College of Mining, NUST MISIS, Moscow, Russia:

V. A. Eremenko, Director of the Research Center for Applied Geomechanics and Convergent Technologies in Mining, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, prof.eremenko@gmail.com

A. R. Umarov, Post-Graduate Student

Academician Melnikov Research Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources, Moscow, Russia:
Yu. P. Galchenko, Leading Researcher, Professor, Doctor of Engineering Sciences

SPb-Giproshakht, Saint-Petersburg, Russia:
N. A. Lipnitskiy, Depute CEO of Advance

The article describes the research results on the convergent technology for underground mining of thick ore bodies using a frame mine structure. The brand-new concept of the stability evaluation in anthropogenically altered rock mass uses the inter-disciplinary design solutions developed within the scope of nature-like convergent technologies. The nature-like convergent framing technology based on the modern deformation concepts ensures the highest stability of the load-bearing structures in mines. For the quantitative evaluation of the in-situ stress field variation in the course of mining, a new index is proposed – the influence factor. This index-based estimate shows that the strongest effect on the size of induced tensile strain zones in thick ore body mining is exerted by the mining systems with caving. The authors present the stress–strain analysis of the frame mine structure, the mechanism of tensile strain zones, and the level of deformation in enclosing rocks, ore and various-purpose pillars. The design and construction sequence of the new mine structure, as well as the related safety, eco-friendliness and efficiency of mining are demonstrated. A casestudy of stage-wise preparation and extraction of an ore site is presented, including the first stage of formation of artificial separation and protection pillars and the second stage of open stoping with borehole blasting by sections and using VRC.
The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, Project No. 19-17-00034.
The authors highly appreciate participation of N. G. Vysotin, A. M. Yanbekov, S. S. Shermatova, M. A. Kosyreva, Ch. V. Khazhyylai, V. I. Leizer and E. D. Yakusheva from the Research Center for Applied Geomechanics and Convergent Technologies in Mining at the NUST MISIS College of Mining in this study.

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