CHAPTER 6 SHAFT SUPPORT AND LINING

CHAPTER 6
SHAFT SUPPORT AND LINING

6.0 Introduction

Shafts, like all underground excavations, are subjected to stresses resulting from
pressure readjustment in the surrounding wall rock. These weaken the surrounding
country rock with resultant failure and eventual collapse of the opening. In order to prevent
this happening in the shaft, artificial supports are usually introduced to hold the sides of
the shaft and keep them open for the duration of mining operations.

6.1 Types of Shaft Support

These include:
i. Timber or steel or pre-cast concrete frames or sets.
ii. Concrete ring poured in place and spaced at intervals (monolithic pour).
iii. Continuous lining of brick, stone, C-I Tubbing or concrete poured in place designed
to exclude water and to resist ground pressure.

Choice of Type of Support: This depends on several factors, chief among which are: -
• Nature of ground and water conditions
• Shape of the shaft (whether circular, rectangular, etc.)
• Cost of materials.

Generally, in countries of abundant timber costs could be low and therefore timbering
could be an obvious choice if a rectangular shaft is being sunk. Timbering could however,
be very costly. Furthermore, unless the timber is seasoned properly it involves fire hazard.
In swelling ground, the wall creeps slowly but gives ample time warning of eminent failure.

Steel sets also require timber lagging and therefore poses fire hazard. Both timber and
steel supports are most suited for rectangular and square shafts.

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Concrete, on the other hand, does not present any immediate fire hazards. It fits any shaft
section when poured in place, either as a monolith or in continuous pour. Concrete is
most suitable for shafts of long life span.

Design of Shaft Supports: In designing shaft supports for strength there are no exact
rules for computing pressures. The most important thing is to note that all lining must be
able to withstand the impact of falling cage or skip should the hoisting rope break.
Allowance should also be made bad for ground or excessive water that may increase the
pressure on the shaft walls.
To anchor all framed support, including Tubbing and masonry lining, special anchorage
such as wedging cribs or bearer sets that rest in hitches cut into the walling of the shaft
are provided at regular intervals of say, 10-30 m all the way down the shaft. In the case
of concrete lining, continuous linings are usually poured to many or all points and keyed
into the shaft walls.

6.2. Timber Sets

In Ghana today, this method has largely been superseded by concrete and steel supports.
However, to enable students appreciate similarity between timbering and steel support
the method is discussed with the help of Figs. 6.1 and 6.2.

6.3. Steel Sets

These are of structural shapes that are arranged and named in similar manner as
members of the timber sets. The wall plates act as beams under lateral pressure while
the end plates act as columns under axial pressure of ground. The dividers act as columns
in vertical shafts, while in moving ground or inclined shafts that are subject to creeping of
the hanging wall they may also resist bending due to their rigid connection. The Posts act
as columns, unless bending produces distortion of the shaft support. The members of the
sets are joined with flanges and bolted together. Guides for steel sets are normally of

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wood, although steel is sometimes used.

Shaft steel components may be preserved against early destruction (rusting), by painting
with a composition made up as follows: 8 parts tar, 1-part kerosene, and 1-part cement.

Figure 6.1 Examples of Timber Sets

Other preservation methods are:

i) Guniting of the steel surface by first cleaning the component and then covering it with

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chicken wire reinforcement and then spraying with concrete; and

ii) by filling the troughs of H- and I- beams with concrete to prevent water, which is the
source of rusting and decay, from collecting in these troughs.

Figure 6.2 Shaft Timbering

6.4. Concrete Lining

The types of concrete lining are:

i. Precast and reinforced concrete frames, similar to timber and steel sets, and
installed likewise in place;
ii. Concrete poured in place in the shaft as monoliths (i.e. concrete lining in horizontal
bands with bare rocks in between the bands at intervals);
iii. Concrete poured in a continuous lining to exclude water; and

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iv. Concrete in the form of slabs or Tubbing or blocks.

Advantages of concrete lined Shafts

i. The best sinking time has been achieved using concrete lining;
ii. Concrete lined shaft sections provide the greatest strength factor for ground support;
iii. Have best airflow characteristics and therefore provide the most effective ventilation
in shafts;
iv. Have lowest maintenance requirements;
v. Can be easily stripped to another hoisting configuration or to a ventilation shaft
without disturbing ground conditions;
vi. Provides easier water-control sealing-off conditions; and
vii. Rehabilitation of any damaged section can be accomplished much more easily than
in any other type of shaft, should damage occur.

Concrete Pour System:

Two basic methods are available:

1. The successive or alternate (American) method;
2. The simultaneous or synchronous or parallel (South African) method.

Alternate Method: Typically, the shaft is drilled, blasted, and mucked until the required
depth of pour has been excavated (e.g. 8 m). The next round is then blasted and the
muck left in place. From the last concrete pour a measurement is taken to the top of the
muck pile. The Base Ring is then lowered onto the muck pile and followed by the concrete
forms. These are then fixed and bolted to the previous pour and also to the Base Ring.
The concrete is mixed on the surface and sent down the shaft through pipelines or hoses
or by the skip or bucket into a Remix Kettle on the stage above where the concrete is to
be poured. From this kettle it is led through doors into the concrete forms. As soon as the
last concrete is poured mucking of the last blast is undertaken, and excavation cycle
repeated. The process is continued until the entire shaft has been lined.
To enable guides, dividers, power lines/cables, pipelines etc., to be installed in the shaft

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steel inserts are bolted on the inside of the forms and are cast in the concrete.
Before concrete is poured water flow should be stopped. Grouting or venting through
pipes in the forms achieves this. By this action separation of concrete from the aggregates
is prevented.
The thickness of the lining ranges between 0.2 m and 0.5 m. The concrete mixture is in
the ratio of 1: 2: 4 or 1: 3: 6 cement: sand: aggregates respectively. They also may be in
heights of 0.8 m to 3.6 m, with an average of 1.5 m. The forms may be made of wood or
of steel. Steel forms made in sections and bolted together save time, especially on large
jobs.

Parallel or Synchronous Method: The main difference between this method and the
successive method is that the lining is undertaken at different horizons at the same time
as the excavation. When sinking and lining operations are performed simultaneously in
two adjoining sections of the shaft the work must be so organized that while the ground
is excavated, temporary lining (1) of steel ring is set up in the lower section. Permanent
lining (4) is then built in ascending order in the upper section of the shaft above a
protective stage (3), commencing from the curb ring (2). Fig. 6.3. Work is done from the
suspended stage (5). The protective stage (3) and suspended stage (5) are provided with
passages or bell mouths that allow the passage of the sinking bucket during mucking
operations.
The concrete forms are made up in rings of 0.75 m high and bolted together
circumferentially. These may be lowered down in sections of 0.75 m, 1.5 m or 2.25 m as
and when desired. Each ring is fitted with a key plate which when removed allows the
lowering of the ring when the concrete has set.

Shaft Lining with Tubbing: This method is illustrated in Fig. 6.3. The method has been
employed in circular shafts in very wet rock formations underlain by an impervious
stratum. The volume of water must not be pumped during sinking. In the lining process a
hoisting device, such as a pulley block, with chain (1) which passes through holes 2 raises
and puts Tubbing segment (3) into the correct position. It is then fixed in place with bolts
passed through holes (4). Then chains are then withdrawn and more bolts fitted into holes

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(2). The space between the segments and behind the lining is grouted with cement mortar
and the process continued until the shaft has been lined.

Figure 6.3 Shaft Concrete Linings

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