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Rock Mechanics.pdf - Mining and Blasting

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Figure 18.17 SMART cable<br />

displacement-time data, stope 24<br />

cross-cut, 9390 level, Williams Mine,<br />

Ontario, Canada (after Bawden <strong>and</strong><br />

Jones, 2002).<br />

EXAMPLES OF MONITORING ROCK MASS PERFORMANCE<br />

event. This in turn allowed rehabilitation to be carried out with no interruptions to<br />

production, at minimum cost <strong>and</strong> with safety maintained throughout the affected area<br />

(Bawden <strong>and</strong> Jones, 2002).<br />

18.3.4 Concluding remarks<br />

The results of the monitoring programmes undertaken in the three case histories<br />

discussed were used to<br />

(a) aid the development of an underst<strong>and</strong>ing of the re-distribution of stresses in <strong>and</strong><br />

around the mine structure as mining proceeded (Mount Isa, Freeport);<br />

(b) validate design assumptions (Freeport);<br />

(c) provide warning of the development of excessive stresses <strong>and</strong> displacements <strong>and</strong><br />

so help maintain safety <strong>and</strong> production (Mount Isa, Freeport, Williams);<br />

(d) guide the design of support <strong>and</strong> reinforcement <strong>and</strong> re-habilitation measures<br />

(Freeport, Williams); <strong>and</strong><br />

(e) verify the effectiveness of support <strong>and</strong> reinforcing systems (Williams).<br />

In these <strong>and</strong> many other comparable cases, monitoring was an essential component<br />

of a rock mechanics programme used successfully to develop, verify or improve<br />

mine design procedures. Such rock mechanics programmes are central to modern<br />

underground mining practice. They provide the tools <strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong>ing needed to<br />

develop safe <strong>and</strong> economic mining methods for new mining areas, <strong>and</strong> to improve the<br />

efficiency <strong>and</strong> competitiveness of existing operations by modifying mining practice,<br />

often by the introduction of large-scale mechanisation.<br />

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