MECHANICAL ROCK

BREAKAGE

PRESENTATION BY: GODFREY MOENG MONYAKENG

CIVIL DEPARTMENT
LEVEL: 400
ID: 201704996
Learning outcomes

 Rock Breakage
 -Principle of Rock Breakage
 -Mechanical Rock Breakage machines
 -Advantages and disadvantages of Each Rock
Breakage machine
 -Future developments
Rock Breakage Principle

 The rock breakage principle is based on the need to overcome the bond
breakage and abrasive energy.
 Every rock is an aggregate of different minerals which were formed during
magmatic processes
 Each mineral has a lattice, hence influencing the final properties of the rock
such as its hardness, lustre, bonding type etc.
Pre-liminary studies

 Rock mass classification

 In-situ rock tests( Core logging, UCS)
 Rock mass rating
 Soil tests
Mechanical Rock Breakage Machines

 Tunnel Boring machine

 Raise borer
 Continuous Miner
 Water jet Cutter
Tunnel Boring Machine(TBM)

 Tunnelling is simply the construction of an open passage, circular in cross

section
 Normally open at both ends
 One end is the excavation shaft whilst the other is for retrieval
 TBM dimensions include
TBM( continuation)
Advantages of TBM

 Continuous process
 Very high performance is observed where the rock strata is incompetent
against the chosen cutter head
Disadvantages of TBM

- High capital costs

- Longer mobilization time
- Low progress rate in hard strata
- Need for regular Maintenance due to lubricating moving parts, changing cutter tools,
extending power cables and conveyor belt as TBM advances
Future Development of TBM

Both in China mines, still prior for further

study
Raise Borer

 Raise Boring Machine is one that connects two levels of a mine

 It is constructed for either purposes of ventilation or ore passes.
 Maximum reaming diameter can go upto 5 m with inclinations upto a
minimum of 40 degrees and 90 degrees maximum(With respect to horizontal)
to compensate for radial and tangential stresses induced on circular openings.
 Application of Raise boring can be found in any underground mine operation
such as the Gold Mine in Finland.
Raise
Borer(Continuation)

 It can be carried out in two

ways depending on several
factors influencing the choice
of selection.
 Upward piloting method and
downward piloting method.
Advantages of Raise boring

 The most important advantage is that it is safer since it is a method which does not use
explosives
 Construction of round profiled hole
Disadvantages of Raise boring

 Drilling trajectory control of pilot hole becomes a problem over long distances.
 Requires careful application of rock mechanics and stability.
 It may delay production if the machine is placed in a level where stoping is to take
place
Future developments

 - Raise Boring for large diameters of circular holes( very benefitioal for ore
passes)
 Shift from stationery to self sustained mobile raise borer
Continuous Miner

 It is used underground to scrape and shear soft deposits such as those of coal
 Has a self-contained conveyor belt system for transportation to loading bay
Advantages

 -Continuous process and hence production is high

 Ability to operate the machine outside cabin is an added advantage to safety of the
operator
Disadvantages

 Machine becomes incompetent to discontinuous hardness of the deposit

 It is compulsory to have 2 or more shuttle cars and a two boom roof bolter if one
considers to use a continuous miner
 It requires careful maintenance of roof through application of roof bolting, mesh
installation
Future Developments

 Ability to use the same machine in hard deposits( tests still ongoing in
Australia to modify the bits)
Water Jet Cutter

 It is a high pressure system( around 6.2 Bar) which uses water mixed with
highly abrasive substances directed at a point to induce cutting
 Such Highly abrasive substances Include glass, Lexan and Lucite.
 Applicable to any rock substance.
Advantages

 Very Flexible due to the ability to application in very confined spaces where
no normal machine can fit.
 It is used only as an alternative source of cutting rock in underground
operations.
 In coal mines it suppresses the dust by 65%
 Application can be found in Congo Copper mine.
Disadvantages

 Consumes a lot of power due to use of multi pumps to generate the required
pressure is a major concern.
Summary
Feasibility
studies(Initial)

Continuous In- Careful

Situ planning
environmental
tests

Choice of
selection of
Rock Breakage
Machine
REFERENCES
 Darling, P., 2011. SME, Mining Engineering handbook. 3rd ed. United States of America: Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc.
 E.T.Brown, B. a., 2005. Rock Mechanics for Underground Minig. 3rd ed. London: KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS.
 Hashish, M., 1998. Visualization of the abrasive-waterjet cutting process. [Online]
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[Accessed February 2021].
 Klein, C., 2021. Britannica. [Online]
Available at: https://www.britannica.com/science/rock-geology
[Accessed February 2021].
 Liu, Z., 2016. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical engineering. [Online]
Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674775515000062
[Accessed February 2021].
 Marshak, S., 2004. Earth Structure. 2nd Ed ed. London: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
 Modi, J., 2017. Researchgate. [Online]
Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312947652_Applicability_of_Continuous_Miner_in_Room_and_Pillar_Mining_System_Higher_Productio
n_and_Productivity_with_Safety
[Accessed February 2021].
 R.K.Goel, 2012. Science Direct. [Online]
Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/tunnel-boring-machine
[Accessed February 2021].
 Rao, D., 2009. National Conference on Scientific Achievements of SC & ST Scientists & Technologists. [Online]
Available at: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=water+jet+cutter&btnG=
[Accessed February 2021].
 Singh, B., 2011. Rock Mass quality for Open Tunnel Boring Machines. [Online]
Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/tunnel-boring-machine
[Accessed February 2021].