Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources, RAS (Moscow, Russia):

Eremenko V. A., Leading Researcher, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, e-mail: eremenko@ngs.ru

АМС Consultants Pty Ltd. (Perth, Australia):

Loushnikov V. N., Principal Mining Engineer

Sandy M. P., Director

“Nordgold Management” Ltd. (Moscow, Russia):

Milkin D. A., Principal Mining Engineer, Candidate of Engineering Sciences

Kholbinsky Mine, “Buryatzoloto” JSC (Ulan-Ude, Russia):

Milshin E. A., Chief Mine Surveyor

Formation mechanisms of concentrated stress zones are diverse out of varied types of destruction during mining, drivage and blasting. Deep-level mining calls for new mine engineering solutions in view of expansion of dense fracturing and high-rate creeping, higher level stresses and altered physico-mechanical properties of deep-level rocks. Drives are prime stress-concentrators. Unstable areas in rock masses feature plastic strains and distinct creeping in the line of the drive advance under the influence of high strata pressure. On evidence of field examination of complicated deep-level mining conditions at Kholbinsky Gold Mine, Buryatia, and considering advanced geotechnologies, the article offers procedural and technical–technological recommendations on drivage, support and stability of mine workings in highly fracturing and yielding rock masses. The authors describe the most efficient types of explosives, support structures, parameters and technologies to this effect.

1. Sosnovskiy L. I., Pavlov A. M., Sosnovskaya E. L., Filonyuk V. A., Stepantsov V. D., Nesterov E. A., Milshin E. A. Metodicheskie ukazaniya po opredeleniyu konstruktivnykh parametrov sistem razrabotki na rudnike «Kholbinskiy» Otkrytogo Aktsionernogo Obshchestva «Buryatzoloto» (Methodological regulations for definition of design factors of development systems at Holbinsky mine («Buryatzoloto» JSC)). Irkutsk : Irkutsk State Technical University, 2010, 56 p.
2. Zubkov A. V., Zoteev O. V., Krinitsyn R. V. Vybor i obosnovanie konstruktivnykh parametrov blokov pri sisteme podetazhnoy otboyki s magazinirovaniem rudy pri neustoychivykh vmeshchayushchikh porodakh dlya usloviy rudnika «Kholbinskiy». Otchet (Choice and substantiation of design factors of modules during the usage of sublevel breaking system with ore shrinkage in the presence of unstable adjoining rocks for the conditions of «Hlobinsky» mine. Report). Ekaterinburg : Innovation and Expert Center of Institute of Mining of Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 2008, 71 p.
3. Grimstad E. and Barton N. Updating the Q system for NMT. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Sprayed Concrete. Fagernes (eds. Kompen, Opsahl and Berg). Norwegian Concrete Association. Oslo, 1993.
4. Barton N. Application of Q-System and Index Tests to Estimate Shear Strength and Deformability of Rock Masses. Workshop on Norwegian Method of Tunneling. New Delhi, 1993, pp. 66–84.
5. Terzaghi K. Rock defects and loads in tunnel supports. Rock Tunneling with Steel Supports. R. V. Proctor and T. L. White (ends). The Commercial Shearing and Stamping Company. Youngstown, Ohio, 1946, pp. 17–99.
6. Singh M., Jethwa J. L., Dube A. K., Singh B. Correlation between observed support pressure and rock mass quality. Tunneling and Underground Space Technology, 1992, Vo1. 7, pp. 59–74.
7. Hoek E. Big tunnels in bad rock. ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 2001, Vol. 127, No. 9, September, pp. 726–740.
8. Potvin Y. and Hadjigeorgiou J. Ground support strategies to control large deformations in mining excavations. Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Ground Support in Mining and Civil Engineering Construction. Cape Town, South Africa, 2008, pp. 545–560.
9. Barton N., Lien R. and Lunde J. Engineering classification of rock masses for the design of tunnel support. Rock Mechanics, 1974, 6 (4), pp. 189–236.
10. Eremenko V. A., Razumov E. A., Zayatdinov D. F. Gornyy informatsionno-analiticheskiy byulleten – Mining Informational and Analytical Bulletin, 2012, No. 12, pp. 38–45.
11. Eremenko V. A., Razumov E. A., Zayatdinov D. F., Pozolotin A. S., Prokhvatilov S. A., Krasilov S. Yu. Gornyy informatsionno-analiticheskiy byulleten – Mining Informational and Analytical Bulletin, 2013, No. 5, pp. 20–29.
12. Louchnikov V., Brown S. and Bucher R. Mechanized installation of high-tensile chain-link mesh in underground operations. Proceedings of the 11th AusIMM Underground Operators' Conference. Canberra, Australia, 2011, March 21–23, pp. 40–60.