Slope stability investigation of a boron mine in Kirka, Turkey

Eti Kirka open pit mine with its largest boron reserve in the world has been producing boron mine since 1962. Due to the increasing depth of the open pit mine, stability of the slopes has a great importance in order to avoid any inconvenience during the production. In this study, the geometries of the slopes are analyzed by using software due to the complex geotechnical structure of the slopes. Firstly, single slopes are investigated in two different water conditions which are fully saturated and unsaturated. On the other hand, the results are also performed for the overall geometry of the slopes to understand the possible inclination of the slopes that will be important for the safety and economy of the open pit mine. Consequently, the results are illuminating to design the open pit mine's slope in the study area based on the slope stability principles.