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Rock Mechanics.pdf - Mining and Blasting

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BACKFILL PROPERTIES AND PLACEMENT<br />

Table 14.3 In situ properties of composite backfills (from Gonano, 1977).<br />

Fill type c ′ (MPa) ′ (deg) E (MPa)<br />

8% cemented s<strong>and</strong>fill (CSF) 0.22 35 285<br />

composite of 8% CSF <strong>and</strong> rockfill 0.60 35.4 280<br />

simultaneous placement in a mine void of aggregate or similar dry rockfill <strong>and</strong><br />

cemented s<strong>and</strong>fill can reduce the unit cost of filling the void with cohesive fill. This is<br />

achieved by reducing the total amount of cement addition, <strong>and</strong> extending the capacity<br />

of a backfill preparation plant to meet mine dem<strong>and</strong>. The composite fill is placed<br />

by discharging cemented s<strong>and</strong>fill slurry <strong>and</strong> rockfill into the stope simultaneously.<br />

The variety of mechanical processes accompanying rockfill placement, including<br />

high-velocity impact <strong>and</strong> compaction, bouncing <strong>and</strong> rilling, lead to a highly heterogeneous<br />

fill mass. The structure of a composite of rockfill <strong>and</strong> cemented s<strong>and</strong>fill (with<br />

a rockfill/s<strong>and</strong>fill ratio at placement between two <strong>and</strong> three) has been described by<br />

Gonano (1975), <strong>and</strong> is illustrated schematically in Figure 14.2. The various zones, of<br />

different constitution <strong>and</strong> texture, <strong>and</strong> various degrees of cemented infilling of rockfill<br />

interstices, have different mechanical properties. For example, the zone with a<br />

porous, open structure is poorly cemented, with low cohesion. However, such a zone<br />

ensures that the interior of the fill mass can drain adequately during fill placement.<br />

The development of a highly heterogeneous fill mass, whose structure is controlled<br />

by placement conditions, indicates that, in practice, careful attention must be paid to<br />

location of discharge points into the stope void. For example, the generation of a poorly<br />

cemented zone near the surface of a pillar, which is to be recovered subsequently,<br />

would represent a failure in the fill design procedure.<br />

The varieties of compositions <strong>and</strong> structural domains in cemented rockfill make<br />

laboratory determination of their representative properties difficult. Gonano (1975,<br />

1977) described the procedures used for large-scale, in situ determination of a wellcemented<br />

zone in a composite cemented s<strong>and</strong>fill/rockfill mass at the Mount Isa Mine,<br />

Australia, <strong>and</strong> comparable tests on a cemented s<strong>and</strong>fill. The results from these tests<br />

are given in Table 14.3. It is observed from these data that the main effect of the<br />

rockfill inclusion in the s<strong>and</strong>fill medium is a significant increase in the cohesion of<br />

the mass. Clearly, there could be significant mining advantages if the design of the<br />

fill placement system could produce, preferentially, a composite fill of the type tested<br />

at locations requiring a high-strength fill mass.<br />

As summarised by L<strong>and</strong>riault (2001), the cement content of cemented rockfills<br />

(CRF) typically lies in the range of 4%–8% by weight. Because of the cost of Portl<strong>and</strong><br />

cement, a proportion of the cement in CRF may be replaced by finely ground furnace<br />

slag <strong>and</strong> fly ash, provided extra time is available for curing. In examining the effect<br />

of cement addition on rockfill strength, Swan (1985) found that the 28-day uniaxial<br />

compressive strength (c) of CRF was related to volumetric cement content (Cv) by<br />

the expression<br />

c = C 2.36<br />

v<br />

(14.4)<br />

where is a characteristic of the particular rock type.<br />

Some typical strength <strong>and</strong> deformation properties of cast samples of cemented<br />

rockfill, for both small- <strong>and</strong> large-scale specimens, were c in the range 1–11 MPa,<br />

415

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