Department of Mining Engineering

Eunhye Kim, Ph.D., P.E.Assistant Professor of Department of Mining Engineering

Center for Underground Construction and Tunneling

Academic Activities:

CSM Courses:

• MNGN 321 “Intro to Rock Mechanics”

• MNGN 404 “Tunneling”

• MNGN 598E “Fracture Mechanics of Brittle

Materials”

Education Innovation:

• Re-development of courses in

Underground Construction and

Engineering

• Develop a undergraduate research

program in Mining engineering

department.

• Participate new short courses

development for the construction and

mining industries

Research Activities:

Topic 1: Rock Fracture

Mechanics

• Laboratory testing:

laboratory scale testing and

fracture processes during

cutting

• Numerical Simulations:

laboratory and field scales

Topic 2: Uncertainty modeling

and risk assessment for

tunneling

Topic 3: Public rock mechanics

database

Department of Mining Engineering

Topic 1: Rock fracture mechanics(Laboratory tests)

• Research question: What are the effects of temperature and

water on rock fracture behaviors?

• Approach: Digital image correlations and fracture toughness

tests

Department of Mining Engineering

Topic 1: Rock fracture mechanics(Fracturing process during cutting)

• Research question: How do cutter design and cutting

parameters affect rock fracturing and fragmentation.

• Approach: bench scale cutting machine, linear cutting

machine, and abrasivity tests

Department of Mining Engineering

Topic 1: Rock fracture mechanics(Numerical simulation in lab and field scales)

• Research question: How can rock fracture

processes be predicted better to improve the

stability of geo- and infra-structures?

• Approach: Numerical simulation with

laboratory and field data.

Department of Mining Engineering

Topic 2: Uncertainty modeling and

risk assessment for tunneling

• 1. Rock mass quality Q-based geologic prediction model using Markov

Chain before construction.

• 2. Comparison between generated construction time and cost with

Decision Aids for Tunneling (DAT).

• 3. Optimization of tunnel support design combining reliability-based design and observational method.

Department of Mining Engineering

Topic 3: Public rock mechanics database

emirock.mines.edu