Rock mass characterisation and stope design

在加拿大，大多数地下采矿使用一种称为露天采矿法的开采矿石的方法。采矿场是一种大型的地下挖掘，矿石被爆破并移走，这些洞口通常有十层公寓楼大小。这些洞口的悬壁和底壁沿着矿石和废料之间的接触。在采矿过程中，废石掉落或从这些墙上脱落，与矿石混合，稀释品位。这种废石的剥落被称为采场稀释，由于这种材料必须被运到地面，因此会给矿山带来巨大的额外费用。与矿石一起破碎研磨。减少采场贫化是许多地下采矿作业的主要目标。控制上盘贫化的主要因素之一是岩体的强度。本研究的目的是改进采场设计中岩体性质的测量和应用。在实现这一目标的过程中，将通过更好的数据收集、解释和分析来改进预测上盘稳定性和贫化的方法。目前的岩体性质评估方法得到的是单一的岩石分类号。该值的确定方法对改进相对不敏感。更准确的测量岩石性质的方法。自20世纪70年代初以来，用于连接各种岩石性质以获得单个数字的方法一直是固定的，主要基于土木工程隧道工作中的观测。采场测量数据提供了一个未开发的信息来源，将洞口几何形状和岩石性质与岩石稳定性联系起来，以破坏深度或悬壁稀释度衡量。*这项研究将改进量化岩石性质的方法，并帮助加拿大矿山通过减少采场稀释来节省资金。

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.Reducing stope dilution is major goal for many underground mining operations.  One of the main factors governing hanging wall dilution is the strength of the rock mass.  The goal of this research is to improve the measurement and application of rock mass properties for stope design.  In the process of reaching this goal, methods of predicting hanging wall stability and dilution will be improved through better data collection, interpretation and analysis.  The current approach for assessing rock mass properties results in a single rock classification number.  The approach for determining this value is relatively insensitive to improved, more accurate methods of measuring the rock mass properties.  The methods used to link the various rock mass properties to obtain a single number have been fixed since the early 1970s, based on observations made primarily in civil engineering tunnel work.  Stope survey data present an untapped source of information linking opening geometry and rock mass properties to rock stability, measured as a depth of failure or hanging wall dilution.  This research will improve methods of quantifying rock mass properties as well as assist operating Canadian mines save money through reduced stope dilution.