MODEL STUDIES ON THE STABILITY OF CONFINED FILLS

Stabilized backfills are used extensively for ground control in most bulk underground mining operations. The stability of the fill face during pillar ore removal is of prime concern and has been the subject of considerable research because of many factors, including the effects of wall interaction and the high costs of stabilization. Centrifuge modelling data presented in this paper clearly show that fill confined between sloped walls, which is the most common prototype condition, is much more stable than fill between vertical rock walls, a condition previously studied. This study also shows that wall roughness contributes substantially to the fill stability and that current design criteria are quite conservative. Data from stress transducers, mounted on centrifuge strongboxes to monitor stress changes on the fill boundaries during gravitational stress simulations, show that fill arching and wall shear effects are responsible for the improved stability of confined fills.

• Corporate Authors:

  National Research Council of Canada

  Research Journals
  Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6,   Canada 
• Authors:
  • Mitchell, R J
• Publication Date: 1989-5

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 210-216
• Serial:
  • CANADIAN GEOTECHNICAL JOURNAL
  • Volume: 26
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: National Research Council of Canada

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Arching (Soils); Backfilling; Mines; Stability (Mechanics)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Lateral stress
• Old TRIS Terms: Backfills
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; I42: Soil Mechanics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00485405
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 31 1989 12:00AM