A Family of Constitutive Models Implemented in PLAXIS to Simulate Cemented Mine Backfill

TL;DR

This paper introduces a versatile family of constitutive models for simulating cemented mine backfill, integrating various formulas for elastic and frictional properties within a PLAXIS implementation, validated through a case study.

Contribution

It develops a comprehensive set of constitutive models with customizable nonlinear elasticity and age-dependency features for mine backfill simulation in PLAXIS.

Findings

Models successfully simulate backfill behavior

Implementation in PLAXIS enables practical application

Case study demonstrates model effectiveness

Abstract

A family of constitutive models for mine cemented backfill is presented. Four formulas for the density- and pressure-dependency of elastic moduli, five formulas for the density- and pressure-dependency of friction angle and four formulas for the age-dependency of the elastic moduli and effective cohesion are incorporated into an isotropic hypoelasticity with Mohr-Coulomb perfect plasticity framework and implemented in PLAXIS as a user-defined material model. This family includes the standard Mohr-Coulomb, Bolton, Leps, Barton and Hoek- Brown models as trivial cases when both nonlinear elasticity and age-dependency are switched off. In this paper, the formulation of the models is introduced, the basis of the numerical implementation is outlined, and a case history of the application to the cemented backfill of a sublevel stoping mine is presented as an example.