Pillar Design

Itasca has developed unique and robust approaches to pillar design that recognizes the importance of understanding the rock behavior from intact rock and bedding to joints and faults. Itasca’s software can model the stress-strain response of continuous, blocky, or bedded materials exhibiting plastic, brittle, or creep behaviors. Consequently, any combination of lithology comprising the pillar-floor-roof system can be analyzed. This includes reproducing the complex combination of pillar sloughing (rib rash) and floor heave experienced at different extraction levels and vertical stress levels throughout a mine. Information derived from these pillar-scale models forms an essential input to larger-scale models, which have been used extensively for design of individual panels (width, remnant stub width, and extraction ratio) as well as barrier pillars, and the overall mine layout and extraction ratio. These larger-scale models have been validated through successful back-prediction of the timing and nature of large-scale catastrophic collapses experienced in the region.

Latest News
  • Now Available from ITASCA: Innovative Machine Learning Tool for FLAC3D/FLAC2D V9.2 Experience the Future of Geotechnical Modeling with ITASCA Software V9.2: Introducing Machine Learning Models...
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  • Experience the Future of Geotechnical Modeling with ITASCA Software V9.2 Experience the Future of Geotechnical Modeling with ITASCA Software V9.2: Introducing Machine Learning Models and...
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  • Thank You to our Summer Interns ITASCA Minneapolis is lucky to have welcomed nine amazing and dedicated summer interns in our...
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Upcoming Events
3 Dec
Webinar: 3DEC Day
Join us on the 3rd of December for 3DEC Day! Dr. Jim Hazzard, ITASCA Software Manager, will present: What is 3DEC, when to use it, and ... Read More