INCLINE TOP-SLICING METHOD

Incline Top-slicing Method

BY w. a. SCOTT,' METCALP, A n I z .

(New York Meeting, February, 1918)

INTRODUCTION

SINCEdevising the incline top-slicing method in use at the Coronado

mine,l I have had numerous inquiries as to how the same system could be
adapted to larger orebodies.
Based upon our experience here, I have outlined below some sugges-
tions for its application to orebodies of larger size. Modifications and
extensions, of course, would have to be made to take care of different
dimensions and irregularities.
In order that one may have a better understanding of the scheme, a
brief description of the Coronado method will be given first.

CORONADO METHOD

The portion of the Coronado vein that is worked by the slicing system
ranges from 20 to 40 ft. (6 to 12 m.) in width. Preparatory work in this
orebody consists of driving sub-levels every 55 ft. (16.77 m.) vertically, or
in multiples of 11 ft. (3.36 m.) (which is the height of a slice). These
levels are i~suallydriven s l ~ n gthe hanging wall untii the end of the
orebody is reached. Crosscuts, at right angles to the strike, 50 ft. (15.24
m.) apart, are then run from wall to wall, or until the lean ore is reached.
They are run in the middle of the block, which is 50 ft. in length and the
width of the vein. The crosscut on the hanging-wall side is extended in
the wall a short distance for a manway and timberway raise. This raise
is carried up in the wall to the sub-level above, leaving a pillar about 5
ft. in thickness between it and the vein. Connections are made every 11
- - - -

* Supt. Coronrtdo Division, Arizona Copper Co., Ltd.

'Described by P. B. Scotland in Engineering & Mining Journal (Apr. 7,1917),103,
561.
VOL. m.-ZO.
306 INCLINE TOP-SLICING METHOD

ft. which serve as entrances to the shrinkages as they ascend and to the
slices as they descend.
The shrinkage stope, about 4 ft. in width, is then started over the
crosscut; this extends from wall to wall and up to the sub-level or stope
above, as the case may be. Drawing-off doors are placed in the crosscut
near the ce ter of the shrinkage stope. I n our case, two have been found
sufficient to handle a stope up to 40 ft. in width. These doors are ar-
ranged to divert the ore from the stope directly into the haulage-level
chute. Every Mock of ground is provided with one of these chutes
directly from the stope to the haulage level, thus avoiding all transferring.
These chutes, incidentally, are taken in with the shrinkage in the suc-
ceeding lift. When a block is finished down to a sub-level, a drop is made
to the next one and repeated with crosscuts and manway, and'lengthen-
ing out the chute into a shrinkage stope. A study of Fig. 5 illustrates
these various stages.
The proportion of preparatory work runs about as follows for a block
of ground 40 ft. wide, 50 ft. long, and 55 ft. vertically between subs, which
will produce about 9000 tons of ore. One foot of preliminary work is
required for every 65 tons of ore recovered, the drifts and crosscubs being
in ore while the raise would be in waste.

Referring to Fig. 5, "A" shows the shrinkage drawn down ready to

begin slicing. The first procedure is to start to lay a grizfily of regular
10-ft. (3.05-m.) stulls across the shrinkage, leaving an opening of about 12
in. (0.3 m.) between them. The ground is cut out to accommodate the
full-length stull. As this work proceeds, sets shown at "B" are erected
to catch up the mat above, which at this part of the stope happens to be a
similar grizzly to the one just described. These sets are composed of
regular stulls and set with considerable batter, the posts resting directly
on the ground; sometimes set on footboards if the ground is soft. Caps
for these posts are placed a t right angles to the grizzly stulls of the
previous slice. Fillers or braces, consisting of pieces of stulls about 4 ft.
(1.3 m.) long are placed between these caps, thus preventing them from
.coming together. Placing the sets at an angle prevents the posts break-
ing down the edge of the shrinkage, in fact, strengthens it, as the overhead
weight is thrown directly against the edge. This procedure is continued
until the opposite side of the stope is reached.
((
C" shows the process of the incline slice commencing at the far side
first. Panels 10 ft. (3.05 m.) wide are carried up on each side of the
shrinkage until the end-line or mat of adjoining stope is reached. As
the work advances, 10-ft. stulls are laid down as silk. Flooring of 2 by
 W. a. SCOTT

12 plank 12 ft. long is spiked to the sills, which forms a slide for the ore,
diverting it into th& shrinkage stope. The flooring directly over the
shrinkage is laid lengthwise with the latter on top of the grizzly stulls.
There are numerous advantages in laying the sills. They serve as a
foundation for the flooring which is spiked to them. When the succeed-
ing slice below is started, these sills, which answer as caps, $Ye already in
place; thus the laborious work of lifting them up is avoided. As the slice
advances, the caps being already in place gives an opportunity for catch-
ing up an exposed part with a stull before it is entirely undermined, thus
avoidi~ghaving to expose a large section of mat at one time, as would be
the case if it were necessary to blast out enough ground to accommodate a
full set at once. The practice is, whenever the end of a cap is exposed
enough for a post, to stand i t up. This keeps it in place until the other end
is exposed enough for a post, and so on until the panel is completed. By
this method, we very seldom have a broken mat (a rare thing in top
slicingj. Special care must be taken to make a good job of the timbering
over the shrinkage. If this trough is properly timbered and not allowed
to start moving, and if the caps are caught up well in the inclines as soon
as they are exposed, little trouble will be experienced throughout the
stope.
If the stope is over 30 ft. (9 m.j in width, it is usually shot down and a
new section started. Fig. 6 is a \ongitudinal section through the stope,
showing a panel worked out and shot down. It illustrates the condition
of the caved mat, and also brings out considerable detail connected with
the system.
Fig. 7 shows conditions of the mat of an adjoining stope of a worked-
out section.
The floor is carried up a t an angle of about 33" from the horizontal.
This angle allows most of the broken ore to roll down directly into the
shrinkage. Occasionally some of it needs a little coaxing, which is done
with a shovel bent over in the shape of a hoe. The stulls for supporting
the overburden are stood up a t about an angle of 17" from the vertical.
This has proven ths best mgle t~ prevent them fxom ridirlg, with a
minimum chance of being shot out. The top ends are curved or hollowed
out a few inches to conform to the circumference of the cap. The bot-
tom is set on the ground, and not on the sills.
Table 1 shows a comparison for the last 12 months, taken over the
alicing portion of the orebody.
??? ? .0 ? .O 0
. 0 0 0 0
W N N 0) KJ N W W ~ b b b
o m w w 0
m o m 8 Do 3- $ -
 w. G. SCOTT 309
The stope crew draw off the ore from the shrinkage as required, hoist
their own timber, and, in fact, do everything connected directly with the
stope.
I t is only natural that as the workmen become more familiar with
the operation of the system i t will tend to increase still further the
efficiency obtained.

1. Dispenses with shovelers, cars or wheelbarrows; unnecessary in

the stopes.
2. Cheaper production; tons per man can easily be doubled.
3. Larger production from a given section of ground. When 50-ft.
(15-m.) limit is reached the stope is shot down, allowing another to be
started immediately underneath without delay.
4. Less preparatory work and'expense for upkeep, especially with the
shrinkage method.
5. With ordinary flat-slicing methods, the men may never work again
under the mat they lay, where with the incline method as shown, as
soon as a section is completed the same crew is started on the succeeding
slice underneath, thus they are always working under their own matt.
This has proven to be a matter of great importance, a poor and broken
mat being practically a thing of the past.
6. As the stope crews are confined to a block, they always use the
same chutes or shrinkages until the block is completed. The tonnage,
therefore, is easily kept track of, and the efficiency factor of each crew
of men can be readily obtained with accuracy.
During almost a year'g use, no disadvantages have yet developed with
this system.
INCLINE TOP-SLICING METHOD AS APPLICABLE TO LARGER ORE-
BODIES

In laying out the orebody for stoping operations, it is cut up by sub-

ievels into 50-ft. (15-m.) blocks (see Fig. 1 and 2, showing methods 1
and 2 ) . A drift is run through the center block lengthwise of the orebody.
From this drift crosscuts are run a t right angles every 50 ft. t o the end of
the block. They are run every 55 ft. (16.77 m.) vertically or in mul-
tiples of 11 ft. (3.36 m.) (which is the height of a slice). They should be
run directly above one another, and are practically duplicates in so far
as the size of the orebody on the different levels will permit. They are
run off center in relation to the block lines in order to allow the shrinkages
and chutes to be carried up in the middle of the blocks. This allows for
better drawing-off conditions from the chutes, provided i t is necessary
to transfer the ore on the sub-levels as at Fig. 5.
310 INCLINE TOP-SLICING METHOD

The preparatory work necessary in method 1, using small shrink-

age stopes for chutes (see Fig. 1 and 3, plan and cross-section of method
I), would be 200 ft. (60 m.) of drifting, and 150 ft. of raising for manways

BLOCK NO. 1.

FIG. 1.-PLAN OF METHOD 1, WITH SMALL SHRINKAGEB INSTEAD OF CHUTES.

X -Y

BLOCK NO. 12.

FIG.2.-PLAN OF METHOD 2, USING ALL CHUTES.

and timberways, amounting in all to 350 ft. This section would contain
practically 35,000 tons of ore (based on factors in this district), which
would show a production of practically 100 tons of ore for every foot of
 W. G. SCOTT 311
preparatory work. The shrinkages are not counted in this. They are
run 3 or 4 ft. in width through the block and from sub to~3ub(see Fig. 3).
They produce a good tonnage from the start. A11 this work would be
in ore. No arrangement is shown for disposing of the ore. It is recom-
mended that drawing-off chutes be placed at each sub where the surplus

I ~ L O G K140.1. I BLOCK NO. 2. I BLOCK NO.& I

I I r f t I I

Sd' I
50'
I
M i m o o ND 1. S c o ~ l o nr n w w a n X-Y

FIG. 3.-SECTION OF
' METHOD 1.

can be drawn off as required, either into cars and run to transfer chutes,
or the chutes from below be arranged to come up into each block and the
ore diverted into them direct from the drawing-off chutes (the latter is
the Coronado practice). These chutes, later, would answer for part of
the shrinkage as the blocks worked downward (see Fig. 5). \

, .LOCK NO. 7. BLOCK NO. 6. . BLOCK NO. 0 ,

kET-oD NO 2 SEOTION Tnmomn X-3

FIG.4.-SECTION OF METHOD 2.
.
I n method 2, using all chutes (Fig. 2 and 4)) plan and cross-section
respectively, the preparatory work would be considerably more, amount-
ing to 200 ft. (60 m.) of drifting and 450 ft. of raising, in all 650 ft., which
would produce approximately 55 tons of ore for every foot of preparatory
312 INCLINE TOP-SLICING METHOD

work. This would likewise be all in ore. The drawing off of the ore a t
the sub-level would be the same as in method 1.
Break-throughs or connections, every 11 ft. vertically, as shown in
cross-sections 3 and 4, are run from the manways into the slices and are
not figured in, they being taken care of with the stopes as required.

With either method, the operation of the slices would be the same.
Panels 10 ft. (3 m.) wide are started up on a 33' incline a t right angles
to the shrinkages or line of chutes. They are always started a t the side

"Y"
SUB
LEVEL
DRIFT
"W"
DRAW-
ING
OFF
DOURS

FIG. 5.-LONGITUDINAL
AND CROSS-SECTION SHOWING PROCEDURE AT VARIOUS
BTAGES I N EITHER METHOD.

farthest from the manway and run up until the end of the block or mat
of adjoining one is reached, and repeated, retreating towards the man-
way the panels are shot down as fast as they are worked out (see Fig. 6).
Referring to method 1, or the shrinkage method, it will be noticed
that it provides manways in the clear of the ore being immediately
stoped, so no extra precaution need be observed for a safe retreat, while
with method 2, or all-chute method, the reverse is the case.

Details Connected with Method 1

Stope out blocks'l and 3 first. Entrance to stopes is made through
manways "A" and "B," block 2, when blocks 1 and 3 are stoped out
down to the Erst sub-level. Stoping can then be started on block
 w. Q. SCOTT 313

2, entrance being made through manway "C" in block 5. Entrance

to blocks can be made through either top or bottom sub, as is most
convenient.
After blocks 1 and 3 are stoped out a couple of floors, and it is decided
that block 2 should start producing, entrance can be made to blocks 1

FIG. 6.-LONGITUDINAL SECTION THROUGH A BLOCK SHOWING CONDITION OF A

STOPED-OUT PANEL A n E R BEING SHOT DOWN.

TRANSVER~E THROUGH A
&
& L- a
FIG. 7.-SECTION AT THE END OF A STOPE SHOWING CONDITION OF THE END OF
AN ADJOINING BLOCK.

and 3 from.sub-level below, while entrance to block 2 can be made from

sub-level above. Manways "A" and "B" can be bulkheaded over and
filled with ore, so there need be no interruption in working the three
blocks together in this manner. However, if the latter idea can be
314 INCLINE TOP-BLICING METHOD

avoided, it would simplify the working conditions if the side blocks could
be kept 55 ft. in advance of the middle ones, this being the distance be-
tween sub-levels. When the mine is once gotten into that shape, the
entire area can then be stoped without interruption. By keeping the
middle blocks one sub-level higher all the time, the ventilation of the
side blocks would be greatly improved. From a safety point of view, the
nature of the-ground might not permit cutting these middle blocks or
pillars through the center with a shrinkage stope as shown. If there is
any doubt about the advisability of this, the shrinkage stope could be
left out and a chute run up in the center instead. Thus the block could
be mined out as in method 2.
Repeat in the same way with the adjoining blocks, 4,5, 6, etc. The
manway ('C" in block 5 will be included in the shrinkage when the latter
is brought,up in that block.
Break-throughs are run every 11 ft. (3.36 m.) from the manways.
They serve as entrances to the shrinkages as they ascend and to the slices
as they descend (see cross-section, Fig. 3 and 4).
The manways are all divided off with a timberway on one side.

Details Connected with Method 2

If the ground is too soft to permit the use of shrinkage stopes, chutes
can be used throughout instead.
Referring to blocks 7, 8, and 9, stope blocks 7 and 9 down to the sub-
level first, entrances being made through manways "Dl" in block 8.
This will necessitate cutting through from "F" to "I1' and from "D"
to "A" on each floor before starting the slice. This cut, taken out 11
ft. high to the mat overhead, would be producing from the start and
should not make much of a break in the tonnage. The tops of the chutes
could be inclined toward each other until they almost meet (see cross-
section, Fig. 4), which ought to make the production of the stope prac-
tically as high as if it had the shrinkage through the center, as in method
1. By having entrances through "D" and "F," block 8, only, it would
be necessary to finish 7 and 9 down to the sub-level before starting to
stope block 8. This would reduce the number of manways, only two
being necessary for the three blocks. If it is not considered advisable
to hold the middle block up while the two outside blocks are being stoped
out to the sub-level, a manway in each of the blocks 7 and 9 could be
added, such as "C " and " G," in which case one of the manways in block
8 could be omitted. This would provide an independent manway for
each block, but it is a question whether it will be as convenient as it
looks; for, in this method we have to figure on a final retreat a t the wind
up of each slice. This would be simplified by centering on one of the
manways in block 8, such as "D," in which case we will consider blocks
 DISCUSSION 315
7 and 9 finished down to the sub-level, entrance to same being already
explained.
To proceed with block 8, a cut is taken across the stope in the regular
way, and up to the mat overhead, connecting chutes "D," "El" "F."
Slicing is then started at "F," retreating back, panel after panel, until
"D" is reached. All the stoped portion is blasted down, leaving a panel
intact around "D." Some extra reinforcing may be necessary to make
sure of holding this manway open. This remaining panel is then worked
out quickly and shot down. If independent manways were used in each
block, the extra precaution for a final retreat would have to be made with
each one, where with the method just described the final retreat can be
centered on one.
The same procedure is repeated in adjoining blocks, 10, 11, 12, etc.

If the ground is quite firm, method 1,with the shrinkage stopes, would
be recommended. For example, ground that would hold raises without
having to be timbered would be perfectly safe. If there is any doubt
about the shrinkages not holding, chutes had better be resorted to, as
described in method 2.
The monthly tonnage that could be expected from each of these 50-ft.
blocks, working two shifts, would be between 2500 and 3000 tons. If
the ore is soft, that could probably be exceeded.
The scheme as described is intended for an orebody about 150 ft. in
width, a few feet more or less would make no difference with the proposed
design. A much greater width would probably require another set of
drifts and crosscuts. Branches or swells that would interfere could be
handled separately, something on the order of the Coronado system (see
Fig. 5).
DISCUSSION
C. A. MITRE,* R;shee, A r k !written discussi~nt).-The advantages
of the incline-dicing system have been ably pointed out by Mr. Scott,
and also by Mr. P. B. Scotland in the Engineering & Mining Journal,
Apr. 7, 1917. From the standpoint of efficiency and economy this
method is far superior to the top-slice system as generally practised.
IIowever, as regards ventilation, and the danger of mine fires, it is just
as necessary to use a mechanical ventilating system in mines worked by
this method as it is in those worked by the horizontal top-slice system.
Mechanical ventilation not only improves working conditions in top-slice

* Assistant Consulting Mining Engineer, Phelps, Dodge & Co.

t Received Feb. 1, 1918. -
316 INCLINE TOP-SLICING METHOD

stopes but, if properly designed for the particular mine in question, per-
mits an immediate attack to be made in the event of a mine fire with a
greater degree of safety to the men.
I n the course of time, incline top-slicing will probably take the place
of the horizontal top-slicing system just as the incline cut-and-fll has
superseded the horizontal cut-and-fill stoping method. While incline
top-slicing has been tried in several districts on a very limited scale with
inconclusive results, the Coronado is the only large mine at which it has
yet been thoroughly tested, and there it proved to be a complete success.
As Mr. Scott's figures show, the tonnage has been more than doubled,
with a simultaneous reduction in costs.
As has been the history with all other innovations in mining, con-
siderable hesitation will probably be shown in introducing this method
in other mines. For example, when the incline cut-and-fill system was
put forward as a substitute for the horizontal cut-and-iill stoping method,
many mining men of good repute were doubtful of its success and post-
poned its introduction as long as possible, giving as their reason certain
geologic conditioris which would make the incline cut-and-fill impracti-
cable. At the present time, most of the mining companies in the South-
west, who in the past had used the horizontal cut-and-fill system, have
already changed over, or are in the process of changing, and have proved
that in the majority of cases horizontal cut-and-fill stopes can be success-
fully operated under the incline cut-and-fill system. Large horizontal
cut-And-fill stopes can now be found in only a few exceptional cases, and
i t is reasonable to believe that economic pressure and a desire for greater
safety will ultimately influence the operators in changing their present
methods to the incline cut-and-fill system.
One of the objections to the old horizontal cut-and-fill system is that
in large open stopes the back is often 25 ft. above the men. This pre-
sents a very dangerous condition, as the roof is too far removed to be
tested daily. This method is also very inefficient as all the ore in the
stope must be shoveled and handled in wheelbarrows or trammed in
cars to the chutes, whence it is drawn out of the stope, while all the waste
rock must be handled in the same way in order to refill the stope. Even
though expensive machinery is suggested for replacing muckers for hand-
ling all the ore and waste, nevertheless, it would appear to be working
against fate to devise a complicated machine as a substitute for the
simpler way of handling the ore and waste by gravity with the incline
cut-and-fill system.
The two cut-and-fill systems mentioned above are applicable only to
ground that will stand without timber, while the horizontal and incline
top-slicing methods are used in softer ground requiring a large amount of
timber. The incline system worked out by Mr. Scott and his organiza-
tion demonstrates that the mucker can-be-eliminated entirely-and the ore
 DISCUSSION 317
handled by gravity, without the aid of expensive mucking machinery,
or the skilled men which such machinery necessitates.
The problem of changing a stope which has been carried up by hori-
zontal top-slicing to the incline method is somewhat more complicated
than that of changing from the horizontal to the incline cut-and-fill
system. For example, a block of ground which has been developed for
horizontal top-slicing usually contains soft ore and will not always per-
mit a small shrinkage stope to be carried up. In such cases, raises have
been suggested, and, of course, this ground would also have to be re-
developed for incline top-slicing. At the Coronsdo mine, however, ihe
ground is hard enough to allow the use of a small shrinkage stope
which takes the place of wide chutes or storage pockets.
In introducing the incline top-slicing system in other mines it will
be advisable to test it for stoping small orebodies until the organiza-
tion and crew become familiar with it, after which it may be applied to
the larger oiebodies. I believe a gradual introduction of this system will
ultimately result in its wider application to the mining of practically all
large orebodies formerly worked by the horizontal system.
Two of the objections that have been made regarding the incline
top-slice are: (1) as the ore cannot be sorted, it is necessary to turn both
ore and waste into the same chutes; (2) as the back is on an incline the
posts are not vertical and the stope is not so safe a working place as one
mined by the horizontal system.
As regards the sorting of the ore, experience has proved that the ore is
being mined cleaner with the incline system than with. the horizontal, for
the reason that the mat has not been seriously broken and therefore no
large amount of waste from the capping comes into the stope, as it does
with the horizontal system. It is also evident that a separate raise a t the
end of the shrinkage stope, or in the adjacent country rock, could be
driven in case i t were found necessary to sort a small amount of waste
rock from the ore: The shrinkage stope would necessarily have to be
floored over temporarily while the waste rock was being sorted out and
trammed to the waste raise. After the ore had been carefully snrted, t h s
floor could be taken up and the ore allowed to drop into the shrinkage
stope.
An inclined stope has also proved as safe as those formerly worked by the
horizontal method a t the Coronado. Since Mr. Scott's paper was written,
a strike was declared which lasted several months. This was followed
by a mine fire in some of these incline stopes and the mine was closed
down for a period of nearly six months. During this entire time not a
single stope caved (excepting the fire stope, which burned out) and very
few timbers were broken. This compares very favorably with horizontal
stopes, which often cave when allowed to stand open for only a short
length of time.