RMR89 RATING TO DETERMINE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ROCK

MASS AND SAFETY FACTOR INVESTIGATION IN WEST WALL, PURNAMA

PIT, PT.AGINCOURT RECOURCES, TAPANULI SELATAN, SUMATERA UTARA
Bayu Perdana Putra1, Bambang Heriyadi 2, Yoszi Mingsi A 2
Teknik Pertambangan
Fakultas Teknik Universitas Negeri Padang

ABSTRACT

PT.Agincourt Resources or G-Recources is a private company engaged in the mining

of gold ore, the project is located in the province of North Sumatra precisely in South
Tapanuli, District Batangtoru.
PTAR project location passed by Sumatra Fault System (SFS). It is very influential on
the work of mining, especially in the design of the final design slopes. So the investigation of
rock characteristics in around the site of mining need to be done. In January to April 2014 the
authors conducted a final project in PT.Angincourt Resources, precisely in the West Wall of
Pit Purnama final pit design. Authors to investigate the characteristics of the rock mass using
the method of Rock Mass Rating (RMR89) and Geologycal Strength Index (GSI) on the six-
point drill in the corridor 167200mN. By doing the correlation between the rock that rating
RMR89, who entered in the bad category, with 21-40 rating value are in class-VI to the (weak
layers) slice and analyzed using 2D Slide 6.0 program.
Rating of results RMR89, rock on to a class-IV and correlated on a 2D slice in design of
Final Wall West Wall Pit Purnama, there are weak layers found on one of the slopes. Safety
Factor analysis results (FK) using Slide 6.0 program has a value of 1.03 on the slopes
encountered the weak layer, it means the slopes are will be danger conditions (failure) and
need to be modification on geometry of the slope.

A. Introduction strength, structure condition, and

G-Resources is a private company which
is conducting gold mining operations in
North Sumatra, precisely in South
Tapanuli, district Batang Toru. They
used open pit mining mode.
There are many factors can support the
success of mining operations when
conducting open pit mining activities,
one of them is slope stability. In forming
a slope at an open pit mine, the
geological conditions are the main
parameters that should be considered.
The geological conditions are rock
orientation of discontinuities and ground
water. Some of those factors indicate the
characteristics of the rock mass.
B. Rock Mass Investigation
1. Drill Core
At section 167200mN, there are
± 20 drilling points but authors only
make selection by choosing drill
holes through Pit walls, see
table 1. From the selection, author
obtained 6 borehole as the data.
All 6 drill holes are:

Tabel 1. Borhole at the Section 167200mN.

2. Geotechnicall drill logging and RMR89.
RMR classification bineawski 1989 is geomechanics classification system
is an empirical method for determine the value of a rock mass, used to evaluate the
resistance of the rock mass as one how to determine geometry and the slope
maximum (Bieniawski, 1989). This classification based on six parameters: the
strength of the rock, Rock Quality Designation (RQD), the distance discontinuities
(spacing of discontinuities), discontinuity condition (condition of discontinuities),
groundwater conditions and orientation of discontinuities.
The results of classifying and rating of the parameters of rock mass characteristics
RMR89 that obtained through the drilling of geotechnical exploration in the study
area is a "RMR89 interpretation of the condition / quality rock area of research".
Statistic recapitulation from RMR89 analysis can be seen in the following table 2 :
Table 2. Statistic recapitulation from RMR89 analysis

3. Correlation RMR89 with class IV (bad)

RMR89 of the results of the six drill holes on section done, the correlation between the
rocks which have a lower RMR, See at picture 1.

Pict.1. correlation between the rocks which have a lower RMR

Areas that are colored yellow in cross-section (section) of the image 29 is included in
zone IV class RMR (bad) or weak zonesbased on the weighted RMR 89. RMR correlation
of the results with a bad grade in general is on the design of the final slope design in Pit
Purnama, however there are weak zones that are at level one of the main parts of the
slopes.
The circled area is a weak zone (weak layer) which penetrate the wall design Pit mining
at Purnama. The area that has the potential to reduce the value of the safety factor of the
slope. To reinforce this assumption there will be a safety factor analysis using the help of
Slide 6.0 program. Area crossed by a weak zone is on a slope with elevation 336m -
310M above sea level on the design of the west wall, slope 167200nN Pit mine in section
Purnama.
C. RMR89 as a parameter to determine the value of Safety Factor

To conduct the analysis of safety factor using slide program 6.0 , mine slope design
geometry must be known. and value RMR89 first converted into value Geologycal
Strength Index (GSI) as well as some of the input data as UCS value of rock, constant
rock mass (mi) Table 4, density of rocks and distrubing factor (blasting). So from the
calculation of the value obtained by GSI as table 3
Table 4. mi value

Table 5. GSI value

Analysis of SF in Purnama use Morganisterm slices method and Spencer (1967). To

conduct the analysis of the safety factor of the slope by using software rocsience slide
6.0, first cross section (Section) should be in shape. In this study, the authors use of data
that already exists. Slopes will be analyzed with the assumption that the groundwater
based Hoek and Bray ground water flow diagram.

Pict.2. Hoek and Bray Diagram

D. Overall slope analysis on total dry slope conditions
The first slopes were analyzed overall with there is no water flow on slopes (total dry).
Based on an analysis using software slide 6.0 obtained value of the overall slope safety
factor (overall slope) of 3.6 (Figure 2). It means that the slopes are in a safe condition.
But in the area (level) which are weak areas have lower FK value is 1.8 (pict 3).

Pict.3. Overall Slope analysis when Groundwater conditions are totally Dry.

E. Overall slope analysis when ground water conditions are total saturated.
Analysis of slope safety factor assuming groundwater surface conditions
total saturated (condition 5 in Table 6) the obtained results as below.

Pict.4. Overall Slope analysis when Groundwater conditions are totally saturated.
Analysis of the ground water conditions are total saturated acquired value overall slope
safety factor of 2.9 , It means that the slopes are in a safe condition overall. However,
the slope areas that have weak areas have lower FK value is 1.0 (figure 4).

F. Concluding Remarks
1. Results of the investigationr Safety Fact
Than two Ground Water conditions based diagram Hoek and Bray, proved that the
slope has a weak layer or have a bad RMR value (RMR class IV) have a safety factor
value of 1.0 on the total saturated ground water conditions. The value of the safety
factor of 1.0 is a critical value or dangerous. it is necessary to a further discussion
on design of mining slopes in these area.

2. Recommendation

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