The N663 stope experiment at Mount Isa Mine

Summary Factors affecting the stability of a trial open stope at a depth of 1000 m in fissile foot wall and hanging wall shales are discussed. A combination of systematic support using cable dowels, and reduced disturbance from blasting using low density explosives and single ring firing, allowed successful completion of the stope.     

Roof bolting in underground mining: a state-of-the-art review

Conclusions With continuing investigations and developments, roof bolting today can in most cases successfully reinforce the mine roof in underground mining. In order to cope with the increasing use of roof bolts, efforts should be made to maximize the safety and minimize the cost. With regard to mechanical bolting, two important parameters need more advanced improvements and study, namely, optimum design of the shape and type of expansion shell and optimum bolt tension for a specific bolt pattern. For the fully grouted resin bolt, the most critical requirement is to develop a fast-setting, low-cost, intoxic, inflammable grouting material that can be used in the high speed mining cycle. It should be noted that geological conditions such as the strata type, rock properties,in situ stress, and planes of weakness play an important role in the successful application of any roof bolting system. These factors should be specified as accurately and quantitatively as possible in the design of any roof bolting system. Finally, proper and careful installation and continuous monitoring are imperative for the success of any roof bolting system.     

Physics of fracturing and seismic energy release: A review

This review was prepared as an opening lecture for the International Symposium on Physics of Fracturing and Seismic Energy Release, held at the Castle of Liblice near Prague from October 28 to November 1, 1985, and organized by the Geophysical Institute of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences. The review attempts to classify and synthesize results of recent studies in fracture mechanics and earthquake source physics. The following topics are discussed: recent developments in fracture mechanics, earthquake source modeling, heterogeneous fault planes, foreshocks and aftershocks, faults and fractals, and moment tensor solutions. This rather broad range of topics prevents presentation of a complete list of all relevant works, though over one hundred and seventy references are cited.     

Complex behaviour of a coal sample in a large scalein situ compression test

Summary A large scalein situ compression test of a laminated coal cube is described. The cube was uniformly loaded by a system of hydraulic jacks supplied simultaneously from one pump. At the same time both load and deformations were controlled. Deformations were measured by 60 longitudinal gauges located at the side surface of the cube in the regular net. Due to the heterogeneity of the rock the readings showed scatter. As a first approximation, the scattered data were fitted to the plane using the least square method. Orientations of the planes were analysed and show permanent relative movement between adjacent lamina indicating complex behaviour of the cube under loading. Detailed analysis of this behaviour indicated that the cube was subjected to both bending and twisting.     

岩体损伤力学研究进展

论述了岩体损伤力学在岩体力学中的地位，并从细观和宏观两个方面系统介绍了其最新研究进展；对岩体损伤力学研究中的几个重要问题提出了见解，认为分形几何是研究损伤的有效手段。     

端承桩基础轴向地震反应分析

本文对分层弹性地基中端承桩基础通过特性分析建立了合理的力学模型，通过动力分析，给出了端承桩基础轴向自振特性及在竖向地震载荷作用下强迫反应的解析解。文中的解析公式为分层弹性地基中的端承桩基础轴向动力反应分析提供了一种新的解析方法。     

Source mechanisms and microfracturing during uniaxial cycling of rock

Focal mechanisms for 116 acoustic emission events associated with uniaxial cyclic loading of Westerly granite have been investigated using P-wave first-motions. Polarities were observed at eight transducers positioned on the sample to provide good azimuthal coverage. The P-wave radiation patterns can be fit by a quadrupole source but not by a simple pure tensional source. The predominant orientations of the two nodal planes for the quadrupole fit were subparallel to and perpendicular to the ₁ direction. Events with close hypocenters, i.e., within a radius of 3 mm, display a remarkable similarity in focal mechanisms irrespective of the cycle or time within a cycle at which they occur. The polarity observations of 48 of 116 acoustic emission events could be fit with the simple quadrupole indicating that the microfracturing processes even in uniaxial compression often simplistically portrayed as propagating axial cracks are indeed quite complex.     

Autosuspension and the energetics of two-phase flows: Reply to comments on ‘experimental test of autosuspension’ by J. B. Southard and M. E. Mackintosh

The experimental programme of Southard and Mackintosh (1981) provides a definitive refutation of the autosuspension criterion as it was originally defined. A simple energy budget for dilute two-phase flow is derived from continuum theory of mixtures; it shows that Bagnold's criterion is based on an arbitrary comparison of two elements of the complete two-phase system. It is recommended that facile, ab hoc criteria for the behaviour of such complex flows be avoided in favour of analyses based on fundamental equations of motion.     

Constitutive relations for fault slip and earthquake instabilities

Constitutive relations for fault slip are described and adopted as a basis for analyzing slip motion and its instability in the form of earthquakes on crustal faults. The constitutive relations discussed include simple rate-independent slip-weakening models, in which shear strength degrades with ongoing slip to a residual frictional strength, and also more realistic but as yet less extensively applied slip-rate and surface-state-dependent relations. For the latter the state of the surface is characterized by one or more variables that evolve with ongoing slip, seeking values consistent with the current slip rate. Models of crustal faults range from simple, single-degree-of-freedom spring-slider systems to more complex continuous systems that incorporate nonuniform slip and locked patches on faults of depth-dependent constitutive properties within elastic lithospheric plates that may be coupled to a viscoelastic asthenosphere. Most progress for the rate and state-dependent constitutive relations is at present limited to single-degree-of-freedom systems. Results for stable and unstable slip with the various constitutive models are summarized. Instability conditions are compared for spatially uniform versus nonuniform slip, including the elastic — brittle crack limit of the nonuniform mode. Inferences of constitutive and fracture parameters are discussed, based on earthquake data for large ruptures that begin with slip at depth, concentrating stress on locked regions within a brittle upper crust. Results of nonlinear stability theory, including regimes of complex sustained stress and slip rate oscillations, are outlined for rate and state-dependent constitutive relations, and the manner in which these allow phenomena like time-dependent failure, restrengthening in nearly stationary contact, and weakening in rapidly accelerated slip, is discussed.     

The stability of underground workings in the soft rocks of the Coal Measures

Summary The characteristics of soft rocks typical of the British Coal Measures are defined and a series of working hypotheses are developed to provide improved design methods for underground roadway and face supports and pillars in coal mines. Proposed design equations are tested against case history data.