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Estimating the as-placed properties of mine backfill is fundamental to optimizing the safety and productivity of underground mines. For cemented paste backfill (CPB), an important consideration is the extent to which self-weight consolidation during deposition may reduce the void ratio and enhance the binder's effectiveness. Field monitoring and sampling campaigns can help investigate this phenomenon but they are expensive and logistically difficult. Therefore, mesoscale column experiments are performed in the controlled laboratory environment to better understand the coupling between self-weight consolidation and cement hydration. In this paper, columns are backfilled with uncemented paste tailings and with CPB and the pore water pressure, electrical conductivity, and volume changes are monitored during and after backfilling. The pore water pressure profiles at the end of backfilling are compared with an available analytical solution and restrictions on the solution's validity are identified. Void ratios of samples taken from columns are compared with the ones obtained from field samples and the similarity indicates the filling conditions simulated in the laboratory are representative of field conditions. The changes in void ratio after curing were small compared to the initial void ratio of fresh CPB. The tests' results help explain why self-weight consolidation during backfilling is not significant at the studied mine, which may be the case for many other mining operations as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying analysis techniques developed for naturally occurring earthquakes to mine seismicity is common practice; however, these methodologies rarely consider the influence of blasting on the dynamic rock mass failure processes observed in mines. Due to the complex nature of bulk orebody extraction at depth, quantifying discrete seismic responses to mining can be challenging. This paper identifies seismic responses to mining by pairing single-link clustering with finite temporal windows bound by mine blasting practices. A methodology is presented to quantify the space−time characteristics of these responses using four seismic response parameters (SRPs): distance to blast, distance to centroid, time after blast, and time between events. Using SRPs, seismic responses to mining can be quantitatively classified as induced, complex, or triggered (with respect to discrete mine blasting). Because these response parameters do not require an extensive and (or) triaxial dense sensor array, they are applicable to a variety of underground mining operations. In this work, SRPs are applied to 189 discrete seismic responses occurring over 2 months of active mining, and a 2 week shutdown period, at Agnico Eagle's LaRonde Mine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The breaching of containment of conventionally deposited mine tailings impoundments, and the consequent release of tailings flows with long run-outs, unfortunately remains not uncommon and often has devastating ecological and economic consequences, occasionally including the loss of human life. Rather than the breaching of containment itself, which can result from a number of causes (poor control of the phreatic surface, unrecognized dam foundation issues), the contributing factor to the severe consequences of dam breach is the low density and strength and (or) susceptibility of the tailings to liquefy or soften under loading, combined with the driving weight of the ponded water, which allows for significant run-outs (in some cases tens of kilometres) to occur. Hence the motivation for developing alternative technologies that dewater tailings before deposition to the point where reliance on containment is minimized or eliminated. In this paper, these technologies are referred to as 'high-density' tailings, which includes any technology that at least produces nonsegregating tailings that will form a sloped stack when deposited, including thickened, paste, and filtered tailings. The paper explores a number of issues related to high-density tailings, including shear behaviour, dewatering behaviour, acid generation, and surface deposition rheology. The paper concludes with some discussion on what the limitations are on this technology that are holding back its wider adoption, and how these limitations might be overcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canadian hard rock mines continue to reach deeper deposits, which poses greater challenges to mine safety including rock burst control. Destress blasting techniques have been successfully employed in such underground mines with the aim of preconditioning highly stressed rock mass to mitigate the risk for rock burst occurrence in deep mines. In the present study, the efficiency of destress blasting is examined through a comparison between traditional and alternative numerical modelling approaches. The traditional modelling approach assumes a uniformly distributed blast-induced damage zone extending over the entire drift face, whilst the alternative modelling approach, presented herein, simulates the damage zone for each individual blast hole. In the first part of this paper, a three-dimensional numerical model of a single blast hole is constructed, whereby the extent of blast-induced damage zone is delineated. The latter part of this paper uses the single-hole model results to examine the efficiency of destress blasting as practiced in drift development in deep mines. It is demonstrated through comparison of FLAC3D numerical simulation results that the traditional modelling approach may lead to an overly optimistic indication of destress blasting efficiency when compared with the alternative modelling approach, in which a more precise simulation of the damage zones is applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-magnitude mining-induced seismic events can occur as a result of local rock mass stress increase. High apparent stress events can be used as a proxy to identify increases in local rock mass stress conditions. This paper proposes a relative apparent stress ratio (ASR) for quantifying apparent stress of a seismic population. Variations in ASR are analysed over time with reference to seismic hazard inferred from the magnitude of seismic events. The proposed ratio is examined through examples of seismic populations from a single deep Canadian mine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) analyses to examine three cases involving the construction of full-scale test embankments to failure on soft clay deposits. By comparing the calculated fill thickness at failure from 2D and 3D analyses, it is shown that 3D effects are significant for all test fills, despite the dramatically different locations, fill thicknesses, and underlying clay deposits. In addition, the calculated undrained displacement and extent of failure from 3D analysis agree well with those measured in each case. The risk of neglecting 3D effects is highlighted by the analyses, where it is shown that failure to account for 3D effects while interpreting the response of a test embankment can lead to unsatisfactory performance of the actual long embankment. Finally, by comparing FE analysis results with well-known bearing capacity factors, it is shown that test embankments with a base length to width ratio less than 2 are more strongly influenced by 3D effects than spread footings on similar soil profiles. The analyses presented in this paper provide practical insight into some factors that should be taken into account for the design and construction of embankments and test fills on soft clay deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stope backfilling is used in underground mines to provide a safer working space for personnel and machinery. To ensure a secure application of backfill, it is critical to accurately evaluate the pressures exerted on the walls and barricades placed near the base of the stope to retain the fill materials. In this paper, existing solutions for evaluating the stresses on barricades are reviewed. The authors then propose a new three-dimensional analytical solution that takes into account the stress transfer from the backfill to the walls in both the stope and access drift. In particular, the solution considers the influence of the barricade position within the drift on the stress state. Comparisons are made between the proposed solution, physical model test results, and numerical simulations. The good agreement between various results indicates that the proposed formulation provides a good estimate of the pressure on a barricade. The solution presented here is applicable to fully drained backfill (without water-pore pressure); the solution for saturated backfill is given in a companion paper (see Part II, this issue). Le remblayage des chantiers est utilisé dans les mines souterraines afin de maintenir un espace de travail sécuritaire pour le personnel et les équipements. Afin d'assurer une bonne performance du remblai, il est essentiel d'évaluer de façon représentative la pression exercée sur les murs et sur les barricades installées près de la base du chantier pour retenir les matériaux de remblayage. Dans cet article, des solutions existantes pour évaluer les pressions sur les barricades sont revues. Les auteurs proposent ensuite une nouvelle solution analytique tridimensionnelle qui prend en compte le transfert des contraintes du remblai aux parois dans le chantier remblayé et dans la galerie. Cette solution tient compte l'influence de la position des barricades sur l'ampleur des contraintes. Des comparaisons sont faites entre la solution analytique, des résultats d'essais sur un modèle physique et des simulations numériques. La bonne concordance entre ces divers résultats indique que la formulation proposée représente bien la pression exercée sur les barricades. La solution présentée ici est applicable aux remblais drainés (sans pression interstitielle); une solution pour les remblais saturés est donnée dans un article complémentaire (voir Partie II, ce numéro). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents in-stope measurements of total stress and pore-water pressure at strategic locations within three underground stopes at the Raleigh mine site (Western Australia) that were filled with cemented paste backfill (CPB). The three stopes were very similar in shape. Key differences among the stopes were the filling and resting schedules, the barricade drainage systems used, and the cement content of the CPB. Data from the stopes are compared to determine which controllable factors most significantly influence barricade pressures during and after filling. The most significant factor was the scheduling of rest periods between filling, with even very short pauses in filling dramatically reducing the rate of increase of pore-water pressure and total stress with increasing height of fill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A likely result of changes in rock stresses due to progressing mining is an increased number of compressive stress-induced failures. This paper presents the results from numerical analysis and observations of stress-induced fallouts in footwall drifts in the Kiirunavaara underground mine. A brittle-plastic 'cohesion-softening friction-hardening' (CSFH) material model was used for simulating brittle fallouts. To account for mining-induced stress changes, the local model stress boundary conditions were extracted from a global model. The rock mass properties were based on field observations in the footwall drifts as well as on results from laboratory testing. A multi-stage analysis was carried out to gradually change the stresses to simulate mining progress. A parametric study was conducted in which strength properties, location, and shape of the footwall drift were varied. Yielded elements and maximum shear strain were used as damage and fallout indicators. The modelling results were sensitive to the shape of the drift. The location of the predicted fallouts was in good agreement with the location of observed fallouts for the case in which the drift roof was simulated flatter than the theoretical cross section. The results indicate that the true shape of the drift is different from the planned one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing use of backfill in underground mines requires a better understanding of the interaction between the relatively soft fill material and the surrounding rock mass. In recent years, it has been shown that stresses in backfilled stopes can be estimated using an approach based on Marston’s arching formulation developed initially for buried conduits in trenches. However, despite its advantages, this approach has some shortcomings. For instance, it postulates that both the vertical and horizontal normal stresses are uniformly distributed across the opening width. Numerical investigations conducted by the authors have shown that this assumption is not always valid. This paper presents a modification to the Marston-based solution, which leads to a nonuniform vertical stress distribution across the opening. This modification of the analytical solution involves parameters that have been calibrated against some numerical modelling results. The same equations and parameters are then shown to provide a good representation of additional modelling cases for which the stress state is correctly predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an analysis of the desiccation process in mining materials, based on physical laws. Due to the process complexity, most of the previous approaches used have an empirical basis. In this case, however, a formulation using coupled hydromechanical equations has been considered. To show the capabilities of the theoretical framework, several laboratory tests were performed, and afterwards a numerical simulation of the measured variables was attempted. The material tested was a metallurgical waste in tailings form and it was exposed to atmospheric desiccation. Further cracking will eventually change its properties, and this may have an environmental impact. Some of the experiments were devoted to material characterization, including the water retention curve, the hydraulic conductivity, and the tensile strength. In addition, laboratory drying tests open to the atmosphere or in hermetically closed containers were also performed. The numerical analyses carried out attempted to simulate some of these tests. One of the main outcomes of the analyses was the prediction of the time and the location of crack initiation. Finally, it should be pointed out that good agreement between the experiments and numerical simulations indicates that the formulation is taking into account the fundamental mechanisms involved in the desiccation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]