ABSTRACT
Raise boring machine is one of the preferred mechanical excavation machines that used for drilling/excavation of different shafts in mining and tunneling industries. The geological and geotechnical knowledge is one of the important factors for implementation of the shaft projects. This study aims to analyze the effects of uniaxial compressive strength, Brazilian tensile strength, and elasticity modulus on the performance of a raise boring machine (daily advance rate, consumed gross reamerhead torque and power, net pulling force, instantaneous penetration rate, unit penetration, and field specific energy) during the reaming operation of two shafts in the Balya lead-zinc underground mine. The field investigation indicated that besides the physical-mechanical properties of the excavated rocks, the other factors such as mechanical (machine related) and operational parameters should be considered for performance evaluation of a raise boring machine.
