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<p>Using more, and longer, ore passes becomes essential and viable to minimise transportation costs for mining at greater depths to supply the metal for the transition to efficient and renewable energy. Following a comprehensive desktop study and expert elicitation, the key factors affecting the stability and performance of ultra-long (over 500 m long)&#xa0;and long (over 300&#xa0;m long) ore passes&#xa0;and prevailing hazards are identified, and the rock engineering system (RES) is applied to filter the parameters and identify the most critical factors and the most likely risks. This research introduces a novel approach for integrating the interconnectedness of key factors and primary geotechnical and operational hazards into the resilient design and optimisation processes. Considering these factors and hazards collectively, with a case study using published data from a potential mining project, the approach provides a comprehensive framework for enhancing the resilience and efficiency of long ore pass systems in sublevel caving or even other underground mining methods using long and ultra-long ore&#xa0;passes. Qualitative and quantitative analyses encompass low resolution (eight influential factors) and detailed assessment (58 influential factors). For a detailed assessment, two scenarios must be considered. Firstly, focusing solely on effective factors, and secondly, integrating effective factors and common hazards into the analyses. This multifaceted approach enables a comprehensive examination of the factors influencing ore pass design and optimisation, provides insights into both the inherent complexities of the system, and highlights the potential risks posed by common hazards. This novel methodology, therefore, offers a holistic understanding of the critical elements governing the performance and stability of ultra-long and long ore passes. Ore passes life cycle diagrams are also proposed to exemplify and visualise the effect of degradation, blockages, and restoration cycles on long-term operational resilience. The analyses demonstrate that a sufficiently granular interaction matrix is critical for the quantitative identification of interdependencies among key parameters. In contrast, low-resolution matrices, where parameters are aggregated or amalgamated, tend to obscure these interrelationships, thereby increasing the complexity, ambiguity, and uncertainty associated with interaction quantification. Consequently, such coarse matrices often necessitate greater reliance on qualitative interpretation, diminishing analytical rigour. Priority hazard criticality factors that emerge from the high-resolution analyses are <i>wear and deterioration to walls’ supports and liners due to impact-induced damage from abrasive ore; structural failure, e.g. wedge/block failure</i>; <i>cohesive and interlocking/frictional hang-ups</i>; <i>stress-induced failure, such as spalling, squeezing, burst, </i>etc.; and <i>mud rush and mudflow</i>. Following closely are <i>gate failure, preferential flow in ore pass systems with branches and fingers,</i> and <i>air blast and backblast</i>. These dominant hazards warrant particular attention in risk management and mitigation strategies for ultra-long and long ore pass systems. Furthermore, the proposed approach identifies common critical factors that can serve as controls to effectively mitigate each hazard, so that each geotechnical designer of future long ore passes does not have to repeat this process. This outcome underscores the significance of geotechnical stability considerations through the rock engineering systems. By incorporating these elements into the design and optimisation phases, mining operations can develop effective geotechnical hazard minimisation practices, enabling resilient ore management operations and improving safety in underground environments. Future research should focus on quantifying geological and geomechanical conditions of long ore passes, quantifying the impact of wear, and alternative methods for ore passes’ stabilisation and lining methods. As longer ore passes become more prevalent, benchmarking industry norms can also help to develop guidelines for applications.</p>

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Rock Engineering Systems for Quantifying Risks and Controls for the Resilient Design and Optimisation of Long and Ultra-long Ore Passes

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月12日

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  • Ebrahim F. Salmi,
  • Ewan J. Sellers,
  • Emrich Hamman

摘要

Using more, and longer, ore passes becomes essential and viable to minimise transportation costs for mining at greater depths to supply the metal for the transition to efficient and renewable energy. Following a comprehensive desktop study and expert elicitation, the key factors affecting the stability and performance of ultra-long (over 500 m long) and long (over 300 m long) ore passes and prevailing hazards are identified, and the rock engineering system (RES) is applied to filter the parameters and identify the most critical factors and the most likely risks. This research introduces a novel approach for integrating the interconnectedness of key factors and primary geotechnical and operational hazards into the resilient design and optimisation processes. Considering these factors and hazards collectively, with a case study using published data from a potential mining project, the approach provides a comprehensive framework for enhancing the resilience and efficiency of long ore pass systems in sublevel caving or even other underground mining methods using long and ultra-long ore passes. Qualitative and quantitative analyses encompass low resolution (eight influential factors) and detailed assessment (58 influential factors). For a detailed assessment, two scenarios must be considered. Firstly, focusing solely on effective factors, and secondly, integrating effective factors and common hazards into the analyses. This multifaceted approach enables a comprehensive examination of the factors influencing ore pass design and optimisation, provides insights into both the inherent complexities of the system, and highlights the potential risks posed by common hazards. This novel methodology, therefore, offers a holistic understanding of the critical elements governing the performance and stability of ultra-long and long ore passes. Ore passes life cycle diagrams are also proposed to exemplify and visualise the effect of degradation, blockages, and restoration cycles on long-term operational resilience. The analyses demonstrate that a sufficiently granular interaction matrix is critical for the quantitative identification of interdependencies among key parameters. In contrast, low-resolution matrices, where parameters are aggregated or amalgamated, tend to obscure these interrelationships, thereby increasing the complexity, ambiguity, and uncertainty associated with interaction quantification. Consequently, such coarse matrices often necessitate greater reliance on qualitative interpretation, diminishing analytical rigour. Priority hazard criticality factors that emerge from the high-resolution analyses are wear and deterioration to walls’ supports and liners due to impact-induced damage from abrasive ore; structural failure, e.g. wedge/block failure; cohesive and interlocking/frictional hang-ups; stress-induced failure, such as spalling, squeezing, burst, etc.; and mud rush and mudflow. Following closely are gate failure, preferential flow in ore pass systems with branches and fingers, and air blast and backblast. These dominant hazards warrant particular attention in risk management and mitigation strategies for ultra-long and long ore pass systems. Furthermore, the proposed approach identifies common critical factors that can serve as controls to effectively mitigate each hazard, so that each geotechnical designer of future long ore passes does not have to repeat this process. This outcome underscores the significance of geotechnical stability considerations through the rock engineering systems. By incorporating these elements into the design and optimisation phases, mining operations can develop effective geotechnical hazard minimisation practices, enabling resilient ore management operations and improving safety in underground environments. Future research should focus on quantifying geological and geomechanical conditions of long ore passes, quantifying the impact of wear, and alternative methods for ore passes’ stabilisation and lining methods. As longer ore passes become more prevalent, benchmarking industry norms can also help to develop guidelines for applications.