Design optimisation
of Jwaneng mine cut 9 waste dumps
Verma Rahul, Nyamuzihwa Angeline R.N., Lesetlhe Thabo, Blick John and Malsawmtluanga
Disaster Advances; Vol. 18(6); 65-73;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/186da065073; (2025)
Abstract
This study includes a detailed review of the Jwaneng Diamond Mine waste dumps using
a recent comprehensive rock waste, stockpiles and tailings stability assessment
method called Waste Dump Stability Rating and Hazard Classification System (WSRHC),
a finite element method-based program called RS2 and a limit equilibrium program
called SLIDE both from Rocscience Inc. They prove to be more hazardous as the dumps
are growing in size and are getting affected by major mine developments like Cut
9 pushback which is advancing to the place where most of the old waste dumps are
located. The stability status of these Jwaneng Diamond Mine waste dumps has not
been studied at large convincingly. As with the open pit, monitoring of the current
waste dumps should be an integral part of Jwaneng mine operations. Visual inspections
are recommended to be done around the dumps and on-top to check for failed material
and newly formed tension cracks. Intense tracking/monitoring of displacements/failures
within the dumps, is a must practice specially a day after significant blasting
in the Cut 9 walls and about 3 days after heavy rainfalls of the magnitude like
the one of Cyclone Dineo.
For such visual inspection, several recommendations are proposed. These are installation
of different Radar systems such as Time Domain Reflectometers (TDR) and inclinometers,
to detect movements of deep-seated slip surfaces, installation of Piezometers to
monitor water table levels and seasonal ground moisture variations, installation
of interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radars and comparison of weekly Digital Terrain
Models (DTM), installation of Frequent field tests to obtain bearing capacities
of the foundation material in the Jwaneng mine dumps, monitoring of saturated unit
weights for the individual rock units (and sand), designing a systematic drainage
or relief plan and construction of complete hydrogeological model considering regional
water flow patterns of the study area.
