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Rock Mechanics.pdf - Mining and Blasting

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ARTIFICIALLY SUPPORTED MINING METHODS<br />

the stope. Free drainage will be maintained if<br />

Pd > Pcorrected(As/Ad) (14.2)<br />

where As <strong>and</strong> Ad are the cross-sectional areas of the stope <strong>and</strong> drawpoint, respectively.<br />

S<strong>and</strong>fill is a cohesionless material, with a purely frictional resistance to deformation.<br />

The apparent angle of friction is dependent on the angularity of the particles<br />

<strong>and</strong> the packing density of the medium. Hydraulic placement of a s<strong>and</strong>fill results in a<br />

loose fill structure, with a void ratio of about 0.70. This corresponds to an in situ dry<br />

unit weight, d, of about 15.7 kNm −3 , or a dry mass density of placed fill of about<br />

1.6 tm −3 . In this state, the peak angle of friction of many artificial s<strong>and</strong>fills is about<br />

37 ◦ . In practice, s<strong>and</strong>fill at low water content also displays an apparent cohesion, due<br />

to suction developed in the pores of the dilatant medium when subjected to a change in<br />

boundary load or confinement. This may allow free-st<strong>and</strong>ing vertical walls of s<strong>and</strong>fill,<br />

of limited height (perhaps 3–4 m) to be maintained temporarily under some mining<br />

conditions.<br />

14.2.2 Cemented s<strong>and</strong>fill<br />

The lack of true cohesion restricts the scope for mining application of s<strong>and</strong>fill. This<br />

is overcome in practice by the addition of various cementing agents to the s<strong>and</strong> mass.<br />

The obvious choice is Portl<strong>and</strong> cement which, although an expensive commodity, can<br />

provide a significant cohesive component of strength at a relatively low proportional<br />

addition to the medium. The results given in Table 14.2 indicate the cohesion attained<br />

in Portl<strong>and</strong> cement–s<strong>and</strong>fill mixtures after curing times of 7 <strong>and</strong> 28 days. The relatively<br />

low uniaxial compressive strength determined from these figures (e.g. 5.75 MPa for<br />

a 16% Portl<strong>and</strong> cement mix at 28 days) is partly the result of the excess water used<br />

in preparing <strong>and</strong> transporting a cemented s<strong>and</strong>fill mix. The water content of such a<br />

mix is always far in excess of that required for hydration of the Portl<strong>and</strong> cement.<br />

The expense of Portl<strong>and</strong> cement as a fill additive has led to its total or partial replacement<br />

by other cementing agents. Thomas <strong>and</strong> Cowling (1978) reported on the<br />

pozzolanic properties of such materials as quenched <strong>and</strong> finely ground copper reverberatory<br />

furnace slags. Other materials such as fly ash <strong>and</strong> iron blast furnace slags are<br />

also known to be pozzolanic, <strong>and</strong> suitable for incorporation in a fill mass to augment<br />

the cohesion conferred by Portl<strong>and</strong> cement. In fact, quenched slags, ground to a fineness<br />

of 300 m 2 kg −1 or greater, may present real advantages as pozzolans. Their slow<br />

reactivity may serve to heal any damage caused in the fill mass due to disturbance of the<br />

Table 14.2 Some typical strength parameters for cemented s<strong>and</strong>fill (from Thomas el al., 1979).<br />

Cement content Curing time Specimens Cohesion c Friction angle, <br />

(wt %) (days) tested (MPa) (deg)<br />

4 7 22 0.13 30<br />

28 23 0.15<br />

8 7 24 0.24 33<br />

28 24 0.31<br />

16 7 24 1.02 36<br />

28 24 1.46<br />

0 (fines added) 205 11 0.03 32<br />

4 207 12 0.21 37<br />

412

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