A general discrete element method-based model is proposed to investigate the cyclic
freezing-thawing induced damage of fractured rocks. A set of cracks is defined as an …

Understanding the flow rules of caved ore and rock is the foundation for efficiently applying
the caving mining method, and studying the change trends in both extraction zone (EZ) and …

Isolated physical draw experiments are conducted to investigate the shape of the isolated
extraction zone (IEZ) and its main influencing factors. After validating the reliability of using …

The penetration of rock fragments of overlying strata causes advanced ore dilution during
drawing. The results of numerical and physical experiments showed that the proposed …

The Discrete Element Method (DEM) is a popular particle-based numerical method for
simulating geophysical processes including earthquakes, rock breakage and granular flow …

In underground mining, hang-ups due to coarse fragmentation are frequently observed in
drawpoints, drawbells, and ore passes during ore draw. Hang-ups can often require …

On the basis of physical ore-drawing test research, the irregular particle clusters are
constructed by adopting particle element theory and PFC numerical simulation software …

In block caving, most existing knowledge of the mechanisms controlling gravity flow comes
from idealized numerical and scaled physical modeling experiments on gravels and sands …

A better understanding of the gravity flow mechanism of caved material is required to
increase ore recovery in caving mining. This study presents a novel computational …

Block caving has historically been the preferred underground solution to mine large, low-
grade deposits (Laubscher 1994; Brown 2007; Chitombo 2010; Flores 2014). However, the …