Geotechnical Risk Assessment in Kerman Coal Mine - Central Iran

Mine safety in underground coal mines is normally threatened by the likelihood of accident occurrence. The outcome of such occurrences includes and is not limited to loss of machinery and equipment, loss of life, injury, disability, and mine closures. In this study, the Risk Priority Number (RPN) has been determined for the Kerman Coal Mine and the main causes of uncertainty found through the RPN. The implementation of a decision tree and a risk management plan considering the causes of accidents has been proposed. Data covering a complete range of every accident occurred during the time period of 2003-2008 has been analyzed and the accidents have been classified and sorted by RPN. It has been shown that amongst all types of incidents, the risk of roof failure is the most probable risk of all. It is concluded that the probability of an accident occurring every 24 days is 95%. It has been shown through the decision tree that due to the high number of accidents, the cost of investing in preventative measures is significantly less than costs related to accident consequences and therefore, financially justified

A calibration methodology to obtain material parameters for the representation of fracture mechanics based on discrete element simulations

A micro-mechanical model is developed to study the fracture propagation process in rocks. The model is represented by an array of bonded particles simulated by the discrete based method. Experimental results of tests using Cracked Chevron Notched Brazilian Discs (CCNBD) with different inclination angles relative to the direction of loading are used to calibrate and validate the model. Dimensional analysis is used to identify and minimise the microscale parameters to be considered. The comparison between experimental and computational results shows a satisfactorily good agreement