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Material properties affecting slope stability were measured in a large 50-year-old, partially consolidated rock dump located in an active open-pit mine. Field tests included single-ring infiltration and density. In addition, a nuclear depth-moisture gauge was used to measure water content in six stainless-steel-cased drillholes on the crest and an upper bench of the rock dump. Precipitation, evaporation, wind speed and direction, and temperature data were collected at a weather station installed on the dump's crest. Laboratory tests included particle-size distribution, specific gravity, Atterberg limits, and water content. By measuring material properties of a rock dump presumed to be stable, the safety of miners working on or at the toe of old rock dumps constructed of similar material and located in a similar climate can be assessed.
| Author(s): | Tesarik-DR, McKibbin-RW |
| Reference: | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2000-110, NIOSH Report of Investigations 9651, 1999 Dec; :1-28 |
ri9651 (PDF, 3455 KB)
