ABSTRACT
The effects of most underground excavations appear in the form of ground movements. It is necessary to estimate the movement due to mining precisely and to take measures to minimize its damage. While numerical methods such as FEM and BEM have been widely used for the analysis of ground behaviors, it is not always easy to apply such methods to underground excavation problems. The best method for analyzing tabular excavations is essentially the Displacement Discontinuity Method. Future studies should consider carefully mining of gently inclined seams, without depending upon the harmonic action of mining of the steeply inclined seams. A new influence function method has been introduced which can analyze the ground movement at arbitrary points due to displacement discontinuities in a semi-infinite region. Application of this method to the Akabira coal mine indicates good agreement relating to ground displacement and shaft behavior.
