CAVE RISK

CONTENTS Types of risk Major operational risks Black hat action strategies

Types of risk
Heslop 2000 Design risks Operational hazards Draw risks Technology risks

Design risks
Economic effect Based on incorrect geotechnical data Above collected years before Poor assessment of ground conditions Common example
- partially logged core (eg UCS & RQD) - Forced to use because of lack of funds - Results other parameters have to be guessed - uncertainty in design parameters - Under support of drifts by 25%

Common geotechnical failures

No study done Study missing Lack of detail for study level Detail default Scoping study detail accepted for DEFS Classification design used only Not addressing the key issues mentioned at earlier stages Conceptual stage not correct Not understanding implications of recommendations Not understanding design philosophy Not reading study reports - 80% do not read report - 15 % executive summary - 5 % report

Practical measures
Focuss study/ reasonableness test
- Review and compile other studies - Read extensively ( take 1 week) - Literature study - Bench mark - develop feel for the project - Findings

Find out ( Summers 2000) :

- What we know
- What we dont know - What we know we dont know

Study standards (AusIMM) Unresolved issues

Unresolved issues
Aspects that can not be resolved during the study Special bridging studies (i.e. caving ) Rule for special studies
- Impact on project
greater than contingency - Infrastructure stability - Cavability - dilution and dilution blankets

If no cash or time for special study - Run project on blue sky

- Sensitivity on worst case - opinion required

Operational risks
Heslop 2000 Loss of life Close mine or section of the mine Rock bursts Air blasts Mud rushes/floods

Rock/ strain bursting

Stress increases as undercut is developed. Stresses increases further before propagation. Perimeter stresses increase with area undercut and height of undercut Rock/ strain burst damage greatest before propagation Rock bursting related to caving Rock bursting related to management of caving process

Rock burst cave prone caves

> 300- 400m High tectonic stresses Mountains MRMR >35 Difficulty in propagated the cave Rapid rates of advances of pre-break/UC El- Tiente 1976

Rock bursting
Fractured zone exists around the cave 50m from the cave face As the cave progates this zone increases Fracture zone increase due to stress relaxation During this stages areas up to 500m from cave effected Strain bursts can occur in places like crusher, plats, cribb rooms Strain bursting, ejection

Rock bursting
Bursts occur with cave propagation High levels of seismisity before propagation. Mag of up to Richter 3.6 Large caves have up to 6 large bursts if not managed Seismic events during propagation are shear related

Common areas for bursting

20 to 40m from cave face/front Strain bursting and rock ejection at breakaways/ intersections up to 500m from cave 100m below the cave Large excavations with 50m from ore body Pillars between conferencing cave fronts Before propagation.

Rock burst prevention strategies

Mesh walls/ backs of intersections/ large excavations 500m from cave Cone bolt intersections/ breakaways Install yielding support within 40m from propagation face position Reduce block cave draw rates <2000 /tons/day before propagation Reduce block cave/ SLC pre-break advance rates below 3000m2 /month. Propagate the cave first. SLC < 45m vertical/m/yr Mine towards the solid

Major air blasts

4 conditions A gap between the muck pile and cave back Caving has slowed or stopped A large volume of cave back must be unstable Air escape routes

Geotechnical
Hard intrusive through the ore body Hard ore zones above uc level Necking or tapering of ore body No pit subsidence History of contact ore wedge formation History of stall Hard caves

Muck pile Cave gap

No real hard rules Experiential Criticized Old mining rule 200mm/ day draw rate Realistic cave back gaps are between 2m to 15m 2m to 5m good for normal production 15-30m draw rate greater caving rate 30m> problem of draw correction/ air blasts 30m-50m of muck pile All above wrong if tunnels into cave

Cave stall
Caving stops or slows Vertical MRMR > than UC HR Caving hoop stresses strength rock mass Block height 2x footprint width Draw rate greater than caving rate Hard caves < 44mm/ day Soft caves < 75mm/ day

Type 1 collapse (Bell 1999)

Surface

Back Fails

AIR GAP

MUCKPILE

Type 2 collapse (Bell 1999)

Surface

Block falls from back

AIR GAP

MUCKPILE

Type 3 (Flores 1993)

wedge

STRUCTURE

Air sources & escape routes

2 main air sources routes
- air in muck/cave back gap - air in muck pile voids

Air escape routes

- Via undercut draw points - Muck pile to draw points - Old workings holed in cave

effects
Loss of life Sudden subsidence Collapse of block contact area Point loading on drifts Hang-ups Destruction and damage to services Loss of production Drift rehab

Prevention
Define rock mass condition 100m vertical intervals HR designed hard geotechnical unit Major wedge structure assessment Correct definition of draw rate Keep draw points full Good draw control CSM cave if possible / 3d draw profiles Plug all tunnels into cave Site plugs outside break back zone Tele-remote draw points Draw points full Monitor cave back Evacuate mine in failure/ danger times

MUD RUSHES
Butcher (1999-2000) Effects - Loss of life
- Loss of mine - Production loss - Air blasts - major rehab

Mud rush condition

Water

Disturbance

Mud materials

Discharge point

Mud forming materials

Cave wastes with shale Tailing/ slimes or mud deposited in glory hole Weathered overburden/ soil Suspected TKB Kimberlite material Gypsum/ clay minerals Fine cave waste - 20% sand size material - Moisture > 8.5%

MUD

Mud forming mechanics

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Shale/ mud forming material drawn into cave. Above material is ground down muck pile action Ground material lies in muck pile voids Water mixes with material to form mud Mud is drawn out or flows out Mud can be forced out by collapsing muck pile voids
shale Shale weathers and slakes in slope, and sloughs Rain water

Ground Shale weathers further in pit bottom water flows towards waste cap Rock Waste cap

Mudpocket Draw point

Mud rush

Discharge points
Micro design: Extraction level layout

TYPE 1 DRAWPOINTS

Mud transport excavations

MTEs
Mud transport excavations Mufairia- more people killed from MTE cut-offs Cut-off on lower levels and behind MTEs - Ore passes - RAPs - Declines - Accesses

Facts
Tailings inrushes greater danger Wide draw points greater discharge SLC poor control 2 mining blocks lost with SLC Poor muck pile drainage greater danger Air blasts occur after mud rushes Flooding occurs Destruction of services

Mud rush prevention

3DS PRINCIPAL Distance- keep mud forming materials out of muck pile Drain- keep muck piles dry Draw good draw control standards

Meaning
Good draw control - Uniform draw down - draw discipline

Water
Drainage - Mine pumping - Surface pumping - keep underground workings dry - Prevent inflows in muck pile from underground and surface - Hydro-geological study Distance - bottom-up caving methods (reduce SLCs ) - Site tailing/slimes dams away from glory hole - Do not dispose of mining waste in glory hole - remove mud forming material if possible - correct open pit slope design

Surface
Dam base material

Tailings saturated muck pile Drawing of dam base material causes plugging of muck pile voids and prevents tailings drainage Mud plug discharged ahead of tailings causing air blast

Meaning
Use small draw point size (3.8m x3.8m) Seal old passes and workings Install more pumps Install water prevention stalls Mud rush alarms Monitoring pumping levels Lower in pumping means water in muck pile Tele-remotes Closed bogger cabs with oxygen Re-inforced bogger cabs Flood prevention if main pumps destroyed

BLACK HAT ACTION STRATEGIES

OPERATION GEOTECHNICAL RISK ASSESMENT MOST NEGATIVE ASPECTS AMERIORATION STRATEGIES NOW GET OUT OF THIS NORMAL RISK ASSSESMENT PROCESS - Hazard
- Likelihood - Consequences - mitigated by - Residual risk

SLC BLACK HATS

Drift instability Isolated draw Rock/ strain bursting around footprint Infrastructure threaten by glory hole break backs Mass dilution ingress Drift access collapse Contact collapse

Block cave black hats

Undercut crushing/ bursting Undercut stress induced damage Point load destruction of drifts Footprint perimeter rock strain bursting Excessive drift repair Cave/ muck pile stall Cave infrastructure break back

DISCUSSION
What Are the causes ? Answers to problems ? Answers realistic ? Answers tactical ?