Intense rockburst impacts in deep underground construction and their prevention

TLDR

Deeper excavations in mining and civil engineering increase rock overstress, leading to failures from spalling to explosive rockbursts that can cause fatal injuries and equipment loss; predicting rockbursts is difficult, requiring special control measures. The study outlines a four‑step approach to mitigate rockbursts: predicting burst‑prone zones via geological and stress assessment, adjusting design parameters, applying destress blasting, and installing yielding support systems. The paper reviews geological and geomechanical factors driving rockbursts and discusses engineering controls such as destress blasting and yielding support systems.

Abstract

In the last few decades, in both mining and civil engineering projects, deeper excavations have been carried out than in the past. With this increase in depth, rocks may overstress and rock failures can occur during excavation. When competent rock strata are encountered under high stress conditions, these failures can vary from superficial spalling to explosive rockburst. Intense rockbursts may cause fatal injuries to workers and significant loss of equipment and time. The occurrence of rockbursts is always difficult to predict and special steps and measures must be taken to control them. First, burst-prone zones must be predicted by an early exhaustive geological study and by the assessment of in situ stress level and orientation. Second, basic design parameters, e.g., shape, size, and excavation method, should be modified and adapted to the expected conditions to minimize rockburst risk. Third, in situ pre-conditioning methods, e.g., destress blasting, can be applied to decrease the capacity of the rock mass to store energy. Finally, special rock support and reinforcement systems, i.e., yielding systems, must be installed after excavation to ensure total stability of the opening. This paper reviews the geological and geomechanical factors that provoke and influence rockbursts in overstressed rock masses and the engineering measures taken to control them.