ABSTRACT
Block caving is a bulk mining method used to extract metallic ore bodies from below ground. Once the mine is developed and the caving started, the rest of the mining process is relatively simple. The broken ore fills the draw points and the muck is removed by loaders or scrapers. The larger the bucket size the larger the production rate. A mine can reach a production rate of 25,000 tpd with twelve loaders and five trucks. In practice however, several factors will undermine this ideal situation. Often, the drifts are damaged by blasting or blocked by roof failure and need to be repaired, the draw points are plugged by boulders and need to be dislodged, or finally, the loaders are too smoky and need to be maintained. All these factors affect the ventilation system either by increasing the mine resistance or by increasing the amount of contaminants generated in the mine.
