The influence of mining sequence and ground support practice on the frequency and severity of rockbursts in seismic ally active mines of the Sudbury Basin

Abstract

The performance of ground support systems under dynamic loading is typically assessed in a qualitative and subjective manner. As a result, it is difficult to develop an explicit knowledge on the mechanisms of action and integration of support elements subjected to rockbursts. This paper examines rockbursts that have occurred at Creighton. Copper Cliff, and Coleman mines since 2000,2004, and 2006. respectively. The mines are located in the Sudbury Basin, in Ontario, Canada. The majority of pertinent information was obtained through on-site field assessments, seismic system records, and numerical elastic stress modeling. Passive monitoring is used to link the evolution of the frequency and severity of rockbursts to the evolution of mining and support practice at the three mine sites. Based on the collected data, ground support elements that enhanced the capacity of support systems to withstand dynamic loads are identified.