Modellazione stocastica della fratturazione (Metodo Discrete Fracture Network) a supporto della stima previsionale di resa all’interno di bacini estrattivi di pietre ornamentali

The present paper shows a working approach aimed at improving quarry yield prediction accuracy in ornamental stone basins. In such contest, the yield prediction is subjected toa degree of uncertainty due to several factors, as the fracture network, the geomechanical properties of the rock and other qualitative characteristics of the ornamental stones. To decrease such uncertainty, we proposed an approach based on the Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) technique. The DFN is a stochastic approach for reproducing the discontinuity pattern starting from deterministic measurements of different parameters acquired during field surveys, as for example fracture intensity and density. A specific algorithm creates a fracture network compatible from a statistic point of view with the data collected on the quarry rock faces, overcoming the limitations of a purely deterministic approach. This study used the DFN methodology in a marble quarry (Apuan Alps, Italy), where it has been possible to increase the reliability of the quarry yield prediction in terms of dimension of extractable intact blocks, which is the starting point of a series of other qualitative considerations.