Mechanical properties of material in a mine dump at the Shengli #1 Surface Coal Mine, China

In-situ experiments were conducted to investigate the mechanical properties of the soil-rock mixture in the internal dump of the Shengli #1 Surface Coal Mine, China. Based on the experimental results, this study used comparative analysis and found that the shear strength of the soil-rock mixture in the dump was greater than the residual shear strength of the original rock. The results showed that the material presented in the dump as large blocks was the main factor affecting the strength of the soil-rock mixture. Numerical simulation was carried out for the analyses of three factors: different combinations of shear failure, rolling failure along with different large-block radius ratios, and mixture densities. The results illustrated that the cohesion and angle of internal friction of the soil-rock mixture are 12 kPa and 32.26°. However, in some cases the bench angle in the dump was controlled by a coupling relationship of rocks in the material. Finally, the stability of a soil slope showed a linear relationship with the large-block radius ratio and the bulk density.