Cave-scale Mine Modeling Challenges and a New 3D-FDEM Modeling Concept

In cave mine modeling, it is essential to consider the evolution of rock mass from continuum to discontinuum and from interlock to disintegration. The hybrid finite-discrete element method (FDEM) presents a valuable framework for investigating the rock fracturing process, from laboratory scale, rock mass scale, to cave scale. With advancements in graphics processing unit (GPU) technology, a 3D FDEM approach can offer the potential for practical, large-scale cave mine modeling, overcoming previous computational limitations and offering new insights into caveability, fragmentation, and preconditioning processes. This paper presents a workflow for 3D cave-scale FDEM modeling, incorporating laboratory-derived parameters upscaled to field conditions using field mapping data. Finally, a conceptual 3D FDEM model with over twelve million elements was developed to simulate cave mining process that are challenging to capture using conventional continuum or discontinuum based approaches.