Author(s)

L. Longoni & M. Papini

Abstract

In recent years the tendency for re-evaluation and conversion of dismissed mines for touristic and scientific purposes (educational trails, laboratories, etc.) has been more and more diffused. To make these purposes possible in safe conditions it is necessary to evaluate the geological risk inside mines and execute proper stability studies. For the definition of geological risk, even for underground works (galleries, mines), it is not possible to prescind from the analysis of geological, geomorphological and mechanical aspects that compete for the definition of the three dimensional physical model. Only in this way will it be possible to simulate the behaviour of the rock mass and to forecast future risk sceneries, define critical thresholds and evaluate more suitable mitigation works. For a correct evaluation of the hydro geological problem using actual available means, the approach based on the physical-mathematical modelling of the problem is used more and more. This has necessitated the experimental observation of the mechanical behaviour of materials, the definition of constitutional laws, the modelling of soils and rocks systems, the formulation of holding equations, the development of analytic and numeric instruments for the solution of contour problems, the observation of the behaviour of real scale works, etc. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the use of a numerical code for the evaluation of the stability of a part of the Piani dei Resinelli mines. The numerical model allows one to evaluate the tensional-deformational state of the rock mass. After geological, geomorphological and geotechnical analysis, we applied the 3DEC algorithm to the Piani dei Resinelli mines in order to obtain a three dimensional discontinuous model with distinct elements. Keywords: 3DEC, hazard, mines, risk scenarios.

Keywords

3DEC, hazard, mines, risk scenarios.