Improvement of rock engineering system coding using fuzzy numbers

A fuzzy expert semi-quantitative (FESQ) method is presented to analyze the parameters influencing rock mass cavability in block caving mines. In the proposed method, fuzzy numbers are used to allow the incorporation of uncertainty in coding the interaction matrix. Since in the classic ESQ method a fixed single value is defined as the interaction between two parameters, based on one expert view, it seems necessary to improve the method to be able to cover different views of different experts. To illustrate the application of the proposed method, first the parameters influencing the cavability in the block caving mines are selected, then a matrix of interaction between parameters are introduced using fuzzy numbers. Every fuzzy number has its own membership function designed based on experts’ views. Finally the dominant and subordinated parameters are determined and interpreted by fuzzy logic. The proposed fuzzy codding method is very useful in humanistic decision making systems with existence of uncertainty, vagueness and imprecision.