Abstract

Mining is a defined process through which valuable minerals are extracted from the earth's crust either using the surface or underground operations. Surface/Open pit mining is the most common approach, used to extract ore from shallow depths. Underground mining, on the other hand, is used to extract deposits at greater depths and when open pit mining is no longer economically feasible or due to lateral extent limitations, the majority of open cast mines must transition from open pit to underground at a certain depth. This transition necessitates the existence of a barrier pillar between the surface and underground mines in order to keep one working area separate from the underground workings and is referred to as a Crown pillar. This barrier pillar is critical throughout the mining operation, and its stability analysis is vital to protect both surface mine slopes and underground my infrastructure. Because of variations in geo-mining conditions, the crown pillar behaves differently than the surface crown, which is commonly leftover barrier at the surface in direct underground mining operations. Stresses reorient around the crown pillar during the underground mining operations and leads to the occurrence of displacements, which can be evaluated using numerical simulation techniques. This paper focuses on the behaviour of crown pillar and its key factor’s influence on its stability by interpreting the stresses and displacements using FLAC3D software.