NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

A Project Report
on

SQUARE-SET TIMBERING
SQUARE-SET TIMBERING
The walls and back of stope are supported by the regular frame
work of timber called square set. The frame work forms
rectangular hollow prisms, in the space from which ore has
been extracted.
It is a timbered stope in which timbering is the dominant
feature of the method of support and includes “stulledstopes”
also a square set stoping is one in which the sets alone provide
support to the walls and back .
Waste rock filling provides additional support and to the walls
and back. If waste rock is used to fill up the square set, such
filling provides additional support and the method is called
“filled square set stopping”.
SQUARE-SET TIMBERING
(continued)
Large, weak deposits requires division of the orebody
between any two levels, into stopping blocks of limited
horizontal area. Size of blocks depends on strength of
ground, so that work in any block is rapid enough to
avoid excessive pressure.
The four vertical timbers of square set are called posts.
To start timbering a stope with square sets, sills are laid
in trenches cut in the floor of the stope. A clear height
of 2 m is minimum desirable, and posts are 2.3 m high
in the clear, particularly in the main level or sill floor.
FLAT BACK OR STEPPED FACE OVERHAND
STOPE
It is used where square set rill stope or horizontal cut
& fill stopes or ordinary filled rill stopes are not
applicable.
It is used for mining heavy ground, specially ore is
wide.
Sets are of cap butting type to resist side press.
In mining wide areas timber cribs placed on the fill &
blocked to back as auxiliary support are largely used.
DOMED OR PYRAMID STOPES
General outline of the stope back is dome-shaped or
pyramidal.
Commonly open stopes and used in massive ore-
bodies of both weak & strong ore under strong
hanging walls.
Arched back is partly self-supporting and reduces
pressure on timbers.
RILL STOPE
PRIMARILY FOR USE WITH WASTE FILLING
 Stope back on any floor is 1 or more ahead of that on
floor below
General slope of stope face roughly parallels angle of
repose of filling
Fill is distributed largely by gravity, planking is laid on
the filling and broken ore slidesto chutes at the toe of
fill.
VERTICAL FACE STOPE
A row of lead sets A was first driven close to hanging
wall followed by row B
When both complete stoping began at B and sets C
were carried to hanging wall
Successfully vertical slices taken until stope worked
out
Sills and caps are at right angle to the strike
VERTICAL FACE STOPE
ADVANTAGES:--
There is always solid breast of ore on one side of stope
which relieves press on timbers
Should stopes cave unexpectedly only the ore on floor
& in chutes is lost, for a new stope can be opened by
driving a row sets on the sill floor, next to the caved
stope and carrying them upto the hanging as before.
UNDERHAND SQUARE SET STOPES
Ore blocked out by square cuts & raises into sections
from 10 by 20 feet to 25 by 35 feet horizontal &
extending height of ore to level above.
Sections mined in regular sequence around a central
2-compt raise.
3 sets cornering on the raise at top of the ore first
mined & timbered with square sets mining then
started on floor below.
 UNDERHAND SQUARE SET STOPES
(continued)
Set supported by 2 triangular frame, 2 chains attached
to dogs, driven into timbers & tightened by nuts &
light bent hangers
Supports transmit the weight to the raise sets or to sets
that had blocked into space.
Stoping on top & successive floors progressed
downward, each floor being 1set behind floor above,
ore fell to chute below.
DIMENSIONS OF SQUARE SETS

HORIZONTAL DIMENSIONS
Posts should far enough apart to give shovelling room,
should be equidistant capwise & girtwise.
Strength of ore limits maximum size of sets, press
from weak ore may require smaller sets.
Sets should be proportioned so that 1 round of holes
breaks room for a new set allowing prompt spacing &
blocking of sets.
Large sets to reduce amount of timber but heavier &
costly.
DIMENSIONS OF SQUARE SETS
(continued)

SIZE & STRENGTH OF TIMBER

Experience is guide in selecting kind & size of timber
for given conditions.
Where filling used requirements of strength
temporary because pressures taken up by the fill.
Hence cheaper timber & no preservative used,
Strength should be judged in blocky ground where
sets may be subjected to sudden & heavy shocks.Tight
side and head blocking reduce this danger.
POST BUTTING VS CAP BUTTING SETS
In post butting, the area of the post tensions - 12 to 44
% of area of the joint In cap butting
area of cap tenons - 120 to 66 % of area of joint.
Under pressure square set sets joints are strongest in
the direction in which the tenons butt hence used
when direction of max stress lateral
Post butting used where direction of maximum stress
vertical
POST BUTTING VS CAP BUTTING SETS
(continued)
In heavy ground, filling follows mining closely & takes
lateral pressure hence cap butting sets used.
Settlement is greater and more irregular in post
butting than in cap butting
More auxiliary timbers are required for in post butting
to keep floor levels.
Wide seats for girts & caps are desirable in cap butting
sets, in post butting, wide seats are obtainable only by
reducing size of the post horn.
ROUND VS SQUARE TIMBER
Round timber cheaper, has lower freight rates and is
stronger per square inch because the outer fibres are
cut
Round timber harder to handle & align than square,
caps must be slabbed to receive flooring
Reinforcement of round timber sets difficult
& expensive.
ROUND VS SQUARE TIMBER
(continued)
Square timber is best for sills.
Square timber is preferred for chute sets provides a flat
face for spiking lining & lasts longer in heavy ground
than slabbed round timber
Square timber is used for the levels, manways & chutes
to cheapen work of reinforcement.
ADVANTAGES OF SQUARE-SET TIMBERING

If the sets are filled with waste rocks as soon as

possible after they are erected, only a small space is
open at a time.
Stopes can be expanded or contracted at will, irregular
stringers followed intro walls at any point.
Good Ventilation
Walls alongside of old stopes can be mined if desired
Good Facilities for handling ore and supporting men
in the stopes.
ADVANTAGES OF SQUARE SET TIMBERING

Reliability properly applied dependable for mining any

kind of ground
Irregular orebodies of any shape may be worked
bythismethod.
It can be adopted where the ground condition are bad.
Waste rock can be sorted out and allowed to remain in the
stope.
The grade of the ore can be controlled as each new face can
be sampled and assayed before the ore is drilled. In those
mines where the ore varies greatly in value, this flexibility
of the square set stopping is an advantages.
DISADVANTAGES OF SQUARE-SET TIMBERING

A large quantity of timber is required. It constitute a fire

hazard.
Production of the ore is low and the O.M.S. is poor.
Square set stopping has a high accident chances than to
other methods of stopping.
It is a labour intensive method.
In spite of the disadvantages stated here, the Square set
stoping is one method which is adopted when other
method of mining exclusive of caving method, are not
applicable for reasons of selective mining or for the support
problems involved
COST REDUCTION
Use round timbers instead of square.
Use second class and smaller timbers instead of one
size for all kinds of ground.
Purchase logs partially seasoned, 550 bd ft/ton.
Accept mixed shipments i.e. ship as cut.
Install slabbing slaws & use slabs for lagging.
Install mechanical devices for handling timbers on
surface & u/g.
COST REDUCTION
(continued)
Frame at the lumber camp, thus reducing freight
charges
Discard sills in all but wet and soft gound
Recognise that accurate alignment of timbers is
unnecessary especially where filling closely follows
mining.
WHERE APPLICABLE ???
Where the walls of the ore body and back of the stope
are weak and do not stand without support even for a
week.
For recovery of fractured remnants and pillars.
Can be used in any size of deposit regardless of its
shape or depth.
Ore shaped be of high grade to pay for the mechanical
of mining as square set stopping is costly and labour
intensive method.
CONCLUSION
In spite of the disadvantages stated here, the Square set
stopping is one method which is adopted when other
method of mining exclusive of caving method, are not
applicable for reasons of selective mining or for the
support problems involved
This method of stopping is labour intensive costly and
requires skilled labour or setting the timber in a systematic
manner. It is adopted in Balaghat mines of MOIL in M.P.
The scarcity of timber and gradual depletion of skilled
labour makes the system unpopular and may no longer be
used in this mine which is now practicing it.