THREE-DIMENSIONAL SLOPE STABILITY ANALYSIS OF THE BOZSHAKOL MINE AT STAGE 6 USING FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

Abstract

This project focuses on conducting a three-dimensional slope stability analysis of the Bozshakol Mine, located in North Kazakhstan. The mine is known for its copper porphyry deposit, with geological formations consisting of tholeiitic basalt and volcanogenic sedimentary rock from the Middle Cambrian Bozshakol Magmatic Arc. Specifically, the analysis targets phase 6, which represents the final operational phase of the mine. Apart from the three-dimensional analysis, two-dimensional assessments were performed on two critical sections of the mine. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to examine how reducing the Geological Strength Index (GSI) values of the key geological units might affect the displacement of the rock mass. The slope stability analysis was conducted using RS2 and RS3 software, both utilizing the finite element method. The eastern wall of the Central Pit stood out as the most vulnerable section, displaying a total displacement of 18 cm initially, which increased to 31 cm when the Geological Strength Index (GSI) was reduced by 15 percent. This instability was attributed to the convex shape of the eastern wall. Notably, the two-dimensional analysis identified nearly the same critical zones as the three-dimensional slope stability analysis. However, the 2D analysis appears to take a more conservative approach, indicating a relatively safer assessment.