Caving Engineering

UG Division
PTFI

BLOCK

C AV I N G

- Block Caving is a mining method in which ore is

allowed
to collapse due to its own weight in a controlled
fashion into chutes.
- Block caving is usually used to mine large ore bodies
that have consistent grade throughout.
A thick block of ore is undercut by removing a slice of
ore. The un-supported block of ore breaks and caves
under its own weight. The broken ore is drawn off from
below as the caved mass falls due to gravity.

CAVING ENGINEERING
Planning
Caving Crew activities
DB and UC Blasting sequences
Designing
DB & UC Drilling
Slot Raises
Blasting
Troubleshooting
Stump / Bridge treatment
Misfire & Overbreak blasting treatment

DOZ Undercut & Extraction Layout

ADVANCED UNDERCUTTING

UC Blasted

UC Blasted

Undercut
Major Pillar

Drawbell

Major Pillar

Blasted

panel

panel

Advance Undercut Sequence

18 meters

Cave

Undercut
Level

Drawbelling
Design
pillar
Minor Pillar

Design pillar

Design pillar
Extraction
Level

UNDERCUT LEVEL

Caving started from Slot drifts at

the weakest area

Initiation of Blasting

60
m

Completed with
Shotcrete &
Threadbar before
blasting

Pl
Bl ann
as ed
ti n
g

Actual
Blasting

Initiation of Blasting

Construction in
the Extraction
have to be
completed

60 m

rad
ius
Pl
Bl ann
as ed
tin
g

Actual
Blasting

Lead / Lag

Lead /lag : The distance

variance between two
adjacent cave front, one
DD to the other.
Maintain Abutment
stress
Recommended lead/lag
30 m or less (good
ground)
14 20 m (medium
ground)
10 m or less (poor
ground)
Considerations :
Geotech
Convergence
measurement
Structures
Intersection area
(MAD, Raise etc)
Sympathetic with
preloaded rings

Ring Drilling Design

Spacing between rings
is 2 m

St
ed agg
er

1
m

Rings staggered
between DDs

2
2 m
m
2
m

Ring Drilling Design

1.5-1.8 m

550

Minor pillar

Major pillar

12 holes per ring - Numbering from Minor pillar to Major pillar

Toes distance each holes 1.5-1.8 m
Holes no 12 angled 55 degrees to built the major pillar and Holes no 1 angled 20 degrees
Total length 103 m drill/ring
Minimum 2 holes overlapped with the next DDs holes

Ring Drilling Design

Brow
750

South

Holes dump 75 degrees to the brow

750

North

Slot Drilling Design

Spacing
1.5 m

Keep the
normal
rings
staggered
Spacing 1
m

Slot Drift at Minor Pillar

Slot Drilling Design

Cave
Progress

Cave
2
m

2
m

550

Major
pillar

Slot Drift

Minor
Pillar

Major
pillar

Charging & Blasting

Emulsion 550 kg / ring
Collar of loading 2 meter
Powder Factor 2.5 kg/m3
Required at least 4 rings drilled (8 meters) behind the last pre-load rings
Remote drilling system for less than 8 meters from pre-loaded rings
PRIMER @
1.5 M

BOTTLE
BRUSHES

Charging & Blasting

Preloading : charging min. 2 rings in front of cave front

Background : minimize the exposure time of miners near the
caves brow
Maximum time for blasting 30 days (Government regulation)

Charging & blasting

MS no
8
200 ns
MS no
7

MS no
9

MS no
10

MS no
11

300 ns

350 ns

250 ns

175 ns
MS no
6
175 ns
MS no
7
175 ns

MS no
6
175 ns

MS no
8
200 ns
MS no
9
250 ns
MS no
10
300 ns

Jumper detonator between 2 rings is MS no 3 (delay 75 ms)

Toe priming at 1.5 m from the bottom of the holes :
One primer for Holes < 10 m
Two primers at the bottom and middle for holes > 10 m

MS no
12
400 ns

Slot Drift Blasting

Emulsion Charging
I-kon detonators
Free face at the raises

Slot Drift Blasting

Emulsion Charging
I-kon detonators
Free face at the raises

MAD Mass Blasting

Emulsion Charging
I-kon detonators

EXTRACTION LEVEL

Db Drilling Design

8-

1.65 m

9m

> 0.5 m

10 Rings each Drawbell

In case of shorter DB drift the distance between R# 1 2 and 9 10 will be adjusted

Db Drilling Design
R# 1 & 10

R# 3 - 8

R# 2 & 9

R# at raise (4,
5&6

Db Drilling Design

Db Drilling Design
Section A

Db Drilling Design

Section B

Db Blasting

Emulsion Charge 7000-7500 kg per DB

Powder factor 5 Kg/m3
100-120 holes, Double priming
I-kon Detonators with min delay 10 ms
Free face at the raise

Db Blasting

Stump Treatment
(Undercut)

DD

Blasted
DD
Major
PIllar

Stump/Packed
muck/bridge

Stump Treatment
(Undercut)

Stump

DD
Major
Pillar

Panel

Stump Treatment
(Drawbell)

Caved Undercut

DB

Stump/ Bridge/
Packed muck

Blasted DB

Stump Treatment
(Drawbell)

Major
Pillar

Stump/ Bridge/
Packed muck

Major
Pillar

Drawbell
Panel

Panel

DIGITAL BLASTING SYSTEM (I-kon)

More flexible delay arrangement
Minimize the blasting vibration
better for surrounding structures &
ground pillar
Longer delay range (from 0 ms to
15000 ms)
One stage drawbell blasting (200-220
detonators) and other mass blast
Improve the safety aspect

Specific Logger Blaster

Test and Check before blasting

DIGITAL BLASTING SYSTEM (I-kon)

Logging of
detonators
...
..

1
2

198
199
200

LOGGER

Logging det# 200

198
199
1
2

DIGITAL BLASTING SYSTEM (I-kon)

LOGGER

LOGGER

LOGGER

LOGGER

LOGGER

LOGGER

LOGGER

READY TO FIRE
>PRESS BOTH FIRE BUTTONS
TO START BLAST SEQUENCE

BATT

+/-

BATT

+/-

BATT

+/-

BATT

+/-

BATT

+/-

BATT

+/-

BATT

>REMOVE KEY TO SHUT

DOWN BLASTER

FIRE

LOGGER

BLASTER

Precision Blasting Systems

FIRE

System set up and firing of a blast

+/-

BATT

+/-

Drilling Machine
Hole Diameter:76- 89
mm
Hole Length: 7-14
Productivity:
43 m/manshift
Remote system
available
Advantages:
Simple (minimum
electrical parts) and
Compact
Fit for small drift
Disadvantages:
Low Mobility/Required
carrier for long
distance movement

Cubex Drilling

Challenges

Bigger Caving area

More Undercut to blast
Stress management
Pillar quality identification
Efficiency of Drilling and Blasting

TERIMA KASIH