Ground support systems optimisations (GSSO)

The Challenge

In modern mining, many ground support design practitioners have been slow to adopt innovation, with practice based on civil engineering methodology unsuited to underground mine development.

Ground support constitutes a major proportion of mining costs. Optimisation could offer savings without compromising safety.

Key Findings

Current industry ground support design is largely empirical, inefficient, and evolves organically in different corporate and operational contexts.

The probabilistic and risk-based ground support design methodology developed through this research may suit the operational needs of the underground mining environment better than existing practice.

Numerical modelling may be useful for some elements of ground support design, but the expertise required to apply this approach in practice is not widely available on mine sites.

Benefit to WA

The design methodology developed will improve safety, productivity, and cost-effectiveness in WA’s mining industry.

The project has enhanced WA’s reputation as a global leader in the development and export of geomechanics technology.

Continuation of the research has attracted funding and talent to WA from interstate and overseas.

M0497 is an extension to this project.

Keywords: underground mining, geomechanics, probabilistic design, ground support