Improved discrete element modeling for proppant embedment into rock surfaces

Brinell indentation tests were performed on Montney siltstone, and the results were compared with discrete element indentation simulations that use the micro-parameters calibrated using compression test data from the same siltstone samples. The simulated proppant indentation into the rock surface can be 15% less than the laboratory measurements. A lower effective particle–particle modulus and thus a lower Young’s modulus are needed in discrete element models for proper simulation of indentation. An equation to find the appropriate value of Young’s modulus for indentation simulation is proposed using Brinell indentation tests including 198 laboratory tests and 32 discrete element simulations. This equation can improve the prediction of Young’s modulus and thus the particle–particle effective modulus for indentation simulations to match the measured force–indentation depth curve in the laboratory. Using the improved micro-parameters, a parametric analysis of the influence of rock Young’s modulus and proppant particle size on proppant embedment was performed. An equation to estimate Brinell hardness as a function of Young’s modulus and closure stress was derived. A practical procedure was developed to predict proppant embedment from the estimated hardness. The predictions agree with the laboratory measurements in a case study on the Montney Formation.

     

Assessment of failure mechanisms in deep longwall faces based on mining-induced seismicity

Failure mechanisms of the rock mass in the regions of maximum stress concentrations around a longwall face were assessed. In this respect, seismic events that result from changes in the stress field were analyzed to gain more knowledge about rock failure mechanisms in the proximity of the face area. A deep longwall mine developed at depths of about 3–3.5 km in South Africa was selected as a case study. Seismic moment tensor solutions were obtained for 32 seismic events with moment magnitudes in the range of 0.49 and 2.10. Through moment tensor decomposition, the dominant failure mechanisms were investigated by drawing focal mechanism plots. Further analysis was implemented by depicting the corresponding 3D radiation patterns of P-wave particle motions. Although the results cover various failure mechanisms, the dominant mechanisms are shear, implosional, and compressional failures. According to the results, most of the maximum principal stresses in the mine are compressive and oriented nearly vertical, which are in accordance with the gravitational collapses of the mined out areas. The results obtained from this research show that measuring and analyzing mining-induced seismicity can be a reliable measure to characterize the dominant failure mechanisms in a nondestructive manner and to provide a useful assessment of the stability of the longwall face in advance of extraction.     

Field monitoring and deformation characteristics of a landslide with piles in the Three Gorges Reservoir area

Landslides often occur within the reservoir area behind dams. In China, a common strategy for stabilizing these landslides is to install large piles through the landslide and into the stable ground below. The piles interact with the landslide and constitute a landslide-stabilizing pile system. The deformation of this system under the reservoir operation is more complicated than the deformation of the landslide itself. Understanding the behaviour of this system is very important to the long-term safety of landslides stabilized with piles in reservoirs. The Majiagou landslide, which was selected as a case study, was triggered by the first impoundment of the reservoir behind the Three Gorges dam. A row of anti-slide piles was installed in the landslide in 2007, but monitoring results found these were ineffective at stabilizing the landslide. Subsequently, in 2011, two longer test piles and an integrated monitoring system were installed in the landslide to better understand the failure mode of the landslide and to measure the deformation characteristics of the landslide-stabilizing pile system. Monitoring results show that the Majiagou landslide is a translational landslide with three slip surfaces. The test piles provided local resistance and partially slowed down the sliding mass behind the piles, and the landslide deformation response to external factors decreased for a time. However, after 2 years, the deformation of the landslide-stabilizing pile system reverted to seasonal stepwise cumulative displacements influenced by cycles of reservoir drawdown and rainfall. The monitoring results provide fundamental data for evaluating the long-term performance of anti-slide piles and for assessing long-term stability of the stabilized landslide under the reservoir operation.     

Discrete element analysis of the influence of bolt pattern and spacing on the force-displacement response of bolted steel mesh

Steel wire mesh held by a pattern of bolts can be used to stabilize a rock slope. Knowledge of the force-displacement response of steel mesh is essential in the design of this support system. Laboratory tests have been used to test mesh that is held to rigid steel frames. These testing conditions differ from how steel mesh is held in the field by bolts. The existing laboratory test data may underestimate the deformation and overestimate the load-bearing capacity of the steel mesh. This paper focuses on the response of the high tensile strength steel mesh held by commonly used bolt patterns. Discrete element models were used to study the force-displacement response of the steel mesh pinned by bolts. The influences of different bolt patterns and varying ratios of bolt spacing on the effectiveness of steel wire mesh were analyzed. Relationships between the resistance force of steel mesh and bolt density at various mesh deformations were developed. These relationships can help engineers choose the bolt spacing and provide an estimate of the resistance force that a steel mesh can mobilize at a desired deformation limit for a given bolt pattern.     

Changes to dam safety management in British Columbia triggered by failure of a small earth dam

The Testalinden earth dam in southern British Columbia failed in June 2010 and created a huge debris flow. Homes were destroyed and property was damaged. The failure of this small dam resulted in a comprehensive review of over 1000 dams in the province, evaluation of dam safety management practices, changes to the Water Act and improvements in how data on dams are collected, archived and communicated. The provincial dam inventory was re-evaluated to ensure that appropriate consequence classification, and therefore attention, is assigned to dams. Increased scrutiny was placed on dam owners to ensure they complied with dam safety policies and to ensure they submitted annual inspection reports and formal dam safety reviews in a timely manner. Dam owners and professionals engaged in dam safety activities have received new guidelines and better education and training.     

A technique for identifying structural domain boundaries at the EKATI Diamond Mine

Over 10,000 discontinuity orientations from various sources at the EKATI Diamond Mine in northern Canada were collected and amalgamated into a common database. A new technique in which structural domains were determined in the area of three closely spaced active pits by quantitatively comparing stereonets from different regions was developed. The frequencies of discontinuity poles plotting in orientation windows on stereonets were determined and compared using a correlation coefficient to quantify the degree of similarity between different stereonets. Structural boundaries between regions were established wherever their associated stereonets display low correlation coefficients. The technique was able to determine boundaries in the vertical direction as well as radially in a number of pie-shaped zones extending around the kimberlite pipes.     

Grain-scale analysis of proppant crushing and embedment using calibrated discrete element models

Acta Geotechnica - Proppant crushing and embedment in hydraulically-induced fractures is a major drawback to the recovery of unconventional oil/gas and geothermal energy production. This study...