Rock mass characterisation and stope design

加拿大的大多数地下采矿都使用一种称为空场采矿的采矿方法。 采场是一个大型的地下挖掘，矿石已经被爆破和移除，这些开口通常可以是十层公寓楼的大小。 这些开口的上盘和下盘遵循矿石和废物之间的接触。 在采矿过程中，废石从这些墙壁上脱落或脱落，与矿石混合，稀释了品位。 废石的这种脱落被称为采场贫化，并且可以为矿山带来显著的额外费用，因为这种材料必须被拖到地面，与矿石一起破碎和研磨。

The majority of the underground mining in Canada uses a method of extracting the ore called open stoping. A stope is a large underground excavation where the ore has been blasted and removed and these opening can often be the size of a ten story apartment building. The hanging wall and footwall of these openings follow the contact between the ore and the waste. Waste rock failing or sloughing off these walls during mining mixes with the ore and dilutes the grade. This sloughing of waste rock is called stope dilution and can create significant additional expense for mines since this material has to be hauled to surface, crushed and milled with the ore.