Monitoring of rock mass displacement during underground mining of the Yakovlevsky high-grade iron ore deposit

Abstract

Introduction: The very complex mining and geological conditions of the Yakovlevsky high-grade iron ore deposit were considered, which require the organization of reliable monitoring of hydrogeological and geomechanical processes accompanying mining operations. The most significant factors in the formation of volumetric deformations, including very complex hydrogeological conditions and physical and mechanical properties of the ore with a large overlying thickness of sedimentary rocks have been established. Materials and Methods: The analysis of the existing monitoring method was carried out. This method allows fixing the magnitude of the actual displacement of rocks, but it does not determine the dynamics of the process of subsidence of the pillar support and it does not allow continuous monitoring of the state of the massif in real time. Results and Discussion: An original system, constructed based on the principle of systems of monitoring hydraulic structures (“hydrostatic level”) has been developed. The technical feasibility and expediency of placing such monitoring systems not only in the goaf filled with filling material, but also in other hard-toreach places was shown. The scaling of such a system will allow to form a single monitoring network within the entire underground mine.