The influence of change in mining and ground support practice on the frequency and severity of rockbursts

Abstract

The assessment of the performance of ground support systems under dynamic loading is typically subjected to qualitative and subjective interpretations. As a result, it is difficult to develop an explicit knowledge of the mechanisms of action and interaction of support elements subjected to rockbursts. This paper examines rockbursts that occurred at Creighton and Copper Cliff mines since 2000 and 2004, respectively. The majority of pertinent information was obtained through onsite field assessments, seismic system records, and numerical elastic stress modelling. 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 two mine sites. Based on the collected data, ground-support elements that enhanced the capacity of support systems to withstand dynamic loads are identified.