VOL. 2, NO.

1, MARCH 2013

ISSN 2305-493X

ARPN Journal of Earth Sciences

2006-2013 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

THE STABILITY ANALYSIS OF INTERNAL OVERBURDEN

DUMP REINFORCED WITH GEOSYNTHETIC IN OPEN
PIT MINE KOSOVA
Sabit Klinaku1, Sefedin Kastrati1, Beqir Mehmeti1 and Gazmend Gashi2
1

Faculty of Geosciences and Technology, University of Pristina, Pristina, Kosovo

2
Technical Height School, Klina, Kosovo
E-Mail: sklinaku@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT
This paper discusses the slope stability analysis of internal overburden dump called East Dump in open pit coal
mine Kosova. In this dump continually occurrence slide of the materials that have been dumped (yellow and grey clay).
For solution of the dump stability problem, firstly current situation of the dump is analyzed, then dump design and in the
end dump design - slope reinforced with geosynthetic/geogrid. The primary aim of design of internal overburden dump is
to provide effective stable working conditions for tow stackers. The slope stability and factory of safety was analyzed in
selected location along the slope by using limit equilibrium method, such is Bishops method. The analysis has been done
using Mohr-Coulomb model by using GGU-STABILITY software. Finally, an economical, sustainable and stable dump
angle and height was analyzed for a safe dumping.
Keywords: dump stability, factory of safety, bishops method, geosynthetic.

INTRODUCTION
Lignite as the energy capital resource of Kosovo
participates with 97% in the total electricity production.
According to a draft government strategy estimated coal
resources throughout Kosovo reach about 12.5 billion
tons, of which 8.6 billion tons in economic terms are
considered profitable for exploitation, and according to a
World Bank report of 2005, coal reserves estimated 15
billion tons. So Kosovo calculated the fifth country in the
world in terms of coal reserves.
Open pit coal mines in Central Kosovo are the
main source of electricity, with an annual production of
about 7-9 million tons of lignite coal.

Power requirements are much higher, but the

condition of coal mine, power plants, electrical grid,
mechanization makes this impossible.
Various deposit of lignite in Kosovo is very
suitable conditions for exploitation. Overburden-coal ratio
approximately 1.5:1.
The removal of overburden is the first step in a
coal winning operation, so as to expose underlying coal
for excavation. The overburden material being a nonmarketable product, it is removed and dumped safely and
economically [1].
Overburden dumps can be external dumps created
at a site away from the coal bearing area or it can be
internal-dumps created by in-pit dumping concurrent to
the creation of voids by extraction of coal.

Figure-1. Location map of the internal East Dump and boreholes for the geotechnical investigations.

29

VOL. 2, NO. 1, MARCH 2013

ISSN 2305-493X

ARPN Journal of Earth Sciences

2006-2013 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

Figure-2. Representative cross-section 1-1: materials type in the overburden dump.

THE SLOPE STABILITY ANALYSIS
The geology, ground condition and the nature of
the material is the major influencing factors in stability
analyses. Stability analysis were carried out on the
representative cross-section 1-1 of dump to determine
safe slopes and bench widths for stacker and other heavy
machinery to operate on the dump without risking
infrastructure or human life. For the exiting condition
slope stability analysis was analyzed using the Bishop
circular failure method (Figure-3).

Current dump condition

Slope stability analysis for current dump
condition is carried out for following geometrical, physicmechanical and hydro-physic parameters:
slope inclination angle = 13,
dump height h = 42 m,
= 16.52 kN/m3, c = 3.87 kN/m2, = 9.7,
pore pressure coefficient ru = 0.00-0.30.

c
[]
[kN/m]
9.70
3 .87
25 .00 1 5.00
10 .50
9 .00

Soil

[kN/m]
16.52
12.00
18.60

pw
[-]
0.30
0.00
0.00

Designat ion
Dumpe d material
Coal
Green clay

700

650
Basic calc ulat ion dat a
min = 0. 79
xm = 183.55 m
ym = 627.34 m
R = 123. 44 m

0.89

0.82

0.86

0. 79

0.89

0.81

0.91

0. 83

0.91

0.81

0.93

0. 93

0.97

0.80

0.96

1. 11

600

550

500

450

400

FS =

1
n

sin i

[c

bi + Wi (1 ru )tg i ]

i =1

1
(1)
m

300

400

500

Dump design considerations

In order for the stacker to efficiently spread
overburden materials, the dump must provide a suitable
working surface for the stacker to operate [1]. The dump
design included the following slope geometry parameters:

i =1

tg i tg i
m = cos i 1 +

Fs

200

Figure-4. A typical stability analysis results for

current dump condition FS = 0.79.

Figure-3. Forces on a typical slice - Bishops method.

The Bishop solution for the factory of safety (FS)
is obtained in the form:

100

(2)

28 bottom and top side slope,

maximum slope heights of H = 45 m from bottom side
and h = 15 m for top side slope,
operational bench width for stacker b = 80 m.

where
c = cohesion
= angle of friction
ru = pore pressure coefficient
FS = factory of safety (FS > 1.30)

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VOL. 2, NO. 1, MARCH 2013

ISSN 2305-493X

ARPN Journal of Earth Sciences

2006-2013 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com

[]
9. 70
25.00
10.50

So il

700

c
[kN/m]
3.8 7
15. 00
9.0 0

Slope reinforcement design using geogrids

Geogrid reinforced slopes can be an economical
alternative to conventional slope design.
Soil reinforcement using high tensile strength
inclusions can increase the shear resistance of a soil mass.
This strengthening permits construction of soil structures
at slope angles greater than the soil's angle of repose
and/or greater than would be possible without the
reinforcement (Bonaparte et al., 1987).

pw
D esigna tion
Designa
[kN/m]
[-]
16.52 0.30 Dumped material
12.00 0.00
C oal
18.60 0.00
Green cla y

650
Basic calculation data
mi n = 1.06
xm = 73.68 m
ym = 602.77 m
R = 95.41 m

1.32

1.64

2.03

2.24

1.22

1.62

2.01

4.67

1.12

1.51

2.01

6.53

1.06

1.44

2.04

8.89

600

550

500

450

400

100

200

300

400

500

Figure-5. A typical stability analysis results for

dump design considerations FS = 1.06.
Table-1. Results of slope stability analysis.
Pore pressure
coefficient ru
(kN/m2)

FS for
current dump
condition

FS for
dump design
considerations

0.00
0.10
0.20
0.30

1.03
1.00
0.89
0.79

1.25
1.18
1.12
1.06

Figure-7. Geogrids.
Geogrids are placed in layers during construction
to intercept and stabilize potential slip surface. Geogrid
soil reinforcement impart tensile strengths to the soil,
thereby increasing the slopes overall factor of safety
against sliding or rotation (Figure-8).

Factory of safety FS

3
Current Dump

2.5

Dump Design
2
1.5
1

FS = 1.30
1.30
1.25
1.03

1.30
1.18
1.00

1.30
1.12
0.89

1.30
1.06
0.79

Slip
surface

* * * * ** *

0.10

0.20

0.30

Pore pressure coefficient r u

Moment and
tension develop
along slip surface

For mining environments a factor of safety of

1.30 is considered to be sufficient.
GEOSYNTHETICS
Geosynthetics are the generally polymeric
products used to solve civil engineering problems. Most
geosynthetics are fabrics or sheets of various sizes,
strengths, and textures. They are generally made of
plastics such as polypropylene, polyethylene, and
polyester [2]. Geosynthetics can be divided into four main
categories: geotextiles, geogrids, geomembranes and
geocomposites. It is convenient to identify the primary
function of a geosynthetic as being one of: separation,
filtration, drainage, reinforcement, fluid containment, etc.

y2
Le

*************

y1
Tm

* * * * * * * * * * * * * T2
************
M
D
MR

Figure-6. Graphical presentation of FS in relation to ru.

ym

Geogrid
reinforcement

0.5
0
0.00

*****

Center for
potential slip
surface

T1

Figure-8. Geogrid reinforcement of soil.

FS =

Resisting moment M R
=
Driving moment
MD

(3)

The factory of safety for a reinforced slope is

expressed as:
m

FS =

M R + Ti yi
i =1

(4)

MD

where

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VOL. 2, NO. 1, MARCH 2013

ISSN 2305-493X

ARPN Journal of Earth Sciences

2006-2013 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved.

www.arpnjournals.com
Ti = allowable reinforcement strength
yi = appropriate moment arm(s)
m = number of separate reinforcement layers

REFERENCES

For the internal overburden dump is required to

determine:
a) the factory of safety without geogrid reinforcement,
b) the factory of safety with a high-strength geogrid of
allowable tensile soil Tallow = 200 kN/m, and
c) the factory of safety with three layers of the same
geogrid placed at 3 m interval.

[]
9.70
25.00
10.50

Soil

700

c
[kN/m ]
3.87
15.00
9.00

650
Bas ic calc ulation data
m in = 1.64
xm = 93.15 m
ym = 623.78 m
R = 116.42 m

[1] Fernando J. and Nag G. 2003. A study of internal

overburden dumps design and stability analysis for
Hazelwood Power Mine, Latrobe Valley, Victoria,
Australia. pp. 267-273.
[2] Koerner M.R. 2005. Designing with Geosynthetics.
John Wiley and Sons, Inc, New Jersey, USA.

pw

Designation
[kN/m] [-]
16.52 0.30 D umped material
12.00 0.00
Coal
18.60 0.00
Green clay

1.85

1.64

2.03

2.24

1.77

1.66

2.01

4.67

1.69

1.64

2.01

6.53

1.66

1.77

2.04

8.89

600

550

Geos 3/:1.00/mx t:22.93/m

T:200.0 xT:200.0/T:37.9
Geos 2/:1.00/mx t:34.79/m
T:200.0 xT :200.0/T:24.1
Geos 1/:1.00/m xt:54.12/mx
xT:200.0
T:200.0/T :101.9

500

450

400

100

200

300

400

500

Figure-9. Circular slip analysis for reinforced slope.

a) Slope without geogrid reinforcement: FS = 1.06.
b) Slope with a geogrid along base with sufficient
anchorage: FS = 1.26.
c) Slope with three layers a 3m interval from base, all of
which have sufficient anchorage behind the slip
surface: factory of safety FS = 1.64.
The length of geogrid extending beyond assumed
failure surfaces is Le=2-3 m.
CONCLUSIONS
In this paper, two main topics related to internal
overburden dump stability study: slope stability analysis
without and with geogrid reinforcement.
For current dump condition are obtained: FS < 1.10 for ru
= 0.00 and FS 1.00 for ru = 0.10-0.30.
For dump design considerations: FS < 1.30 for ru = 0.00
and FS < 1.20 for ru = 0.10-0.30.
Slope reinforcement design using geogrids:

unreinforced slope FS < 1.30, and

reinforced slope with geogrids FS > 1.30.

Obtained values of the factors of safety show that

reinforced soil using geogirds is very effective technique,
because geogrids are light, flexible, strong, durable and
very easy to install.
The use of geogrids technique has not been
applied in the Kosovo coal mining industry as yet.

32