Slope stability review: Through the evaluation of a klipbankfontein instability case study

Abstract

A slope instability occurred at Kolomela Mine on 16 July 2022. This study analyses the slope instability to determine the rock mass behaviour before, during and after the event. The study describes the process of slope failure and the major indicators of failure as determined from instruments used to monitor the slope at the time of the failure. The contributing elements to the slope failure were investigated, including both the physical conditions and the deformations that were monitored before and during the slope failure. The findings showed that slope failure occurred on the banded ironstone formation (BIF) and gabbro contact, with lateral release given by orthogonal faults. The limit equilibrium analysis indicated that under dry conditions, the BIF–gabbro contact was within acceptable criteria. Implementing a robust monitoring system, including real-time pore pressure sensors, can provide early warning signs of instability and help guide operational decisions. Proactive management of these variables is essential to reducing geotechnical risk and ensuring the continued safety and efficiency of mining operations. TARP effectiveness evaluation calls for the study of response timing as well as monitoring data. The evacuation time at the onset of the failure was within the 13-minute evacuation time. Possibilities for TARP improvement were exposed through several data sources. Combining GeoMoS trends with radar displacement data could have shown warning signals hours before the displacement triggers, according to correlation analysis. While keeping the early warning system with its proven efficacy for personnel safety in place, the implementation of these improved triggers, together with an automated correlation of rainfall intensity and pore pressure changes, would strengthen the usefulness of the current system.