MEMBER PORTAL

Dr. Erik Eberhardt

Erik Eberhardt is a Professor of Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, and the Director of the Geological Engineering program at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on the integration and advancement of field geology, innovative geotechnical monitoring and state-of-the-art numerical modelling applied to underground excavation and deep mining problems. His research is driven by a recognition that the tools frequently used in assessing risk are often descriptive and qualitative, and that there is a need to better understand the underlying mechanisms responsible for complex rock mass responses to engineering activities. Erik is a registered professional engineer and consults on international projects in North and South America, Europe and Asia. He has published over 200 technical papers, and was the 2013 recipient of the John A. Franklin Award for outstanding technical contributions to rock mechanics and rock engineering, and 2017 recipient of the Thomas Roy Award for outstanding contributions to the field of Engineering Geology in Canada.

Erik was the Associate Director of the Rio Tinto Centre for Underground Mine Construction (RTC-UMC), a state-of-the-art knowledge centre tasked with developing and implementing innovative step-change technology designed to improve mine safety and create value by mitigating geo-risk. He has led numerous industry-sponsored research initiatives related to block caving, including those investigating mining-induced subsidence, cave interactions with open pit slopes, rock caveability and fragmentation, rockburst hazard and mitigation, and wet muck spills and mudrush hazards. He helped establish the International Caving Research Network (ICaRN), focussing on rockbursting and mudrush hazards in deep caving operations.

Publications

  • Dorador, L., Eberhardt, E. & Elmo, D. (2021). Procedure for estimating broken ore density distribution within a draw column during block caving. Mining Technology: Transactions of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, Section A: In Press.
  • Rahjoo, M. & Eberhardt, E. (2021). Development of a 3-D confinement-dependent dilation model for brittle rocks; Part 1, derivation of a Cartesian plastic strain increments ratios approach for non-potential flow rules. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences: In Press.
  • Rahjoo, M. & Eberhardt, E. (2021). Development of a 3-D confinement-dependent dilation model for brittle rocks; Part 2, formulation and parameterization based on the Cartesian plastic strain increments ratios approach. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences: In Press.
  • Eberhardt, E., Lavoie, T. & Rahjoo, M. (2019). The importance of directional dilation in response to brittle rock failure for deformation-based support design in high stress environments. In Rock Mechanics for Natural Resources and Infrastructure Development; Proceedings of the 14th International Congress on Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, 13-18 September 2019. Edited by S.A.B. da Fontoura, R.J. Rocca & J.F.P. Mendoza. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp. 2509-2516.
  • Gao, F., Kaiser, P.K., Stead, D., Eberhardt, E. & Elmo, D. (2019). Strainburst phenomena and numerical simulation of self-initiated brittle rock failure. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences: 116, 52-63.
  • Gao, F., Kaiser, P.K., Stead, D., Eberhardt, E. & Elmo, D. (2019). Numerical simulation of strainbursts using a novel initiation method. Computers and Geotechnics: 106, 117-127.
  • Rahjoo, M. & Eberhardt, E. (2019). On the significance of recognizing the 3D directionality of fracturing under polyaxial stress states for understanding and modelling the 3D directional dilation of brittle rocks. In Rock Mechanics for Natural Resources and Infrastructure Development; Proceedings of the 14th International Congress on Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, 13-18 September 2019. Edited by S.A.B. da Fontoura, R.J. Rocca & J.F.P. Mendoza. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp. 965-972.
  • Dorador, L., Eberhardt, E. & Elmo, D. (2018). Influence of rock mass veining and non-persistent joints on secondary fragmentation during block caving. In Caving 2018: Fourth International Symposium on Block and Sublevel Caving, Vancouver, 15-17 October 2018. Edited by Y. Potvin & J. Jakubec. Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, ISBN 978-0-9924810-9-4, pp. 271-281.
  • Schmidt, E.S. & Eberhardt, E. (2018). Experimental investigation of fault surface asperity slip responses to hydraulic injection used as a fault slip risk mitigation technique in deep mines. In 52nd US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, Seattle, 17–20 June 2018. ARMA 18-745, pp. 1-5. Selected by Technical Program Committee as a symposium “Best Paper”.
  • Schmidt, E.S. & Eberhardt, E. (2017). Numerical investigation of the use of hydraulic stimulation to mitigate fault slip risk in deep mines. In Deep Mining 2017: Eighth International Conference on Deep and High Stress Mining, 28-30 March 2017. Edited by J. Wesseloo. Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, ISBN 978-0-9924810-6-3, pp. 79-88.
  • Fornia, A., Carol, I., Garolera, D., Kaiser, P.K.K. & Eberhardt, E. (2016). Rock bolt behaviour in stress-fractured ground – A FE analysis using zero-thickness interface elements and fracture-based constitutive laws. In Proceedings of the Eighth International Symposium on Ground Support in Mining and Underground Construction, Luleå, Sweden, 12-14 September 2016. Edited by E. Nordlund, T. Jones & A. Eitzenberger. ISBN 978-91-7583-804-5, pp. 1-12.
  • Rahjoo, M., Woo, K-S. & Eberhardt, E. (2016). Stress-induced spalling analysis of extraction level pillars using a 3-D extensional strain failure criterion. In Proceedings, 50th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, Houston, 26-29 June 2016. Paper 16-763, pp. 1-9.
  • Dorador, L., Eberhardt, E. & Elmo, D. (2015). Influence of block strength and veining on secondary fragmentation related to block caving. In Proceeding, 13th International Congress on Rock Mechanics: Innovations in Applied and Theoretical Rock Mechanics, Montreal, 10-13 May 2015. ISBN 978-1-926872-25-4, Paper 806, pp. 1-11.
  • Eberhardt, E., Woo, K., Stead, D. & Elmo, D. (2015). Keynote Paper – Transitioning from open pit to underground mass mining: meeting the rock engineering challenges of going deeper. In Proceedings, 13th International Congress on Rock Mechanics: Innovations in Applied and Theoretical Rock Mechanics, Montreal, 10-13 May 2015. ISBN 978-1-926872-25-4, Paper 896, pp. 1-14.
  • Preisig, G., Eberhardt, E., Gischig, V., Roche, V., van der Baan, M., Valley, B., Kaiser, P.K., Duff, D. & Lowther, R. (2015). Development of connected permeability in massive crystalline rocks through hydraulic fracture propagation and shearing accompanying fluid injection. Geofluids: 15(1-2), 321-337.
  • Ahmed, H.M., Eberhardt, E. & Dunbar, W.S. (2014). Interaction between block caving and rock slope deformation kinematics as a function of cave position and orientation of discontinuities. Mining Technology: Transactions of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, Section A: 123(3), 140-148. Winner of Mann Redmayne Medal for best paper published in preceding year in the “Transactions of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy”.
  • Dorador, L., Eberhardt, E., Elmo, D. & Aguayo, A. (2014). Assessment of broken ore density variations in a block cave draw column as a function of fragment size distributions and fines migration. In Caving 2014: Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Block and Sublevel Caving, Santiago, 5-7 June 2014. Edited by R. Castro. Universidad de Chile, pp. 109-117.
  • Dorador, L., Eberhardt, E., Elmo, D. & Aguayo, A. (2014). Influence of secondary fragmentation and column height on block size distribution and fines migration reaching drawpoints. In Caving 2014: Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Block and Sublevel Caving, Santiago, 5-7 June 2014. Edited by R. Castro. Universidad de Chile, pp. 128-137.
  • Elmo, D., Rogers, S., Stead, D. & Eberhardt, E. (2014). Discrete Fracture Network approach to characterise rock mass fragmentation and implications for geomechanical upscaling.  Mining Technology: Transactions of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, Section A: 123(3), 149-161.
  • Woo, K-S., Eberhardt, E., Elmo, D., Stead, D. & Kaiser, P.K. (2014). Benchmark testing of numerical approaches for modelling the influence of undercut depth on caving, fracture initiation and subsidence angles associated with block cave mining. Mining Technology: Transactions of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, Section A: 123(3), 128-139.
  • Elmo, D., Stead, D., Eberhardt, E. & Vyazmensky, A. (2013). Applications of finite/discrete element modelling to rock engineering problems. International Journal of Geomechanics: 13(5), 565-580.
  • Woo, K-S., Eberhardt, E., Elmo, D. & Stead, D. (2013). Empirical investigation and characterization of surface subsidence related to block cave mining. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences: 61, 31-42.
  • Severin, J.M. & Eberhardt, E. (2012). Influence of stress path during the transition from open pit to block cave mine: A Palabora example. In MassMin 2012: Proceedings of the 6th International Conference and Exhibition on Mass Mining, Sudbury, 10-14 June 2012. Canadian Institute of Mining, e-Paper 6794, 9 pp.
  • Woo, K-S., Eberhardt, E., Rabus, B., Stead, D. & Vyazmensky, A. (2012). Integration of field characterization, mine production and InSAR monitoring data to constrain and calibrate 3-D numerical modelling of block caving-induced subsidence. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences: 53, 166-178.
  • Severin, J., Eberhardt, E. & Woo, K. (2010). Influence of major fault zones on 3D ground deformations caused by open pit block cave interactions. In Caving 2010, Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Block and Sublevel Caving, Perth, 20-22 April 2010. Edited by Y. Potvin, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 205-216.
  • Rabus, B., Eberhardt, E., Stead, D., Ghuman, P., Nadeau, C., Woo, K., Severin, J., Styles, T. & Gao, F. (2009). Application of InSAR to constrain 3-D numerical modelling of complex discontinuous pit slope deformations. In Slope Stability 2009: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Rock Slope Stability in Open Pit Mining and Civil Engineering, Santiago, 9-11 November, 2009. e-Paper, 11 pp.
  • Severin, J., Eberhardt, E., Ngidi, S. & Stewart, A. (2009). Importance of understanding 3-D kinematic controls in the review of displacement monitoring of deep open pits above underground mass mining operations. In Rock Engineering in Difficult Conditions, Proceedings of the 3rd Canada–US Rock Mechanics Symposium, Toronto, 9-15 May 2009. Edited by M. Diederichs & G. Grasselli. Canadian Rock Mechanics Association, e-Paper, 3914, 12 pp.
  • Eberhardt, E., Stead, D., Elmo, D., Dunbar, W.S., Scoble, M., van As, A., Moss, A., Vyazmensky, A., Tollenaar, R., O’Connor, C.P., Eissa, H. & Sturzenegger, M. (2007). Transition from surface to underground mining: Understanding complex rock mass interactions through the integration of mapping, monitoring and numerical modelling data. In Slope Stability 2007: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Rock Slope Stability in Open Pit Mining and Civil Engineering, Perth, 12-14 Sept. 2007. Edited by Y. Potvin. Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 321-332.