Dear clients,

The second part of the 2016 year will be rich in events with the release of two of our 3-dimensional software: 3DEC v5.2 is already available and FLAC3D v6.0 will be released within the following months. All our 3DEC and FLAC3D users can benefit from lower prices on the pre-purchase until their official release. PFC Suite users are also invited to contact their local agent to renew their Annual Maintenance Program and thus to benefit of the next upgrades and major releases.

All the Itasca team is available to answer your enquiries and assist you in your decision.

The European Itasca team

Consulting

Itasca Consultants AB (Sweden) has conducted a mine-scale stress calibration for the LKAB Malmberget Mine. The mine comprises 20 orebodies of varying size, shape and orientation, over an area of 8 km2 (Figure 1) A detailed, mine-scale, three-dimensional model was setup using FLAC3D (Figure 2). The model included the currently known mineralizations, some reaching down to mining level 1600 m. The model also incorporated extensive biotite zones near two of the orebodies. A unit stress tensor approach was used for model stress calibration, in which unit stresses of each tensor component was applied to the model, and the stress response calculated. These response tensors were combined (using superposition for linear-elastic analysis) and the results fitted to stress measurement data. This approach provided an unbiased methodology for stress calibration, which accounts for influences from mining and variations in material properties. The end result of this work was a calibrated three-dimensional model including all actively mined orebodies at the mine. The results from this model provided knowledge about stress distribution effects globally and locally in the mine, as well as input to local model of drifts, shafts, and other critical underground excavations. The model is also used for the planning and design work for potential continued mining at depth in the Malmberget mine. This work was presented at the 7th International Symposium on In-Situ Rock Stress in Tampere, Finland (May 10-12, 2016).

Fig. 1 - Orebodies included in the model

Fig. 2 - Model geometry and size, including orebodies

Software

Training & Seminars

Conferences

Itasca will be attending the following conferences:

Recent Publications

Vatcher, J., S. D. McKinnon and J. Sjöberg (2016) – "Developing 3-D mine-scale geomechanical models in complex geological environments, as applied to the Kiirunavaara Mine", in Engineering Geology, Vol 203, pp. 140–150 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2015.07.020)

J. J. Oetomo, E. Vincens, F. Dedecker, J-C. Morel (2016) - "Modeling the 2D behavior of drystone retaining walls by a fully discrete element method", in Int. Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics, to publish

Sjöberg, J., A. Bolin, A. Sánchez Juncal, T. Wettainen, D. Mas Ivars and F. Perman (2015) – "Input to ore pass design – a numerical modelling study", in Proceedings of International Seminar on Design Methods in Underground Mining, Potvin, Y,. (eds.), pp. 571–584. Perth: Australian Centre for Geomechanics (17–19 Nov, 2015, Perth, Australia)

Tran M. H., Sulem J., Subrin D. and Billaux D. (2015) - "Anisotropic Time-Dependent Modeling of Tunnel Excavation in Squeezing Ground", in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, DOI: 10.1007/s00603-015-0717-y

Ghazal R., Mas Ivars D., Johansson F. and Batres-Estrada R. (2015) - "Back analysis of in situ stress at shallow depth using discontinuum numerical modeling - a case study at the Odenplan station in Stockholm". Proceedings of Eurock 2015, Salzburg, Austria (October 2015)

Moreno J., Senis M. and Olalla C. (2015) "Aspectos necesarios a introducir en la modelización numérica 3D de las presas de escollera con pantalla de hormigón para reproducir correctamente las tensiones en el elemento de impermeabilización ", In X Jornadas Españolas de Presas, Spancold, Sevilla (18-20 February 2015)

Graf F., te Kamp L., Auer M., Acharya M. and W. Wu (2015) – “Soil aggregate stability in eco-engineering: comparison of field and laboratory data with an outlook on a new modelling approach”, in Recent Advances in Modeling Land-slides and Debris Flows. Springer Series Geomechanics and Geoengineering, pp. 29-47.

Wu W., Switala BM., Acharya M., Tamagnini R., Auer M., Graf F., te Kamp L. and W. Xiang (2015) – “Effect of vegetation on stability of soil slopes: numerical aspects”, in Recent Advances in Modeling Landslides and Debris Flows. Springer Series Geomechanics and Geoengineering, pp. 163-177.