Improving the Stability of Mining Slopes in Tarcha Coal Mine, Southwestern Ethiopian Deposit Through Geometric Adjustments
The Tarcha coal deposit, located beneath the Omo trachyte flows in the Omo-Gibe River basin of southern Ethiopia, is actively mined using open-pit methods for energy resources. However, these mines face significant slope instability issues. This study aims to assess and enhance the stability of the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Advances in Civil Engineering |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/8925294 |
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| author | Getaneh Abebay Endalu Tadele Chala Nagessa Zerihun Jilo Tiyasha Tiyasha |
| author_facet | Getaneh Abebay Endalu Tadele Chala Nagessa Zerihun Jilo Tiyasha Tiyasha |
| author_sort | Getaneh Abebay |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Tarcha coal deposit, located beneath the Omo trachyte flows in the Omo-Gibe River basin of southern Ethiopia, is actively mined using open-pit methods for energy resources. However, these mines face significant slope instability issues. This study aims to assess and enhance the stability of the selected open-pit coal mine quarries through field and laboratory analyses, supported by the limit equilibrium method (LEM) and the finite element method (FEM). Fieldwork involved detailed measurements of slope geometry and orientation, in situ rock testing, and soil and rock sampling for laboratory analysis. Results indicated that the rock quality designation (RQD) of the rocks ranged from 22 to 57.5, indicating rock quality from very poor to fair. Schmidt hammer tests revealed uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) values between 14.79 and 29.31 MPa. Soil analysis classified the soils as sand with low to high plasticity (8.89% to 31.86%) and a liquid limit range of 21% to 62.63%. Stability analyses using LEM and FEM on two critical slopes (MS-1 and MS-2) under saturated, unloading, and loading conditions indicated instability. However, geometric adjustments, such as reducing slope angle, decreasing slope height, and implementing benching, were found to significantly improve slope stability. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6dd7760c9a56427db51808b5d3b3055c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-8094 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advances in Civil Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-6dd7760c9a56427db51808b5d3b3055c2025-02-02T23:09:50ZengWileyAdvances in Civil Engineering1687-80942024-01-01202410.1155/2024/8925294Improving the Stability of Mining Slopes in Tarcha Coal Mine, Southwestern Ethiopian Deposit Through Geometric AdjustmentsGetaneh Abebay0Endalu Tadele Chala1Nagessa Zerihun Jilo2Tiyasha Tiyasha3Department of GeologyDepartment of Mining EngineeringDepartment of Civil EngineeringDepartment of Civil EngineeringThe Tarcha coal deposit, located beneath the Omo trachyte flows in the Omo-Gibe River basin of southern Ethiopia, is actively mined using open-pit methods for energy resources. However, these mines face significant slope instability issues. This study aims to assess and enhance the stability of the selected open-pit coal mine quarries through field and laboratory analyses, supported by the limit equilibrium method (LEM) and the finite element method (FEM). Fieldwork involved detailed measurements of slope geometry and orientation, in situ rock testing, and soil and rock sampling for laboratory analysis. Results indicated that the rock quality designation (RQD) of the rocks ranged from 22 to 57.5, indicating rock quality from very poor to fair. Schmidt hammer tests revealed uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) values between 14.79 and 29.31 MPa. Soil analysis classified the soils as sand with low to high plasticity (8.89% to 31.86%) and a liquid limit range of 21% to 62.63%. Stability analyses using LEM and FEM on two critical slopes (MS-1 and MS-2) under saturated, unloading, and loading conditions indicated instability. However, geometric adjustments, such as reducing slope angle, decreasing slope height, and implementing benching, were found to significantly improve slope stability.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/8925294 |
| spellingShingle | Getaneh Abebay Endalu Tadele Chala Nagessa Zerihun Jilo Tiyasha Tiyasha Improving the Stability of Mining Slopes in Tarcha Coal Mine, Southwestern Ethiopian Deposit Through Geometric Adjustments Advances in Civil Engineering |
| title | Improving the Stability of Mining Slopes in Tarcha Coal Mine, Southwestern Ethiopian Deposit Through Geometric Adjustments |
| title_full | Improving the Stability of Mining Slopes in Tarcha Coal Mine, Southwestern Ethiopian Deposit Through Geometric Adjustments |
| title_fullStr | Improving the Stability of Mining Slopes in Tarcha Coal Mine, Southwestern Ethiopian Deposit Through Geometric Adjustments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Improving the Stability of Mining Slopes in Tarcha Coal Mine, Southwestern Ethiopian Deposit Through Geometric Adjustments |
| title_short | Improving the Stability of Mining Slopes in Tarcha Coal Mine, Southwestern Ethiopian Deposit Through Geometric Adjustments |
| title_sort | improving the stability of mining slopes in tarcha coal mine southwestern ethiopian deposit through geometric adjustments |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/8925294 |
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