My research focuses on the stabilization of waste dump materials in open-pit coal mining using chemical treatment. The study addresses slope instability problems caused by saturated clayey foundation soils, which often act as slip surfaces and trigger mass failures. By combining laboratory experiments—including unconfined compressive strength, elastic modulus, cohesion, and internal friction angle tests—with numerical modeling, the research evaluates the effectiveness of cement–ion exchange stabilization in improving soil strength and slope safety factors.
The results show significant improvements: UCS increased up to 3900%, cohesion up to 196%, and friction angle up to 58%. Stability analysis demonstrated that chemical stabilization combined with a toe embankment can raise the overall factor of safety by up to 95%, while enabling more flexible and higher waste dump designs under controlled risks. Importantly, this approach allows for an additional disposal volume of more than 20 million m³ without requiring land expansion, while also achieving substantial operational cost savings through optimized design and reduced rehandling.
This work contributes to geotechnical engineering by offering a practical and innovative solution to enhance slope stability in Indonesia’s mining industry, while supporting safer and more sustainable mining operations
