The block production and ore handling systems were designed to be carefully integrated with rock being supplied to the crusher ‘just in time’; there being minimal flexibility to allow for lengthy tunnel or brow repairs to be done. This factor also contributed ...

Block Cave mining is one method used to extract ore from underground diamond mines as well as other massive orebodies such as copper. This necessitates the excavation of many kilometers of tunnel within the ore body. The integrity of these excavations needs ...

Current production level design guidelines in block caving mines are based on the concept of interaction of movement zones and the spacing of draw-points at which mass flow is achieved. The limit of the isolated movement zone (IMZ) interaction has been determined ...

The first crush pillars on the Bushveld Platinum mines were introduced at Union Section in 1978. Before the introduction of crush pillars, serious problems were experienced when stoping advanced to a point 30 m to 40 m on both sides of the centre gully. At ...

The Palabora Mining Company has successfully extended the life of its operation by developing a 30,000tpd block cave underground mine below the now closed open pit. The process of transitioning from surface to underground mining has been technically, operationally ...

This chapter describes and explains methods for the underground mining of mineral deposits. The descriptions are generalized and focus on typical applications. Example chosen illustrate types of mining practice as of 1999. However every mineral deposit with ...