Introduction

The design of open pit mines involves various facets of engineering analysis including slope stability and groundwater flow analysis. These two analysis types are combined to create a design that maximizes pit slope angles. The stability is often divided into kinematic and limit equilibrium types of analyses. The kinematic stability analysis is concerned with planar, wedge, and toppling modes of failure for the discontinuous rock mass. A stereographic analysis is used to identify the critical mode(s) of failure. The kinematic stability analysis generally governs the bench configuration and maximum bench slope angle. A conventional limit equilibrium analysis is conducted to determine the maximum overall pit slope angle. The target factor of safety is typically 1.3 or greater. The analysis also involves a sensitivity analysis for groundwater depressurization and rock blasting disturbance. The objective of this example is to demonstrate how GeoStudio can be used to explore pit slope angle design. Specifically, multiple geometries are included in a single GeoStudio file, each having a unique geometric configuration.