Author 1:
Name & Surname: Shubin G. V.
Company: North Eastern Federal University (Yakutsk, Russia)
Work Position: Head of department
Scientific Degree: Candidate of Engineering Sciences
Contacts: grigshubin@mail.ru

Author 2:
Name & Surname: Zarovnyaev B. N.
Company: North Eastern Federal University (Yakutsk, Russia)
Work Position: Director of Mining Institute
Scientific Degree: Professor, Doctor of Engineering Sciences

Author 3:
Name & Surname: Bondarenko I. F.
Company: Yakutniproalmaz Institute, ALROSA (Mirny, Russia)
Work Position: Academic Secretary
Scientific Degree: Candidate of Engineering Sciences

Author 4:
Name & Surname: Kurilko A. S.
Company: Institute of Mining of the North, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (Yakutsk, Russia)
Work Position: Head of laboratory
Scientific Degree: Doctor of Engineering Sciences

The article gives a description of full-scale investigation into effect exerted by harsh climate of polar region in West Yakutia on flowability of blasted rocks in order to analyze their usability and conditions for creation of safety cushion at the bottom of Udachny open pit mine in the transition to combination and underground mining of the Udachny kimberlite pipe. With this end in view, four piles of various type rocks in volume of 50–75 m³ and 1.8 to 2.5 m in height were made on the ground surface; the rock types were ore extracted from the West and East ore bodies, overburden rocks and diluted ore (ore and overburden mixture). The full-scale investigation started at the end of May 2012 and finished in October 2012 and included: determination of temperature conditions height-wise the man-made piles; estimation of grain-size composition of the geomaterial in the piles, assessment of variation in flowability of rocks during the investigation period. Temperature height-wise a pile was measured using thermostrings and digital multimeter GDM-450Т; temperature on the pile surface was determined using IR imager FLIRsc660. Grain-size composition analysis used photo-method for coarse grains and screening for grains smaller than 100 mm in size. Geometry of the piles was assessed using laser scanner Leica HDS 8800. The scanning revealed essential, up to 57° on the average, increase in the natural angles of slope of the piles by the end of the investigation period, which points at development of the blocking property in the initially loose rocks and requires continuing the research, including analysis of fluid loss properties of rock piles, their parameters and inter-temporal changes.
The authors appreciate participation of I. V. Vasiliev, K. N. Alekseev and M. V. Kaimonov in the research.

1. Shubin G. V., Zarovnyaev B. N., Vasilev I. V. Kurilko A. S., Kaymonov M. V. Spetsifika kombinirovannoy dorabotki glubokikh almaznykh trubok v usloviyakh kriolitozony (Specifics of combined finishing of deep diamond pipes in the conditions of cryolithic zone). Gornyy Informatsionno-Analiticheskiy Byulleten = Mining Informational and Analytical Bulletin. Gornyy inzhener-4. Sovremennye tekhnologii na gornodobyvayushchikh predpriyatiyakh. Otdelnyy vypusk = Mining engineer-4. Modern technologies at mining enterprises. Special issue. 2012. No. 7. pp. 189–196.
2. Zarovnyaev B. N., Shubin G. V., Vasilev I. V. Ispolzovanie lazernogo skanirovaniya dlya issledovaniya geomekhanicheskogo sostoyaniya bortov karera (Application of laser scanning for the research of geomechanic state of open pit edges). Geoprofi = Geoprofi journal. 2013. No. 2. pp. 46–48.
3. Zarovnyaev B. N., Shubin G. V., Vasilev I. V. Ispolzovanie lazernogo skanera dlya issledovaniya geomekhanicheskogo sostoyaniya bortov karera (Use of laser scanner for research of geomechanical state of open-pit edges). Mezhdunarodnyy nauchno-issledovatelskiy zhurnal = International Research Journal. 2012. No. 5(5). Part 1. pp. 75–76.