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The risks and potential influence of undermined areas in the Okiep Copper District with a specific focus on the Bruinhoek populated area of Concordia

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2018.

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Main Author: Luttig, Hardy
Other Authors: Croukamp, Leon
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2018
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access_status_str Open Access
author Luttig, Hardy
author2 Croukamp, Leon
author_browse Croukamp, Leon
Luttig, Hardy
author_facet Croukamp, Leon
Luttig, Hardy
author_sort Luttig, Hardy
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2018.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/105067
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:44:46.833Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2018
publishDateRange 2018
publishDateSort 2018
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/105067 The risks and potential influence of undermined areas in the Okiep Copper District with a specific focus on the Bruinhoek populated area of Concordia Luttig, Hardy Croukamp, Leon Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Civil Engineering. Okiep Mine (South Africa) UCTD Abandoned mines Abandoned mines -- Risk assessment Copper mines Sinks (Geology) Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2018. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The collapse and/or subsidence of overburden located above an undermined area is inevitably an impending consequence of underground mining activities across the world. One of the legacies left behind of approximately 150 years of mining in the Okiep Copper District is the presence of huge collapsed structures locally known as glory holes. Although some are remote, several holes are located close to populated areas and pose a hazard to the local inhabitants. The Bruinhoek populated area which forms part of the town of Concordia is undermined by the Wheal Julia East Mine. The potential formation of a glory hole within the undermined area poses a risk to local inhabitants of Bruinhoek. The aim of the study is to determine the likelihood of glory hole formation at Bruinhoek, as well as the inherent risk if this should happen. This aim was achieved by means of a data collection process that involved three reference mines which has glory holes, as well as the Wheal Julia East Mine. In order to determine the likelihood of the formation of a glory hole at the Bruinhoek populated area the main reasons causing the formation of the glory holes at the reference mines were determined first. This was done by the reviewing of previous investigations, studying survey and geological maps gathered from the O’okiep Copper Company (OCC), and field investigations that involved drone aerial surveys, site walkovers and the inspection of the sidewalls of the glory holes. The Wheal Julia East Mine was similarly studied and investigated. After the main reasons for glory hole formation at the reference mines were determined they were used as a proxy for the Wheal Julia East Mine. It was found that for a glory hole to form an underground cavity must have been created first. The main factor that contributed to the initiation of the failure of overburden at the reference mines was the presence of persistent discontinuities. Investigations proved that the Wheal Julia East Mine has created an underground cavity as well as that persistent discontinuities could occur following the investigations at the reference mines. Therefore it was determined that a glory hole at the Bruimhoek populated area could be expected in the future. The stope dimensions in plan view for the Wheal Julia East Mine where determined through the creation of overlay maps where a surface image of the Bruinhoek populated area overlies the geological maps of the Wheal Julia East Mine. It was found that the stope lies directly below two plots of the Bruinhoek populated area. The field investigations of the reference mines indicated that instabilities for example self-caving of the sidewalls and rim collapse are common after the formation of a glory hole. This means that in the case of the formation of a glory hole at Bruinhoek it is almost certain that it will self-cave and experience rim collapse, gradually becoming greater in size. The current situation at Bruinhoek has the potential to develop in a high risk situation endangering people’s lives. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar 2018-11-28T18:13:34Z 2018-12-07T06:57:49Z 2018-11-28T18:13:34Z 2018-12-07T06:57:49Z 2018-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/105067 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 221 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Okiep Mine (South Africa)
UCTD
Abandoned mines
Abandoned mines -- Risk assessment
Copper mines
Sinks (Geology)
Luttig, Hardy
The risks and potential influence of undermined areas in the Okiep Copper District with a specific focus on the Bruinhoek populated area of Concordia
title The risks and potential influence of undermined areas in the Okiep Copper District with a specific focus on the Bruinhoek populated area of Concordia
title_full The risks and potential influence of undermined areas in the Okiep Copper District with a specific focus on the Bruinhoek populated area of Concordia
title_fullStr The risks and potential influence of undermined areas in the Okiep Copper District with a specific focus on the Bruinhoek populated area of Concordia
title_full_unstemmed The risks and potential influence of undermined areas in the Okiep Copper District with a specific focus on the Bruinhoek populated area of Concordia
title_short The risks and potential influence of undermined areas in the Okiep Copper District with a specific focus on the Bruinhoek populated area of Concordia
title_sort risks and potential influence of undermined areas in the okiep copper district with a specific focus on the bruinhoek populated area of concordia
topic Okiep Mine (South Africa)
UCTD
Abandoned mines
Abandoned mines -- Risk assessment
Copper mines
Sinks (Geology)
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/105067
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