ABSTRACT
South African gold and platinum mines commonly utilise narrow tabular mining for ore extraction. The removal of the ore body leaves open voids with stoping widths that can exceed 2 m in some mines. Props and cementitious grout packs are used extensively as stope support systems to stabilize the rock mass of the voids and to reduce the risks associated with rockfalls and rockbursts. The construction of grout packs for support follows the stope face advance and mining production is inter alia dependant on the production profile of the grout packs. The grout pack production system of a mine generally consists of a surface mixing plant and a reticulation system to the underground workings. A cementitious grout slurry is prepared at the mixing plant and is pumped to the underground stopes for filling of grout packs positioned between the hanging wall and footwall. Construction of grout packs in stopes is labour intensive and requires planning to ensure that the grout pack production profile meets the mining production profile. To determine the planned monthly grout volumes of a mining operation a variety of parameters need to be considered. These parameters should be accurately estimated at the start of a production month and are based inter alia on historical data and the mining plan of the operation. This paper presents a method to assist mining staff in estimating the required grout pack production profile, determining the required capacity of grout plants and reconciliation of the actual and planned grout pack production profile for a production month.
