Design of crown pillar thickness using finite element method and multivariate regression analysis

Minerals are now being extracted from deep mines due to drying up of resource in shallow ground. The need for suitable supports and ground control mechanisms for safe mining necessitates proper pillar design with filling technology. In addition, high horizontal stress may cause collapse of hanging wall and footwall rocks, hence designing of suitable crown pillars is absolutely necessary for imposing overall safety of the stopes. This paper provides a methodology for the evaluation of the required thickness of crown pillars for safe operation at depth ranging from 600 m to 1000 m. Analyses are conducted with the results of 108 non-linear numerical models considering Drucker-Prager material model in plane strain condition. Material properties of ore body rock and thickness of crown pillars are varied and safety factors of pillars estimated. Then, a generalized statistical relationship between the safety factors of crown pillars with the various input parameters is developed. The developed multivariate regression model is utilized for generating design/stability charts of pillars for different geo-mining conditions. These design charts can be used for the design of crown pillar thickness with the depth of the working, taking into account the changes of the rock mass conditions in underground metal mine.