VIOGEM Institute, Belgorod, Russia:

S. V. Sergeev, Head of Laboratory, Professor, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, sergey.sergeev.v@mail.ru
I. V. Sinitsa, Senior Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences

VIOGEM Institute had been conducting geomechanics-based studies at the Gubkin mine from 1969 to 2014. They included in-situ assessment of natural stress state in rock mass, survey of mining system elements, as well as observations of surface and underground movement in the mining-affected areas. As the mining operations reached the depth of 500 m, a need arose to assess the rock-burst proneness of the rock mass. In 2012, the Research Center of the Saint-Petersburg Mining University carried out geodynamic zoning of the Korobkovsky deposit of ferruginous quartzites. Based on the results, VIOGEM has been monitoring the behavior of the most problematic areas to assess the rock mass proneness to bursting. To monitor the rock-mass proneness to bursting we used the following methods: destress slotting, stress relief at large bases and geophysical vibroseis method. Deformation measurements and stress calculation made for one of the 125 m horizon sections evidenced that the stress in the rock mass did not exceed the unconfined compressive strength limit, taking into account a coefficient of 0.8. Therefore, the rock mass is unlikely to be prone to rock bursts. These results are confirmed by geophysical studies and by the similar results obtained other sections. Iron ore mining is carried out by the room-and-pillar method. To assess the stepwise rooming impact on the strain–stress behavior of pillars, we used a technique involving stress assessment in the pillars in the course of extraction of the rooms. We conducted three observation cycles at different working stages in the same room. The technique has proved is efficiency and will be applied in future during room-and-pilllar mining.

1. Kazikaev D. M. Geomechanical processes in the time of joint and repeated ore mining. Moscow : Nedra, 1981. 288 p.
2. Zhurin S. N., Fomin B. A. Long-term effect of stresses on structural elements of the room-and-pillar mining. Stresses in rocks : Collected papers. Novosibirsk, 1985. pp. 106–110.
3. Babayants G. M., Vertleib L. K., Zhurin N. Ya. et al. Undeground mining of ferruginous quartzites. Moscow : Nedra, 1988. 168 p.
4. Sergeev S. V., Sinitsa I. V., Antsibor V. Ya. Monitoring movement of rock mass during underground mineral mining. Mineral Mining and Underground Construction in Complicated Hydrogeological Conditions : XII Internatioal Symposiumm Proceedings. Belgorod, 2015. pp. 208–211.
5. Rylnikova M. V., Eremenko V. A., Esina E. N. Destressing of rockburst-hazardous and damaged zones. GIAB. 2014. No. 12. pp. 32–39.
6. Sashurin A. D., Balek A. E. Improvement of field measurement of stress-deformed state of the large massif parts. Vestnik PNIPU. Geologiya. Neftegazovoe i gornoe delo. 2014. No. 11. pp. 105–120.
7. Rasskazov I. Yu., Tereshkin A. A., Gladyr A. V., Tsirel S. V., Rozanov A. O. Application of acoustic measurement data to characterize initiation and development of disintegration focus in a rock mass. Journal of Mining Science. 2017. Vol. 53, Iss. 2. pp. 224–231.
8. Shabarov A. N., Tsirel S. V., Morozov K. V., Rasskazov I. Yu. Concept of integrated geodynamic monitoring in underground mining. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2017. No. 9. pp. 59–64. DOI: 10.17580/gzh.2017.09.11
9. Adushkin V. V., Anisimov V. N. Geodynamic and geoecological safety in the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly region. Nature Management and Ecology in the Eurpean Russia and Adjacent Territory : VII International Conference Proceedings. Belgorod, 2017. pp. 13–20.
10. Wesseloo J., Woodward K., Pereira J. Grid-based analysis of seismic data. The Journal of The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. 2014. Vol. 114, No. 10. pp. 815–822.
11. Sainoki A., Mitri H. S. Dynamic behavior of mining-induced fault slip. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences. 2014. Vol. 66. pp. 19–29.
12. Farley J., Costanza R., Flomenhoft G., Kirk D. The Vermont Common Assets Trust: An institution for sustainable, justand efficient resource allocation. Ecological Economics. 2015. Vol. 109. pp. 71–79.
13. Ya-Xun Xiao, Xia-Ting Feng, Hudson J. A., Bing-Rui Chen, Guang-Liang Feng, Jian-Po Liu. ISRM Suggested Method for In Situ Microseismic Monitoring of the Fracturing Process in Rock Masses. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. 2016. Vol. 49, Iss. 1. pp. 343–369.
14. Sergeev S. V., Sinitsa I. V., Karyakin V. F. Assessment of rock mass addiction to KMA to rock bursts. Nauchnye vedomosti Belgorodskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Ser.: Estestvennye nauki. 2015. No. 9(206). pp. 132–137.
15. Vlokh N. P. Ground control in underground mines. Moscow : Nedra, 1994. 208 p.