Abstract
This paper presents a reduced-scale physical model of a mine stope used to reproduce the underground stope backfilling practiced in some Canadian mines. The objective is to study the geomechanical behavior of the waste rock barricades in interaction with the mine backfill. The instrumentations, along with visual observations and preliminary results, are presented. The main results demonstrated that: (i) the stability of the barricade depends on its physical properties (e.g., size, location, particles gradation and compaction) and the frictional behavior at the barricade/drift walls interface, and (ii) for two backfill formulations, cemented and uncemented, prepared with 70% of solid mass concentration, the volumetric strain due to self-weight consolidation of the backfilled room was higher for uncemented backfill (16%) than for the cemented one (4.5%). In addition, the results highlighted the importance of using shotcrete around the downstream face of the barricade, mostly at the top, to close the gaps and bind the barricade particles, which improves its stability.
Highlights
The purpose of mining is to extract minerals from the crust of the earth, which in turn creates voids that alter the existing stress field and lead to instability
Acid mine drainage (AMD) or contaminated neutral drainage (CND) can occur when these wastes are exposed to atmospheric conditions, resulting in potential pollution of the environment
This study addressed different issues such as the effect of total pressure induced by the backfill on the barricade, the effect of waste rock particles gradation on the barricade–backfill interaction, and the stability/failure of waste rock barricades
Summary
The purpose of mining is to extract minerals from the crust of the earth, which in turn creates voids that alter the existing stress field and lead to instability. Underground backfilling offers important economic and environmental benefits for mining operations [1,2,3,4]. It offers a great deal of flexibility and enhances the strategic approach to running. The use of various types of backfills has to do with technical requirements, operating methods, and strategic plans. The hard rock mining methods that use backfilling as a secondary support system are Open Stope and Cut and Fill [3]
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