Slope Failure Analysis Utilizing Radar Data on Wire Mesh Covered Slopes in an Open Pit Iron Ore Mine Joey Andreas Banuarea (a*), Balqis Pertiwi (b)
a) Geotechnical Support Service, PT GroundProbe Indonesia, Balikpapan 76114, Indonesia
*joey.banuarea[at]groundprobe.com
b) School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of New South Wales, NSW 2032, Australia
Abstract
Slope stability holds a pivotal role in open pit mining operations, as failures and rockfalls can lead to significant safety hazards, operational disruptions, and economic losses, highlighting the necessity for a sophisticated slope monitoring instrument, the Slope Stability Radar (SSR). The SSR earns broad recognition as an essential tool for managing high-risk slopes due to its ability to track deformation near real-time in sub-millimeter precision using the interferometry method.
Wire mesh is often deployed on unstable slopes to mitigate the risk of rockfalls and slope failure by providing structural support and containment of loose debris. While enhancing the slope stability, its presence introduces complexities in radar data interpretation due to signal interference and the effect of steel expansion. Understanding how radar data behaves when collected from slopes covered by wire mesh is essential for optimizing monitoring strategies and ensuring accurate slope stability assessments.
This study uses slope monitoring data collected by GroundProbe Slope Stability Radar-FX (SSR-FX) in case of failure occurred in an iron ore mine. The installation of wire mesh on the surface of mine walls impacts the slope stability radar data, resulting in specific repetitive patterns that follow daily cycles, referred to as diurnal deformation trends. At a lower rate of slope movement, these diurnal trends are prominent on deformation graphs. Consequently, determining slope behavior under these circumstances can be achieved through long-term analysis, focusing on the consistency of peak and trough. As the rate of slope movement increases, these patterns gradually diminish, and the trend will be increasingly determined by the real magnitude of deformation. In the case study, the failure exhibits the following behaviors: diurnal pattern (stable), linear, progressive, failure, ambiguity (rapid movement), and regressive deformation trend.
