Astrophysical and other components of rock mass stress

Abstract

Research objective is to study the patterns of stress formation in various fields, identify the trend in stress changes over time and reduce the severity of technological disaster consequences in the field of subsoil use. Prediction of rock pressure manifestation place and time is currently one of the most urgent tasks. Methods of research include in-situ experimental measurements of the stress state of the deposit’s rock mass and ore at accessible depths and horizons, the establishment of patterns of stress growth with depth, as well as long-term geodeformation monitoring of virgin ground stress level since 1990. Research methodology is geodeformation monitoring in mine conditions and statistical processing of the results. Results analysis made it possible to establish the patterns of changes in the stress-strained state of both natural and man-made rock masses in the course of mining. An analysis of mining experience has shown that tectonic disturbances commonly act as stress concentrators, introducing significant heterogeneity in the stress field of a rock mass section and often resulting in emergency situations. Conclusions. The paper presents the generalized results of long-term geodeformation monitoring of natural stresses in Ural mines, carried out by the Laboratory of Geodynamics and Rock Pressure, IM UB RAS, over the past 20 years. The results have suggested a new, more advanced structure of the field of natural stresses with reference to their change in time. It was revealed that the relative deformation of the Earth and the Earth's crust in particular cycles does not exceed 1.43 · 10–4 (leading to changing rock mass stress state by 5–15 MPa), which is presumably the same for all continents and causes emergencies everywhere