Method and apparatus for use in stope backfill mining
AssigneeM2P Engineering Pty Ltd
InventorAdam Beswick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for forming a passage in stope backfill material includes steps of: a) providing an expandable void forming apparatus at a lower level relative to an unexcavated stope; b) expanding the void forming apparatus, such that a substantially liquid-impermeable seal is formed between the void forming apparatus and the unexcavated stope; c) pouring backfill material into a void formed by the excavation of a stope adjacent to the unexcavated stope, and allowing the backfill material to at least partially cure such that the void forming apparatus forms a passage between the unexcavated stope and the backfill material; and d) contracting the void forming apparatus and removing the void forming apparatus from the passage.
Claims20
A method for use in stope backfill mining, the method comprising:
- providing an expandable void forming apparatus at a lower level relative to an unexcavated stope, wherein a portion of the expandable void forming apparatus extends beyond an edge of the unexcavated stope and into a void formed by excavation of an adjacent stope;
- providing an expandable barrier member configured to extend upwardly from the expandable void forming apparatus from or adjacent a lower level relative to an unexcavated towards an upper level relative to the unexcavated stope;
- expanding the void forming apparatus, such that a substantially liquid-impermeable seal is formed between the void forming apparatus and the unexcavated stope;
- expanding the barrier member such that a substantially liquid-impermeable seal is formed between the barrier member and the unexcavated stope;
- pouring backfill material into the void, and allowing the backfill material to at least partially cure such that i) the void forming apparatus forms a passage between the unexcavated stope and the backfill material, and ii) the barrier member forms a slot void between the unexcavated stope and the backfill material;
- contracting the barrier member and removing the barrier member from the slot void;
- and
- contracting the void forming apparatus and removing the void forming apparatus from the passage.
A system for use in stope backfill mining, the apparatus comprising:
- a void forming apparatus including:
- an inflatable member;
- an outer layer at least partially surrounding the inflatable member,
- wherein the inflatable member is inflatable between a contracted condition and an expanded condition in which the void forming apparatus forms a substantially continuous void forming surface;
- and
- a barrier member including:
- an elongate inflatable member;
- and
- an elongate outer layer at least partially surrounding the elongate inflatable member,
- wherein the elongate inflatable member is inflatable between a contracted condition and an expanded condition in which the barrier member forms a substantially continuous elongate slot void forming surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.