
3. Kazikaev D. M., Kozyrev A. A., Kasparyan E. V., Iofis M. A. Management of geomechanical processes in the development of mineral deposits. Moscow: Publishing house mining book, 2016. 490 p.
4. Kasparyan E. V., Fedotova Yu. V. Stress-strain state in rock mass of the Khibiny deposits and tasks of geomechanical zoning. GIAB. 2015. No. 5. pp. 97–107.
5. Balek A. Ye. Taking into account the mosaic structure of stress-strain state of rock mass during solving the practical tasks of mining. Problems of subsoil use. 2018. No. 3. pp. 140–150.
6. Sashurin A. B., Balek A. E., Panzhin A. A., Usanov S. V. Innovative technology for diagnosis of geodynamic activity in geological media and safety assessment of subsoil use objects. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2017. No. 12. pp. 16–20. DOI: 10.17580/gzh.2017.12.03
7. Berdinova N. O., Sedina S. A., Shamganova L. S., Kalyuzhny E. S. Prediction of strains in strong rock mass of the Kurzhunkul open pit mine by the kinematic analysis. GIAB. 2020. No. 4. pp. 58–68.
8. John R., Peter S. Guidelines for open pit slope design. Australia: CSIRO Publishing, 2009.
9. Obregon C., Mitri H. Probabilistic approach for open pit bench slope stability analysis – A mine case study. International Journal of Mining Science and Technology. 2019. Vol. 29, No. 4. pp. 629–640.
10. Kozlov Yu. S., Mochalov A. M., Pushkarev V. I., Sapozhnikov V. T., Fisenko G. L. Guides for slope design of pit walls, benches and dumps in open pit mines under construction. Leningrad : VNIMI, 1972. 162 p.
11. Rybin V. V., Konstantinov K. N., Kalyuzhny A. S. Integrated approach to slope stability estimation in deep open pit mines. Eurasian mining. 2019. No. 2. pp. 23–26. DOI: 10.17580/em.2019.02.05
12. GOST 21153.8–88. Rocks. Method for determination of triaxial compressive strength. 01.07.1989. Мoscow : Izdatelstvo standartov, 1988.
13. Eremin G. M. Improvement of methods to determine strength characteristics and deformability of rocks mass in new technologies of open pit mining and underground excavation stability. Мoscow : Gornaya Kniga, 2016. 36 p.
14. Ilnitskaya E. I., Teder R. I., Vatolin E. S., Kuntysh M. F. Rock Properties and Methods of their Determination. Moscow: Nedra, 1969. 392 p.
15. Rakishev B. R., Kuzmenko S. V., Sedina S. A., Tulebayev K. K. The analysis of influence of mining-geological factors on edges stability on the example of the Sarbai pit. Reports of the national academy of sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan. 2018. Vol. 3, No. 319. pp. 133–140.