Evaluation of rockburst potential in a cut-and-fill mine using energy balance

Abstract

Rockburst has been one of major hazards in underground mines, including cut-and-fill mines and it must be properly prevented. The rockburst is characterized by a sudden release of strain energy in the highly stressed pillar that often causes local violent failure of the pillar. An evaluation of rockburst potential based on the ration between stored strain energy and released strain energy has been carried out. It included laboratory work where the specimens were tested in loading-unloading uniaxial compression and numerical analysis of a cut-and-fill mine. The laboratory experiments revealed that the quartz vein samples have very low to high rockburst potential whereas the numerical analysis showed that the crown pillar of quartz vein would have low to moderate rockburst potential.