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Analysis of a Large Rock Slope Failure on the East Wall of the LAB Chrysotile Mine in Canada: Back Analysis, Impact of Water Infilling and Mining Activity

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Abstract

A major mining slope failure occurred in July 2012 on the East wall of the LAB Chrysotile mine in Canada. The major consequence of this failure was the loss of the local highway (Road 112), the main commercial link between the region and the Northeast USA. LiDAR scanning and subsequent analyses were performed and enabled quantifying the geometry and kinematics of the failure area. Using this information, this paper presents the back analysis of the July 2012 failure. The analyses are performed using deterministic and probabilistic limit equilibrium analysis and finite-element shear strength reduction analysis modelling. The impact of pit water infilling on the slope stability is investigated. The impact of the mining activity in 2011 in the lower part of the slope is also investigated through a parametric analysis.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support of Transports Québec and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The authors would also like to thank Pierre Dorval and François Bossé (Service Géotechnique et Géologie-Transports Québec) for providing airborne LiDAR survey data, pictures and technical advice. The authors are grateful to Michel Vallée and Gilles Bonin for providing easy mine site access. Finally, the authors are also grateful to Denis Fabre and Olivier Fouché (Conservatoire national des arts et métiers) for their technical inputs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Génie des Mines, de la Métallurgie et des Matériaux, Faculté des Sciences et de Génie, Université Laval, Pavillon Adrien-Pouliot, 1065, Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada

    Martin Grenon, Philippe Caudal & Sina Amoushahi

  2. Département de Géologie et de Génie Géologique, Faculté des Sciences et de Génie, Université Laval, Pavillon Adrien-Pouliot, 1065, Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada

    Dominique Turmel & Jacques Locat

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  1. Martin Grenon
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  2. Philippe Caudal
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  3. Sina Amoushahi
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  4. Dominique Turmel
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  5. Jacques Locat
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Correspondence to Martin Grenon.

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Grenon, M., Caudal, P., Amoushahi, S. et al. Analysis of a Large Rock Slope Failure on the East Wall of the LAB Chrysotile Mine in Canada: Back Analysis, Impact of Water Infilling and Mining Activity. Rock Mech Rock Eng 50, 403–418 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-016-1116-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-016-1116-8

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