Relationship between Mine Working Cross Section and Damaged Rock Zone

Abstract

The classical method to calculate stress-strain state of rock mass disregards weight of rocks, i.e. this is a static approach. This article suggests accounting for the weight of rock mass during formation of a void in it, which is a kinematic approach. In case of similar underground openings differing only is size, the static calculation yields the same stresses below the limiting values, and, theoretically, failure is absent in both cases. The phenomenological theory presented in the article makes it possible to take into account weight of rocks in calculations of rock mass deformation around an underground mine working, and the kinematic supplement shows that, all other conditions being equal, the probability of failure grows with the size of the mine working.