Slope stability is an important consideration in the management of many types of mining operations or civil engineering projects.
Slope Stability – By definition, slope stability is a measure of how resistant a natural or man-made slope is to failure due to collapse or sliding.
Slope stability is an important consideration in the management of many types of mining operations or civil engineering projects. For example:
- Surface/open pit mines
- Some underground mines
- Landfills
- Tailings dams
- Embankments
- Large excavations made as part of heavy civil projects
Due to greater demand, as well as more productive methods and equipment, open pit mines are deeper and larger; tailings dams, waste rock embankments and heap leach facilities are higher; and overall, there is a constant move towards higher, deeper, and steeper. This makes assessing and monitoring slope stability critically important, and this activity should form part of the overall productivity and safety management strategy of all mines and other large excavations.
Aside from assessing and monitoring existing slopes, whether man-made or natural, another important consideration when it comes to slope stability is proper slope design. Successful slope design requires the gathering of information regarding the site’s geology and characteristics (e.g. the properties and status of rock mass, soil, and groundwater in and around the excavation), interpretation of this information, and the development a design that takes this information into account.
Assessing, monitoring, and designing for slope stability requires great skill, expertise, and experience. At RockEng, we have team members who possess all of the attributes required to add tremendous value to your operation by advising on and assisting with a range of slope stability issues.