Mining_Methods_UnderGround_Mining - Mining and Blasting
Mining_Methods_UnderGround_Mining - Mining and Blasting
Mining_Methods_UnderGround_Mining - Mining and Blasting
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Foreword<br />
In history, before miners had access to productive equipment<br />
<strong>and</strong> blasting agents, mining was hard <strong>and</strong> hazardous manual<br />
work. The idea of excavating large volumes of rock to access<br />
even the richest mineral zones was not feasible, <strong>and</strong>, as a result,<br />
ore veins were selectively followed, predominantly close<br />
to the surface, or inside mountains. During the past century,<br />
introduction of diesel power <strong>and</strong> electricity, combined with<br />
new methods of mineral dressing, paved the way for large<br />
scale open pit mining, <strong>and</strong> later for mechanized underground<br />
mining. Nevertheless, the largest quantities of ore are still<br />
excavated from surface deposits.<br />
Atlas Copco, as an equipment supplier with a truly global<br />
presence, has been at the forefront of technical <strong>and</strong> innovative<br />
development. From pneumatic to hydraulic power, from<br />
railbound to trackless haulage, from h<strong>and</strong>held to rig mounted<br />
rock drills, <strong>and</strong> lately, from manual to computerized operation,<br />
Atlas Copco expertise is making mining safer <strong>and</strong> more<br />
efficient.<br />
Today, the mining industry, in its continuous battle for profitability,<br />
is getting more <strong>and</strong> more capital intensive. Technical<br />
development, especially in underground mining, has been<br />
extremely rapid during the past decade. Less labour is required,<br />
<strong>and</strong> safety <strong>and</strong> environmental aspects are of prime<br />
importance.<br />
Growing dem<strong>and</strong> for metals has resulted in today’s world wide<br />
exploration <strong>and</strong> mining boom. However, mining companies<br />
have experienced increasing difficulties in recruiting skilled<br />
labour to work in remote mining communities. This has led<br />
to a stronger involvement from contractors now carrying out<br />
tasks beyond the more traditional shaft sinking operations.<br />
Today, contractors get engaged in all kinds of mine infrastructure<br />
works such as drifting, both inside <strong>and</strong> outside<br />
the orebodies, <strong>and</strong> might also be involved in production <strong>and</strong><br />
mine planning, as well as scheduling. The miners, traditionally<br />
focusing on maximizing the utilization of their equipment<br />
Hans Fernberg<br />
M Sc <strong>Mining</strong> Engineering<br />
Senior Adviser<br />
Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB<br />
hans.fernberg@se.atlascopco.com<br />
mine-wide, are benefiting from experience gained by tunnel<br />
contractors, who frequently have to concentrate their focus<br />
on a single tunnel face. This makes the latter more suited for<br />
high-speed ramp <strong>and</strong> drift development, <strong>and</strong> is one reason<br />
why contractors are increasingly being employed by mine<br />
owners on this type of work. Also, contractors bring with<br />
them a range of skills developed under various conditions in<br />
multiple locations, <strong>and</strong> frequently have the latest <strong>and</strong> most<br />
sophisticated equipment immediately available. Gone are the<br />
days when contractors got only the jobs that the mine management<br />
could not do, or simply didn’t want to do. Nowadays, it<br />
is normal for a contractor to bring specialist skills <strong>and</strong> equipment<br />
to the project, <strong>and</strong> for the mine to get its development<br />
work completed faster <strong>and</strong> cheaper than by doing it itself.<br />
After all, when bringing mines to production, time <strong>and</strong> cost<br />
are crucial factors in their viability.<br />
When designing, manufacturing, selling <strong>and</strong> servicing Atlas<br />
Copco equipment, we commit ourselves to achieving the highest<br />
productivity, <strong>and</strong> the best return on customer investment.<br />
Only by being close to customers, by sharing their problems<br />
<strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong>ing their methods <strong>and</strong> applications, do we earn<br />
the opportunity to be the leading manufacturer, <strong>and</strong> the natural<br />
first choice.<br />
Our main ambition with this book is to stimulate technical<br />
interchange between all people with a special interest in this<br />
fascinating business. These include, in particular, underground<br />
miners, managers <strong>and</strong> consultants, universities, <strong>and</strong> our own<br />
sales <strong>and</strong> marketing organization.<br />
The various cases from leading mines around the world illustrate<br />
how geological <strong>and</strong> geotechnical conditions, never being<br />
identical, give birth to new <strong>and</strong> more successful variants of<br />
mining methods. We hope that some of this material will<br />
result in exp<strong>and</strong>ed contacts between mining companies in<br />
their battle to be more competitive <strong>and</strong> profitable.<br />
2 underground mining methods