Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026

Dynamic Pore-scale Reservoir-condition Imaging of Reaction in Carbonates Using Synchrotron Fast Tomography
Published on: February 21, 2017
Reassessing Janssen's equation for cave stress estimation in block cave mining
1Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Abstract:
Cave mines operating at greater depths are faced with higher draw column heights, typically ranging from several hundred metres to over one kilometre. This results in significantly higher cave stress on the production level, making reliable stress estimation critical for assessing long-term stability. The current approach to estimating cave stresses in the draw column relies on Janssen's equation, developed initially using the Method of Differential Slices (MDS) and based on laboratory observations of corn and bulk solids in storage silos. This article first reviews the MDS and the assumptions used to derive Janssen's equation. The article also discusses how the limitations of the analogues (e.g. corn material and full-to-empty silo condition) used to develop the equation do not represent conditions equivalent to those observed in cave mining (e.g. fragmented rock blocks undergoing fragmentation and no-column to full-column condition as cave propagates). These mechanistic differences may lead to erroneous estimations of cave stresses. While Janssen's equation is a valuable initial tool for estimating cave stresses, practitioners must carefully assess its assumptions and limitations before applying it to engineering designs.
Related Concept Videos
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT
Stress Concentrations in Circular Shafts
Stress Concentrations
The stress...
Stress Concentrations
Quarrying of Stone
One common method involves using a diamond belt saw to cut large blocks from the quarry face. These blocks can be about 50 feet long and 12 feet high. After the initial vertical cut, drilling is performed at the base of the...
Stresses under Combined Loadings
The process begins by slicing the tube at critical points and analyzing the internal forces and stress components at these sections, focusing on the centroid. Normal stresses, generated by axial forces and bending moments, are either compressive or tensile and vary across the section from...

