An innovative way of underground mining

Abstract

All engineering solutions in ore mining have their starting point, when the very idea of development of a new deposit appears. The creation of the required market for one or another commercial product extracted from the subsoil remains one of the most significant factors in development of civilization in the 21st century and, therefore, needs effective and preventive management of the condition and evolution of the production framework for the mining and metallurgical sector. Based on the foregoing, the conclusions have been made, that make it possible to create optimal conditions for the use of mineral raw materials in the development of the economy of the future, including modification of underground mining technologies which should radically change both from the standpoint of maintaining the natural balance of the subsoil and ecological cleanliness, as well as the comprehensive and maximum possible extraction completeness. One of the most optimal factors that effectively influence creation of a modern mine image is the underground mining technology and organization. The article shows the advantages of using the bottom-up method of mining, when mining operations create a bottom-up stoping front not within one horizon as in the traditional concept, but conditions accessing of an ore body to the full depth and subsequent stoping in ascending series from the lower boundaries of the ore body (or whole deposit). The proposed method can be successfully applied in the hybrid technology with simultaneous and / or sequential use of open-pit and underground methods. Accessing via haulage ramps using self-propelled equipment in case of the bottom-up mining method enjoys a new application domain since it simultaneously takes on the role of ubiquitous operational exploration, because the ramps can be cut in ore, which allows stoping already during mine construction. At the same time, the volumes of waste rock excavation are significantly reduced. The proposed method of mining solves the important problems of reducing losses and dilution, increasing economic efficiency, including decrease in the capital costs and in the time of capital return, while ensuring mining safety and maintaining the natural balance of the subsoil.