Geomechanical Risk Analysis for the Historical Salt Cavern Saurau in Wieliczka Mine

TL;DR

This study uses 3D finite element modeling to analyze the stability and geomechanical risks of specific historical salt mine rooms, identifying areas susceptible to damage now and in the future.

Contribution

It introduces a 3D finite element approach combined with safety margin analysis for assessing geomechanical risks in historical salt caverns.

Findings

Identified zones with higher susceptibility to damage.

Provided a methodology for future stability assessment.

Enhanced understanding of salt cavern stability over time.

Abstract

Based on the finite element method formulated in three dimensions, a selected area of the salt mine has been modeled, embracing totally 2 separated, historically valuable mine rooms. The results of the computer simulations permitted elastic-viscous rock mass stability analyses identifying the areas being more susceptible to damage, presently and in a far future. The geomechanical risk assessment procedure utilized so called safety margins which were defined as a distance between the point characterized by the actual local strain/stress conditions and the instability (limit) surface(s) which location in the 3D stress/strain space could be determined using the well-known strength theories,