Geomechanical Risk Analysis for the Historical Salt Cavern Saurau in Wieliczka Mine

Abstract

Based on the finite element method formulated in three dimensions, a selected area of the salt mine has been modeled, embracing totally 2 separated, historically valuable mine rooms. The results of the computer simulations permitted elastic-viscous rock mass stability analyses identifying the areas being more susceptible to damage, presently and in a far future. The geomechanical risk assessment procedure utilized so called safety margins which were defined as a distance between the point characterized by the actual local strain/stress conditions and the instability (limit) surface(s) which location in the 3D stress/strain space could be determined using the well-known strength theories,