Comprehensive prediction of rockburst based on analysis of strain energy in rocks

Strain energy is a key factor of inducing rockburst in mine. The occurrence of rockburst depends not only on the property of storing strain energy in rocks, but also on the environment of strain energy accumulation in mining. This investigation has been carried out on the property of strain energy stored in rocks by experiment and of which distributed around the mining pits of Linglong gold mine in China by using three-dimensional numerical modeling. In comparison with the pre-existing criteria of rockburst in literature, a comprehensive prediction of rockburst has been made so far as the ores are extracted at the depth of -570 m. The study shows that strain energy analysis with the aid of numerical modeling is useful in prediction of rockburst. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.