Application of the Semi-Empirical Method in Maximum Settlements toEstablish the Behavior of the Material that Generates Overburden afterSubsidence events in Zaruma

Abstract

In Zaruma, Ecuador, subsidence events linked to mining were recorded in the sectors La Inmaculada, Gonzalo Pizarro, and La Colón between 2016 and 2022. The survey assessed the overburden in underground galleries, after the mitigation facilities were applied. A theory and observation based; method was used to estimate the behaviour of settlements induced by the subsidence process. The results indicate maximum settlements between La Inmaculada and La Colón. This is attributed to the presence of fill materials and stress relieving conditions within the material forming the tertiary overburden. The method evaluates the behaviour of the overburden following the implementation of mitigation facilities in Zaruma in 2022, and estimates the maximum surface settlement resulting from the subsidences process. This is achieved by applying damage criteria to the shallow-founded infrastructure, through settlement monitoring.