Since the 1970s, the Legnica-Głogów Copper District has an area of intensive mining of copper. Mining activities resulted in the appearance of induced seismic activity. This situation caused the necessity of setting an underground seismological network. In the mid-1990s, due to the great damage of objects on the surface caused by the ground vibrations due to mining tremors, a surface strong motion seismic network equipped with accelerometers was created. They monitor the vibration levels of both the land and the buildings themselves. This contributed to a better knowledge of the nature of ground vibration and the resistance of objects. In recent years, anthropogenic threats, which include seismicity induced by mining activities, are arousing more and more interest. To be able to develop test methods for seismic source physics, the analysis of the impact of vibrations on the surface and the seismic hazard, network measurement should also be developed and modernized. In the years 2014–2015, the IS-EPOS “Digital research space of induced seismicity for EPOS purposes” project, extended the LUMINEOS modern seismological network presently consisting of 15 seismometers and 10 accelerometers, with the possibility of additional further expansion. The data obtained from the LUMINEOS network complements the existing underground mining network and surface strong motion network. This allows for an advanced seismic analysis.

This article concerns numerical modeling of the impact of mining operations on fault behavior, carried out on the basis of a calculation program based on the finite element method. It was assumed that the fault is a single discontinuity in the form of a vertically-oriented plane, and the conditions in which surfaces merge are defined by the right of the Coulomb friction. On the one hand, the calculations are related to the fault’s response to additional weight resulting from mining operations, and on the other, they are related to the impact that occurrences in the fault’s plane had on the immediate surroundings of the extraction center. The behavior of the fault was analyzed based on distributions in the plane of shear stress and slip, together with their range and energy dissipated due to friction. In turn, the impact of the fault on its immediate environment was analyzed based on variations in the total energy density of elasticity. The results of numerical modeling made it possible to draw conclusions concerning mining operation in the proximity of tectonic dislocations in the context of seismic hazard’s levels.

A proper description of ground motions generated by seismic and paraseismic events requires gathering data of six components of seismic waves. T hree of them, the so called translational waves, are well researched and identified. Unfortunately, until recently, the remaining three components named as rotational waves were generally estimated with the use of indirect methods based on theoretical calculations. T his was related mostly with the lack of proper instruments for the recording of rotational seismic waves. T hus, rotational waves were not fully recognized thus far. Recently, several types of advanced instruments for direct measurements of rotation were invented. Based on the measurements of strong ground motions it was indicated that the amplitude of the rotational components in close distances from the seismic source can be significantly larger than expected. Apart from this, there is still a lack of analyses considering the characteristic of rotational seismic waves generated by induced seismic events. In this paper, the results of preliminary measurements of rotational motions generated by induced seismic waves were presented. Ground movements related with mining tremors were analyzed in terms of amplitude, frequency and duration.

Coal mining activities carried out for 200 years in Upper Silesia have had a negative effect on buildings. T his impact is in all cases related with continuous deformations of the surface and in certain cases with discontinuous deformations (mostly cave-ins), changes in water relations and mining tremors. T he paper presents an evaluation of the impact of a mining activity on a building situated in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. T he building was affected by continuous deformations and mining tremors. Calculations were made of the values of deformation rates by means of Budryk–Knothe’s theory, which were partly verified on the basis of the results from geodetic measurements. An analysis of the velocity and acceleration of basement vibrations caused by mining-induced tremors was also conducted. T he conclusions included a high consistency between the results obtained on the basis of calculations and the values obtained by means of PGA and PGV measurements. In the case of tremors with the highest energy in the hipocentrum, there an empirical formula allowing for calculation of PGA value in given geological and mining conditions was also proposed. T he application range of the formula mentioned above is obviously limited only to the conditions in consideration. The presented conclusions indicate that at present, sufficiently precise methods, allowing for calculations for practical purposes, not only of deformation indices’ values, but also of PGV and PGA values, presently exist.

Mining-induced seismicity, particularly high-energy seismic events, is a major factor giving rise to dynamic phenomena within the rock strata. Rockbursts and stress relief events produce the most serious consequences in underground mines, are most difficult to predict and tend to interact with other mining hazards, thus making control measures difficult to implement. In the context of steadily increasing mining depth within copper mines in the Legnica-Głogów Copper Belt Area (Poland) alongside the gradually decreasing effective mining thickness, a study of the causes and specificity of mining-induced seismicity in specific geological and mining settings may improve the effectiveness of the prevention and control measures taken to limit the negative impacts of rockbursts in underground mine workings, thus ensuring safe working conditions for miners. This study investigates the presumed relationship between the mined ore deposit thickness and fundamental parameters of mining-induced seismicity, with the main focus on the actual locations of their epicenters with respect to the working face in commonly used room-and-pillar systems. Data recalled in this study was supplied by the O/ZG Rudna geophysics station. Based on information about the actual ore deposit thickness in particular sections of the mines (Rudna Główna, Rudna Północna, Rudna Zachodnia) and recent reports on seismic activity in this area, three panels were selected for further studies (each in different mine region), where the ore deposit thickness was varied (panel G-7/5 – Rudna Główna, panel XX/1 – Rudna Północna, panel XIX/1 – Rudna Zachodnia). Data from seismic activity reports in those regions was used for energetic and quantitative analysis of seismic events in the context of the epicenter location with respect to the selected mining system components: undisturbed strata, working face and abandoned excavations. In consideration of the available rockburst control methods and preventive measures, all events (above 1 × 103 J) registered in the database were analysed to infer about the global rockburst hazard level in the panel and phenomena induced (provoked) by blasting were considered in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented control measures.

The paper presents the author’s approach to evaluating the dynamic resistance of existing building structures exposed to the action of paraseismic events. The idea of the approach was demonstrated in the example of an existing conveyor bridge, which is an important component of an industrial plant located in an area threatened by the occurrence of mining tremors. A scenario was analysed in which the object’s structure was not adapted to absorb additional dynamic effects. Therefore, it was necessary to determine the load-bearing capacity reserve within which the dynamic effects induced by a mining tremor could be allowed. As part of the analysis, criteria for selecting the authoritative section of the analysed object for further dynamic calculations were established and described in detail. As a result of the implemented evaluation procedure, the limiting values of the ground acceleration components were obtained, which are understood as the resistance of the analysed object in the context of carrying additional dynamic actions induced by a tremor. The determined resistance is included in the ultimate limit state STR framework, which sets the level of strength of particular structures’ components as a criterion. The limit values of the ground acceleration components were calibrated, taking into account other accompanying variable actions according to the Eurocodes guidelines. The study also justified using this approach and provides essential information about dynamic excitation’s most sensitive structural components. Such information can direct the process of retrofit or necessary strengthening of the structure when the evaluated resistance will exceed the intensity of existing or predicted seismic events in the area.

The paper presents the results of research concerning the assessment of dynamic resistance of existing industrial hall structures located in areas with different seismic activity. The basis for analyses was a three-nave industrial hall with a steel structure. Numerical calculations were performed using the finite element method (FEM), using the response spectrum method in dynamic analysis. The calculations were carried out in variants, using standard accelerated response spectra according to Eurocode 8 and those determined for the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) and Legnica-Glogow Copper District (LGCD) area. Using the author's procedure for the assessment of the dynamic resistance, for each of the extortion analysed, the structure's response to the dynamic excitation was compared with the effects of load combinations adopted at the design stage, thus establishing the limit values of the design horizontal ground acceleration a max/g,h understood as the structure's resistance to tremors. This allowed to assess the impact of seismic activity from a specific area on the dynamic resistance of the subjected object. The article also discusses the way of interpretation and the scope of application of the obtained results and proposed procedure.

In recent years, the intensity of the loads caused by mining activity has increased in Poland. This exploitation is often carried out in urbanized areas, so their operation on structures is not only a social problem, but also a challenge for engineers. Many of the surface facilities safe use affects the failure-free operation of the mine. The paper presents the results of representative measurements of surface vibrations from mining areas in Poland and earthquakes and their comparison. Particular attention was paid to the values of PGA/PGV ratios and the most commonly used methods for dynamic calculation of the structure. The last part of the work presents an experimentally verified dynamical model of the selected RC skip tower. The forced vibrations of the model were analysed by taking representative earthquakes and mining origin tremors. Time history non-linear analysis and push over methods were used. The nonlinear concrete model was adopted in the analyses. The results show that pushover analysis is not able to capture the seismic demands imposed by far-field or near-fault ground motions, especially for short-period systems for which it can lead to significant errors in the estimation of the seismic demands. The results confirmed the qualitative results of the linear analysis. The carried out inventory of cracks to the skip tower also allowed their location in bearing elements of the skip tower. The results of non-linear numerical analyses allowed us to assess the safety of the structure.