Ground Support Technology for Highly Stressed Excavations Integrated Theoretical, Laboratory, and Field Research

The performance of ground support as a scheme is essential to constrain failures occurring at the rock surfaces of deep or highly stressed excavations. This book covers laboratory and theoretical developments coupled with field experiments and observations with the implementation of the methodology at mines. It explains the energy dissipation capabilities of reinforcement and support systems leading to the design of complete ground support schemes that can maintain integrity following the dynamic ejection of a mass of rock from an excavation boundary.

The key features of the book are as follows:

• It explores the mechanics, demand and capacity of ground support technology
• It covers the whole gamut of theories, laboratory and field test results and case studies related to ground support technology
• It includes a comprehensive database of mesh, rock bolts, cable bolts and shotcrete capacity
• It examines ground support scheme testing and explanation
• It discusses comprehensive case studies, including de-stress blasting

This book is aimed at professionals in mining engineering, including civil engineering, geological engineering and geotechnical engineering, and related advanced postgraduate studies.

Ernesto Villaescusa is a Mining Engineer with over 35 years of experience with specialization in underground mining methods and ground support of underground excavations. Over the last 25 years, Ernesto has conceptualized and undertaken several research projects in Ground Support Technology. The projects have been undertaken at the Western Australian School of Mines (WASM) in conjunction with many sponsoring companies. The research projects ranged from static and dynamic laboratory testing of support and reinforcement elements to in-situ assessment of ground support corrosivity. One of the main objectives was to understand the energy dissipation capabilities of reinforcement and support systems leading to the design of complete ground support schemes that can maintain integrity following a dynamic ejection at an excavation boundary. Ernesto has also worked extensively in underground excavation design and in 2014 published the textbook Geotechnical Design for Sublevel Open Stoping. In May 1997, he established the Mining Rock Mechanics Research Group at WASM in Kalgoorlie. Since then, the WASM team has graduated under his direct supervision a total of 13 PhD students. In addition, more than 50 Master’s degree candidates have completed a postgraduate mining geomechanics program at Curtin University. A major benefit of this is the rapid technology transfer of mining rock mechanics research into industry practice. Also noteworthy is that, over the past 25 years, research by the group has received more than $30 Million AUD in funding from a large number of mining industry companies.

Alan Thompson was formally trained in civil and geotechnical engineering and has over 40 years of industrial experience, mainly in the area of ground support for underground rock excavations. Alan has collaborated and worked with mining companies, ground control hardware manufacturers and contractors, consultants and Government regulatory authorities located througho