# 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.

## Key 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,

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/1907.13406