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Slope Stability Assessment of The Letlhakane (DK1) Mine

The document summarizes a slope stability assessment of the Letlhakane mine in Botswana. The objectives were to assess stability of ultimate slopes and propose remediation measures. The mine is an open pit mining kimberlite for diamonds. Assessment included geological mapping, core logging, tests for strength parameters. Data analysis used classification systems to evaluate rock mass quality. Instability risks identified included wedge failures and toppling. Recommended remediation includes buttressing with concrete, sub-horizontal drainage, and dewatering boreholes to improve slope stability.

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Boon Fui
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83 views

Slope Stability Assessment of The Letlhakane (DK1) Mine

The document summarizes a slope stability assessment of the Letlhakane mine in Botswana. The objectives were to assess stability of ultimate slopes and propose remediation measures. The mine is an open pit mining kimberlite for diamonds. Assessment included geological mapping, core logging, tests for strength parameters. Data analysis used classification systems to evaluate rock mass quality. Instability risks identified included wedge failures and toppling. Recommended remediation includes buttressing with concrete, sub-horizontal drainage, and dewatering boreholes to improve slope stability.

Uploaded by

Boon Fui
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Slope Stability Assessment

of the Letlhakane (DK1)


Mine
Keabetswe Keith Makuku
Project AIMS
•Assess and Evaluate the Stability of the
Ultimate slopes

•Propose Remediation measures where


applicable
Letlhakane Mine Information
Location – Southern Africa, Central Botswana, 200 km west of
Francistown and 50 km east of Orapa
Establishment - 1977
Current Life of Mine – 12 years as an open pit at current
production levels
Ownership - Debswana
Mining Method – Open Pit
Employees – Orapa and Letlhakane 3200
Production during 2002 – Ore treated: 3.6 million tons
Diamonds recovered: 1.03 million
carats Recovered Grade: 25.7 carats per 100
tons Total Waste stripped: 15.25 million tons
www.debswana.bw
Geology and Topography
• Kalahari Sands and Calcrete - 10 meters
• Stomberg Basalts – (135 meters massive 10-15 m thick flows with
near horizontal top and base. Localised worm like calcite amygdales)
• Ntane Sandstones - 120 meters thick, hard-medium grained, crossbedded
and Interbedded by fine, weak red mudstone lenses)
• Kimberlite (Diamond Ore body) - Intruded into the Karoo sequenc
during the Cretaceous period (90 million years ago)
• Flat topography- area lies at an altitude of 1000 m.a.m.s.l and
undulates gently with no significant physiographic features
LETLHAKANE MINE GEOLOGY
SECTION THROUGH D/K1

1000m

Om NORTH SOUTH 1011 mamsl

MINED OUT AREA


BASALT
133 m

End of 1999

SANDSTONE
Cut 3 Cut 2 2003

259 m

Cut 4
MUDSTONE

378 m
ORE
ORE
BODY
BODY

GRANITE

609 m
Work Done
Geological Mapping
Point Loads
Scan-line survey
Geotechnical Core
logging
Weathering Exercise
Groundwater seepage
Mapping
Density Measurements
Triaxial Test
Data Analysis
MRMR, RMR,Q-system
Rock DATA (rock strength parameters)
DIPS (preliminary assessment-stereonet)
Swedge (deterministic and probabilistic)

WEDGE POTENTIAL TOPPLING POTENTIAL


Remediation
Dentition

Sub-horizontal Drainage

(Concrete of higher strength parameters)


Dewatering Boreholes
Sub-horizontal dewatering holes

(Weathering effect only effective towards the day-lighting zone of the rock unit)
References

• www.debswana.bw
• Rock Slope Engineering E Hoek & J Bray
• Detecting Problems with Mine Slope Stability.
Jami M Girad and Ed Mo turgh
• An Investigation of the Main Failure Planes at Letlhakane mine (2001)
P.H.G.M. Dirks
• Engineering rock mass classifications,
Wiley-Interscience, New York (1989) Z.T Bieniawski

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