Abstract
Underground quarrying is rarely adopted for granite extraction due to the difficulties in the implementation of traditional technologies (drilling and explosive). As alternative to drilling and explosive, the combination of diamond wire and water jet seems to be the most promising available technology. The cutting performance achievable with the water jet technology depends on the operative parameters, the material characteristics and the state of stress within the rock massif. To assess the effect of the state of stress on the cutting rate, laboratory tests have been performed with an oscillating water jet machine on granite samples subjected to a static load. The stress distribution in the layer of rock to be removed has been evaluated by numerical simulation with the FLAC code (Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua). The correlation between the results of the cutting tests and the numerical models of the rock samples has been inferred. Starting from a conceptual model, which theoretically describes the relationship between the cutting rate and the stress, a step function was defined that indicates the ranges of stress where predefined values of the cutting rate are workable.
Highlights
Surface quarrying is the most common method to extract dimensional stones, due to the relatively low depth of the deposits, as well as to the objective difficulties in imple‐ menting traditional cutting technologies in underground environments
As alternative to drilling and explosive, granite slotting can be performed with the diamond wire machine, which yet needs the support of an another technology due to its inherent limitations: the combination of diamond wire and water jet seems to be the most promising solution, with the water jet playing the same role as the diamond saw in marble quarries (Ciccu and Fiamminghi 1996)
To assess the effect of the state of stress on the cutting rate CR, laboratory tests were performed with an oscillating water jet machine on granite samples of Rosa beta subjected to a static load
Summary
Surface quarrying is the most common method to extract dimensional stones, due to the relatively low depth of the deposits, as well as to the objective difficulties in imple‐ menting traditional cutting technologies in underground environments. While marble cutting technologies (wire and diamond saw) are suited both for surface and underground excavation, the. Technologies traditionally used for granite extraction (drilling and explosive) (Ashmole 2008) can be hardly imple‐ mented underground. As alternative to drilling and explosive, granite slotting can be performed with the diamond wire machine, which yet needs the support of an another technology due to its inherent limitations: the combination of diamond wire and water jet seems to be the most promising solution, with the water jet playing the same role as the diamond saw in marble quarries (Ciccu and Fiamminghi 1996)
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