Department of Mining Engineering

Countries Visited

• Exemplary work done at the Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project, Bhutan was appreciated by Honourable MD, JMD and DT of project.

• ISRM Rocha Medal 2024 and Young Rock Engineering Award 2021 Nominee from India

• Was a Technical Advisor for the execution of Geotechnical Instrumentation Works at Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project, Bhutan (June 2017 to Aug 2021)

• Former Member of the Technical Committee for monitoring cavity filling and assessing the stability of large underground caverns of PHEP-II, Bhutan (15^th May 2022 to 21^st Aug 2021)

• Was Camp Office In-charge, PHEP-II, Bhutan (June 2017 to Aug 2021)

• Served as Secretary, Process Safety Management for Zawar Group of Mines (2014 to 2016)

• Chief Core Member of Film & Music Society, Lead Violinist at Heartbeats-Fusion Band, Chief Coordinator of National Service Scheme (NSS) at NIT Rourkela (2009 to 2013)

• Recognised as the foundation member of Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY), NIT Rourkela chapter

Key research areas I am keen to work on, but not limited to include:

• Numerical modelling applications to Rock Engineering

• Rock excavation processes such as drilling, blasting and mechanical cutting.

• To design underground space, mining methods, and backfilling.

• To study damage and rock fracture mechanics using discrete element modelling for petroleum and gases extraction.

• Design of excavation methods in high-stress environments

• Mining deep-seated deposits.

• For strategic projects.

• For mining, tunnelling, civil, large underground caverns, nuclear repositories, pump house complexes, defence and significant infrastructure projects.

• Design of Backfill Technology – For improving the extraction ratio and providing safety to the miners.

• Development of an early warning system using smart sensors / IoT and assess the rock burst potential for providing safe and risk-free conditions.

• To assess the role of geodynamics and dynamic properties of rock and rock mass, on the stability of excavations.

• Field Investigations – To extend the Petro-Physico-Mechanical (PPM) approach for rock engineering projects.

• Application of advanced Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning tools for taking smart decisions in operations.

• Coal Mining

• Extraction of the locked-up coal in underground coal mines.

• Develop a standard methodology for dam design.

• Develop suitable methods for thick seams extraction.

• Metal Mining

• Design of mining methods for extracting narrow reefs.

• Design of supports to take up dynamic loads.

• Assess the risk potential using the micro-seismic network.

• Design of mine ventilation system.

The following innovative solutions to rock engineering problems of mega engineering projects were provided by applying rock mechanics principles. Worked on over 58 national and international sponsored projects in various capacities. Some of the research contributions sector-wise include the following:

Mining Sector

• Hands-on experience in executing mining operations in lead-zinc, gold, copper, iron ore, uranium, aluminium, and coal mines.

• Design of Mining methods – Sublevel Stoping, Cut and Fill, Vertical Retreat Method, Block Caving, Board & Pillar, Longwall, Blasting Gallery, and Open Pit – helped ore extraction from high & de-stressed geo-environments.

• Stope and Pillar Design – Sequencing, dimension optimisation, and support design – for economic mining.

• Backfill Technology – Design, driving through paste fill, stability analysis – for improved extraction ratio.

• Subsidence – Modelling, determination of alarming limits – for safety of surface structures.

• Mining Geology – Rock mass characterization, analysis – kinematic, overhung key block failure and fold closure – for orebody delineation, and assessing influence of structural features.

• Numerical Modelling – Conducted continuum, discontinuum and discrete element modelling using FLAC3D, 3DEC, UDEC, FLAC slope, Phase2, Slide, Dips, Unwedge, and PFC.

• Drilling and Blasting – Rock mass damage evaluation, drill and blast design for development headings and stopes, vibration monitoring, fragmentation analysis using Blastware and WIPFRAG.

• Scanning – Stope & overbreak assessment.

• Slopes – Design and failure analysis.

• Instrumentation – For monitoring rock mass behaviour pre and post excavation.

Tunnelling, Hydel, Infrastructure and Irrigation Sectors

• Exemplary work done at the Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project, Bhutan has given momentum to the project which was halted for three-years due to a massive rock mass failure.

• Geotechnical and Geodetic instrumentation – Planning, designing, networking, installing, monitoring, data analysis, and interpretation – for large underground caverns (powerhouse, pumphouse), tunnelling, slopes, and dam complexes.

• Fabricated and developed unique indigenous instrumentation setups to monitor load and stress in muck, and 3D strain components in dam body under tough environments. Prototypes were developed, installed and monitored successfully for over two years.

• Cavity Scanning, Delineation, Profile and Volumetric Analysis – Determined accurately from seismic cross-hole tomography and cavity monitoring system results, which aided PHPA, Government of India and Royal Government of Bhutan to assess the project schedule correctly.

• 3D Numerical Modelling – Assessed rock mass behaviour of powerhouse and dam complexes, spillway, pump house caverns, surge shaft, surge galleries, etc.

• Design of Caverns, Tunnelling and Excavation methods – In soft soils and hard rocks.

• In-situ Tests – Conducted Hydro-fracture, deformability and shear tests to measure in-situ stress regimes, stress gradients, rock mass shear and deformation modulus – required for designing excavations, dams and assess their stability.

Ph.D.

• Research contributed to rock drilling fraternity. Developed Granularity Index from petrographic studies, and drillability models for estimating the penetration rate.

• Static and Dynamic Rock Properties – Determined rock’s physico-mechanical, static and dynamic properties.

• Proposed petro-physico-mechanical approach for rock drillability assessment.

• Selection of right drilling equipment – Connected micro and macro-level/field-scale drilling outputs – developed nomographs for rapid selection.

• 3D Discrete Element Modelling – For drilling phenomena simulation.

Innovations & Products Developed

• Fabricated and developed unique indigenous instrumentation setups to monitor load and stress in muck, and 3D strain components in dam body under tough environments. Prototypes were developed, installed and monitored successfully.

• Cavity Scanning, Delineation, Profile and Volumetric Analysis – Determined accurately from seismic cross-hole tomography and cavity monitoring system results, which aided PHPA, Government of India and Royal Government of Bhutan to assess the project schedule correctly.

Published in Journals

• Siva Prasad BNV, Murthy VMSR, and Sripad RN. " Compendious Index for Drillability: A Rapid Tool to Assess Drill Penetration Rate and Bit Life for Rock Engineering Applications." Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, vol 82 Article 79, pp.1-20, Feb 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-023-03081-y  (SCIE)

• Siva Prasad BNV, Murthy VMSR and Sripad RN. "Drillability Predictions in Aravalli and Himalayan Rocks – A Petro-Physico-Mechanical Approach". Current Science Journal, Indian Academy of Sciences. vol.122, no.08, pp.907-917, Apr 2022. https://doi.org/10.18520/cs/v122/i8/907-917 (SCIE)

• Siva Prasad BNV, Murthy VMSR and Sripad RN. "Influence of Static and Dynamic Rock Properties on Drillability Prognosis for Mining and Tunnelling Projects". Indian Geotechnical Journal. vol.52, no.04, pp.765-779, Mar 2022 (Online), Aug 2022 (Journal). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40098-022-00608-0 (ESCI/Scopus)

• Siva Prasad BNV and Sripad RN. "Importance of Instrumentation in Hydropower Projects". Journal of Geological Research. vol.3, no.2, pp.53-59, Apr 2021. https://doi.org/10.30564/jgr.v3i2.3018

• Siva Prasad BNV, Thapliyal AP, Bhusan R, and Sripad RN. "Delineation of Cavity in Downstream Surge Chamber at Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project, Bhutan". Journal of Geological Research. vol.01, no.01, pp.5-11, April 2019. https://doi.org/10.30564/jgr.v1i1.392

• Jayanthu S, and Siva Prasad BNV. "Evaluation of Strata Behaviour in Blasting Gallery Panel in Underground Coal Mines – A Case Study". Geominetech The Indian Mineral Industry Journal. vol.4, no.02, pp.105-111, May 2016.

• Jayanthu S, Nagaraja Rao GM, and Siva Prasad BNV. "Acoustic emission trends in Kaiser effect of rocks - A new approach for estimation of in-situ stress". The Indian Mining & Engineering Journal. vol.52, no.04, pp.23-27, Apr 2013.

Published in the Proceedings of International / National Conferences / Symposiums

1. Venkatesh HS, Siva Prasad BNV, and Sripad RN. "Numerical modelling and determination of alarming limits for surface subsidence in hard rock lead-zinc mine". International Symposium on Recent Trends in Mineral Industry-2022. PP.1-12, Sep 2022 (SCOPUS)

2. Prasad, B.N.V.S., Murthy, V.M.S.R., Naik, S.R. (2021). Challenges in Drill Equipment Selection vis-à-vis Underground Excavations – A Methodology. In: Proceedings of Geotechnical Challenges in Mining, Tunneling and Underground Infrastructures. ICGMTU 2021, Malaysia. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-9770-8_9 (SCOPUS)

3. Naveen, G.C., Prasad, B.N.V.S., Balachander, R., Gopinath, G., Venkatesh, H.S., Naik, S.R. (2021). “Tunnel Excavation in Highly Stressed Weak Rockmass Condition.” In: Proceedings of Geotechnical Challenges in Mining, Tunneling and Underground Infrastructures. ICGMTU 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-9770-8_14 (SCOPUS)

4. Siva Prasad, B.N.V., Sripad. R.N., Vijay Sekar, B.H., & Bhusan, R., “Determination of Stoping methodology for mining secondary stopes by FLAC3D” Applied Numerical Modeling in Geomechanics – 2020 – Billaux, Hazzard, Nelson & Schöpfer (eds.) Paper: 11-06, PP.1-4, ISBN 978-0-9767577-5-7, 5^th International Itasca Symposium, 17-21^st Feb, Vienna, Austria.

5. Bhusan, R., Vijay Sekar, B.H., Sudhakar, K., Siva Prasad, B.N.V., and Sripad, R.N., “Stability analysis and optimisation of pit slope for an open cast iron ore mine: A case study", Recent Practices and Advancement in Mineral Industry (RPAMI)” on 21-22^nd February 2020, Nagpur, PP.1-5.

6. Siva Prasad BNV and Jennifer PD. "Instrumentation in hydropower projects vis-à-vis quality control". Quality Control of Concrete & Construction Materials for Hydroelectric Projects by PHEP-II, Bhutan. PP. 31-39, 28-30 Aug 2019

7. Siva Prasad BNV and Murthy VMSR (2018) Laboratory Investigations into Fracture
   Propagation Characteristics of Rock Material. 2^nd International Symposium on Material Science and Engineering, American Institute of Physics, Seoul, South Korea. PP.020009(1-6), Jan 2018, https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5030313 (Scopus)

8. Siva Prasad BNV, and Sripad RN. "Planning for Geotechnical and Geodetic Instrumentation in Underground Caverns". ISRM International Symposium - 10^th Asian Rock Mechanics Symposium (ARMS-10), Singapore, 29- October – 03 November 2018.

9. Siva Prasad BNV and Murthy VMSR (Oct 2017) Influence of Rock Abrasivity and Bit Wear on Drill Penetration Rate. Indorock, 7^th Indian Rock Conference 387-395

10. Siva Prasad BNV, Murthy VMSR and Pandey SK (Nov 2016) Investigations on rock drillability applied to underground mine development vis-à-vis drill selection. International Conference on Recent Advances in Rock Engineering (RARE), ATLANTIS PRESS, Advances in Engineering Research. vol.91, PP.399-403, https://doi.org/10.2991/rare-16.2016.62

11. Siva Prasad B.N.V. & Jayantu S., 2016, "Evaluation of Strata Behaviour in Blasting Gallery Panel in Underground Coal Mines – A Case Study", International Symposium on New Equipment, New Technology, Management & Safety in Mining & Mineral Based Industries, 11-12 May 2016, Bhubaneshwar.

12. Jayanthu S, Nagaraja Rao GM, and Siva Prasad BNV. "Acoustic emission trends in Kaiser effect of rocks - A new approach for
    estimation of in-situ stress". MINETECH’12 – Workshop on Exploration, Exploitation, Equipment, Safety and Environment. PP.1-
    8, May 2012

Published as Book Chapters

1. Prasad, B.N.V.S., Murthy, V.M.S.R., Naik, S.R. (2022). Challenges in Drill Equipment Selection vis-à-vis Underground Excavations – A Methodology. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, vol 228 PP.167-182, Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-9770-8_9 (SCOPUS)

2. Naveen, G.C., Prasad, B.N.V.S., Balachander, R., Gopinath, G., Venkatesh, H.S., Naik, S.R. (2022). “Tunnel Excavation in Highly Stressed Weak Rockmass Condition.” Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, vol 228. PP 241-258 Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-9770-8_14 (SCOPUS)

• 07 Mar 2024 - "Safe Monitoring Practices in Tunnelling" for the officials of ITD Cementation India Limited.