Integrated Engineering Design Of Economic
Mine Backfill Systems
Author(s)
E. De Souza & A. P. Dirige
Abstract
In order to maximize the recovery of ore in modern and highly productive
mining methods, cemented backfill is normally placed in underground
excavations to provide structural support. In order to save on costs, backfill of
low cement content is used to fill the mined out excavations. This backfill mass
is supported by a sill pillar structure cast from cemented backfill of very high
strength. Mining excavations progress under the sill pillar, which must remain
stable when exposed and subjected to mine induced stresses. The stability
behavior of the sill pillar elements must be carefully studied to provide very
effective, safe and economic mining operations. Improper design of these
support structures may result in catastrophic fill mass failure, with substantial
economic losses. This paper presents a methodology, procedures and engineering
standards for backfill design based on three engineering modeling approaches:
analytical, centrifuge and numerical modeling. This novel integrated modeling
approach represents a powerful design tool in engineering practice.
Keywords: underground mining, backfill, sill pillar, centrifuge modeling.
1 Introduction
Sill pillars are strong structural elements used to support uncemented or low
cement content backfill. Conventional sill pillars are cast from cemented sand
backfill materials, often underlain by a timber mat; these structures have to be
self-supporting when exposed by undercut mining. Improper design would result
in failure of the fill mass, and extensive economic losses associated with loss of
production and ore dilution, as well as in safety problems.
The traditional stability design of cemented sill pillars is based on experience
and on property data from standard static physical model tests such as uniaxial
Keywords
underground mining, backfill, sill pillar, centrifuge modeling.
Related Book
Other papers in this volume
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