“ Cut and Fill Stoping-

Backfilling Operations ”
Cut & Fill Stope Development & Production
C & F Stoping -- Fill and Vent.Raises
 Back Fill Objectives

● Backfill is increasingly used in underground mines to reduce the

surface impact from the wastes produced by the mining operations.
But the main objectives of backfilling are to improve “Ground stability
and reduce ore dilution”.
● There are many environmental and economical benefits associated
with underground backfilling for the mining industry.

● Many mines operate with primary and secondary stopes. The primary
stopes are mined and then backfilled with a cemented fill, which must
possess certain characteristics so that it can stand on its own during
the mining of adjacent secondary stopes.

● Must possess a minimum strength to remain self-standing during

mining of an adjacent stope
 Functions of Fill Material
( i )Providing Ground support to the weak walls of the deposit
“Compressibility”- is the most important / critical fill
property :
(a) Mechanically placed dry fill --25%
(b) Hydraulically / Pneumatically placed fill --
5-10%
( ii ) Providing a working platform on which next ore slice is
drilled and blasted.
● Generally, the coarse-broken muck, is used as a fill
material, which is obtained from the ‘Development work’
throughout the mine.
● The dry fill is dropped in the stope through “fill raises” from
the level above, and distributed by a slusher.
 Backfill Costs & Benefits
Benefits Costs

ECONOMIC: ECONOMIC:

● Backfill allows higher extraction ratio ● Backfill costs money particularly if binders are used
● Backfill reduces dilution ● Backfill introduces delays in the mining cycle
● Aids in pillar recovery ● Additional manpower and infrastructure
● Additional dewatering costs
● Dilution due to backfill

SAFETY: SAFETY:

● Backfill improves regional stability in the mine ● Risk due to bulkhead failure and liquefaction of
● Backfill can reduce risk of rockbursting tailings
● Risk due to collapse of consolidated backfill wall

ENVIRONMENT: ENVIRONMENT:

● Backfill provides a means of disposing of waste rock ● Groundwater contamination

and mill tailings, thereby minimizing surface
disturbance
 Backfilling- Key Decision Making Criteria

When designing an underground mine, one of the key decisions is whether to backfill the voids left by

mining.

The backfilling decision is generally influenced by a range of factors which commonly include:
● Environmental constraints
● Surface disposal limitations
● Management of surface subsidence
● Promotion of mine stability
● Reducing the volume of waste hauled to surface
● Enabling a more complete extraction of the ore body
● Recovery of remnant ore pillars
● Minimising waste-rock dilution
● Installation of an engineered media in the mining environment to help protect or shield the
workforce from poor ground or seismic conditions
Surface / underground arrangements for conducting ‘filling operations’
 Backfill Preparation and Delivery Requirements

● Cut and fill mining requires a number of unique infrastructural facilities /

requirements mostly pertaining to ‘backfill preparation and delivery’.

● These requirements are dependent on which back fill method is chosen.

● For paste or hydraulic backfill, the mine site must include a backfill plant
and the underground network used to deliver the backfill to the working
stopes.

● The underground network will include piping down to each level, and
“moveable pipes” on each level to reach the individual stopes.

● Many mines use gravity to drive the delivery system, however

sometimes it is necessary to introduce pumps into the system.
 Other Considerations

● Fill placement timing : The time at which we do the filling operations is

critical because, the fill must be ‘in place in time’ so that it is able to take the
load / pressure of the original superincumbent strata.
● C & F stopes are surrounded / bounded by pillars for major ground
support.Later these pillars can be recovered giving us almost 100% recovery
possibility. ( This is a major advantage- in case of very HIGH Value ore ).
● Hydraulic filling requires special ‘sand/ rock placement techniques’ and
unique drainage techniques for removing water. ( Sand barricades and fill
fences would have to be erected )
● The tops of the manways / orepasses would need to be extended above the
fill floor in order to keep them ‘Open’. So regular monitoring and extension
are necessary.
Cemented Rock Fill
 RockFill- Parameters / Characteristics
Rock Fill

● Description: Placement of waste rock into the mining void. Generally

undertaken using trucks and gravity, but sometimes placed or pushed up
using LHDs
● Size fraction: Development or run-of-mine waste (sometimes imported waste)
● Delivery method: Load Haul Dump (LHD) loaders, haul truck or conveyor
● Exposure: Suitable as a working platform or for secondary stopes. Cannot be
exposed vertically or undercut
● Considerations: Headroom for tipping trucks and the development of tip heads
in some cases. Ejector trucks may also be considered
● Quality: Little quality control, highly variable particle size
● Relative cost: Low
● Excellent for: Filling voids which will not be exposed during future mining
 Cemented Rockfill

Cemented Rock Fill

● Description: Cementitious slurry applied to waste rock. Systems vary but slurry is added to the waste rock, is mixed, and
then placed into the stope using a truck or LHD
● Size fraction: Ideally crushed and screened rock, development, or run-of-mine waste (sometimes imported waste). Particle
size optimisation required to maximise packing density
● Delivery method: LHD or haul truck. Cementitious slurry via agitator truck or slickline from surface
● Exposure: Possible to achieve strengths >4 MPa depending on mix. Vertical exposure
● Considerations: Mixing or dosing bays required. Headroom for tipping trucks and the development of tip heads in some
cases. Ejector trucks sometimes considered
● Quality: Size manipulation, mixing systems and deposition method greatly affects the final product quality
● Relative cost: Low to High. Trade-off between capital and operating costs
● Excellent for: Filling voids which will be exposed during future mining
Cemented Fill- Cost considerations
 Paste Fill / Cemented Aggregate Fill

Paste fill/ Cemented aggregate fill

● Description: Binder added to whole-stream tailings, with or without aggregate and reticulated into the
mine void
● Size fraction: Refer to Figure 1; rule of thumb is minimum 15% passing 20 µm
● Delivery method: Reticulated from surface. Contained behind fill fence
● Exposure: Vertical or horizontal. Strengths vary by design
● Considerations: Engineered barricades required to manage placement. Cannot be placed without binder.
Generally, requires a cap of hard material to enable equipment movement on surface
● Quality: High quality control, homogenous product
● Relative cost: Capital cost generally higher but operating costs lower than for hydraulic fill. Costs must be
traded off vs backfill quality
● Excellent for: Stabilising voids and backfilling workings and filling voids which will be exposed during
future mining exposures
 Hydraulic Fill

Hydraulic fill
● Description: Hydraulic disposal of tails into stope, with or without Solids will settle and require topping up to full on several
occasions. Fill fence designed to allow water to escape
● Size fraction: Refer to Figure 1; coarser than paste fill. Often requires hydrocyclone (or similar) to modify Particle Size
Distribution (PSD)
● Delivery method: Reticulated from surface. Contained behind fill fence
● Exposure: Generally vertical exposure or as a working platform. Cement required for vertical exposure
● Considerations: The backfill dewaters during placement so increases demand on mine dewatering system. Requires
topping up as backfill dewaters. Water cannot be allowed to accumulate in the stope as this poses a risk of failure or
inundation to the mining operation
● Quality: Good quality control possible, susceptible to binder segregation during dewatering
● Relative cost: Low cost for a hydraulically delivered product but cement cost is high where required
● Excellent for: Establishing working platforms and vertical exposure where mine water is not considered a problem