Roadheader applications

in mining and tunneling industries

H.

Copur1, L. Ozdemir2, and J. Rostami3

1 Graduate Student, 2 Director and Professor, and 3 Assistant Professor Earth

Mechanics Institute, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, 80401

ABSTRACT
Roadheaders offer a unique capability and flexibility for
the excavation of soft to medium strength rock formations,
therefore, are widely used in underground mining and
tunneling operations. A critical issue in successful roadheader
application is the ability to develop accurate and reliable
estimates of machine production capacity and the associated
bit costs. This paper presents and discusses the recent work
completed at the Earth Mechanics Institute of Colorado
School of Mines on the use of historical data for use as a
performance predictor model. The model is based on
extensive field data collected from different roadheader
operations in a wide variety of geologic formations. The paper
also discusses the development of this database and the
resultant empirical performance prediction equations derived
to estimate roadheader cutting rates and bit consumption.
INTRODUCTION
The more widespread use of the mechanical excavation
systems is a trend set by increasing pressure on the mining
and civil construction industries to move away from the
conventional drill and blast methods to improve productivity
and reduce costs. The additional benefits of mechanical
mining include significantly improved safety, reduced ground
support requirements and fewer personnel. These advantages
coupled with recent enhancements in machine performance
and reliability have resulted in mechanical miners taking a
larger share of the rock excavation market.
Roadheaders are the most widely used underground partial
-face excavation machines for soft to medium strength rocks,
particularly for sedimentary rocks. They are used for both
development and production in soft rock mining industry(i.e.
main haulage drifts, roadways, cross-cuts, etc.) particularly in
coal, industrial minerals and evaporitic rocks. In civil
construction, they find extensive use for excavation of tunnels
(railway, roadway, sewer, diversion tunnels, etc.) in soft
ground conditions, as well as for enlargement and
rehabilitation of various underground structures. Their ability
to excavate almost any profile opening also makes them very
attractive to those mining and civil construction projects
where various opening sizes and profiles need to be
constructed.
In addition to their high mobility and versatility,
roadheaders are generally low capital cost systems compared
to the most other mechanical excavators. Because of higher
cutting power density due to a smaller cutting drum, they

offer the capability to excavate rocks harder and more

abrasive than their counterparts, such as the continuous
miners and the borers.
ROADHEADERS IN LAST 50 YEARS
Roadheaders were first developed for mechanical
excavation of coal in the early 50s. Today, their application
areas have expanded beyond coal mining as a result of
continual performance increases brought about by new
technological developments and design improvements. The
major improvements achieved in the last 50 years consist of
steadily increased machine weight, size and cutterhead power,
improved design of boom, muck pick up and loading system,
more efficient cutterhead design, metallurgical developments
in cutting bits, advances in hydraulic and electrical systems,
and more widespread use of automation and remote control
features. All these have led to drastic enhancements in
machine cutting capabilities, system availability and the
service life.
Machine weights have reached up to 120 tons providing
more stable and stiffer (less vibration, less maintenance)
platforms from which higher thrust forces can be generated
for attacking harder rock formations. . The cutterhead power
has increased significantly, approaching 500 kW to allow for
higher torque capacities. Modern machines have the ability to
2
cut cross-sections over 100m from a stationary point.
Computer aided cutterhead lacing design has developed to a
stage to enable the design of optimal bit layout to achieve the
maximum efficiency in the rock and geologic conditions to be
encountered. The cutting bits have evolved from simple chisel
to robust conical bits. The muck collection and transport
systems have also undergone major improvements, increasing
attainable production rates. The loading apron can now be
manufactured as an extendible piece providing for more
mobility and flexibility. The machines can be equipped with
rock bolting and automatic dust suppression equipment to
enhance the safety of personnel working at the heading. They
can also be fitted with laser-guided alignment control systems,
computer profile controlling and remote control systems
allowing for reduced operator sensitivity coupled with
increased efficiency and productivity. Figure-1 shows a
picture of a modern transverse type roadheader with
telescopic boom and bolting system.

Figure-1: A Transverse Cutterhead Roadheader

(Courtesy of Voest Alpine)
Mobility, flexibility and the selective mining capability
constitute some of the most important application advantages
of roadheaders leading to cost effective operations. Mobility
means easy relocation from one face to another to meet the
daily development and production requirements of a mine.
Flexibility allows for quick changes in operational conditions
such as different opening profiles (horse- shoe, rectangular,
etc.), cross-sectional sizes, gradients (up to 20, sometimes 30
degrees), and the turning radius (can make an almost 90
degree turn). Selectivity refers to the ability to excavate
different parts of a mixed face where the ore can be mined
separately to reduce dilution and to minimize waste handling,
both contributing to improved productivity. Since roadheaders
are partial-face machines, the face is accessible, and therefore,
cutters can be inspected and changed easily, and the roof
support can be installed very close to the face. In addition to
these, high production rates in favorable ground conditions,
improved safety, reduced ground support and ventilation
requirements, all resulting in reduced excavation costs are the
other important advantages of roadheaders.
The hard rock cutting ability of roadheaders is the most
important limiting factor affecting their applications. This is
mostly due to the high wear experienced by drag bits in hard,
abrasive rocks. The present day, heavy-duty roadheaders can
economically cut most rock formations up to 100 MPa
(~14,500 psi) uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and rocks
up to 160 MPa (~23,000 psi) UCS if favorable jointing or
bedding is present with low RQD numbers. Increasing
frequency of joints or other rock weaknesses make the rock
excavation easier as the machine simply pulls or rips out the
blocks instead of cutting them. If the rock is very abrasive, or
3
the pick consumption rate is more than 1-pick/m , then
roadheader excavation usually becomes uneconomical due to
frequent bit changes coupled with increased machine
vibrations and maintenance costs.
A significant amount of effort has been placed over the
years on increasing the ability of roadheaders to cut hard rock.
Most of these efforts have focused on structural changes in
the machines, such as increased weight, stiffer frames and
more cutterhead power. Extensive field trials of these
machines showed that the cutting tool is still the weakest
point in hard rock excavation. Unless a drastic improvement
is achieved in bit life, the true hard rock cutting is still

beyond the realm of possibility with roadheaders. The Earth

Mechanics Institute(EMI) of the Colorado School of Mines
has been developing a new cutter technology, the Mini-Disc
Cutter, to implement the hard rock cutting ability of disc
cutters on roadheaders, as well as other types of mechanical
excavators (Ozdemir et al, 1995). The full-scale laboratory
tests with a standard transverse cutterhead showed that MiniDisc Cutters could increase the ability of the roadheaders for
hard rock excavation while providing for lesser cutter change
and maintenance stoppages. This new cutting technology
holds great promise for application on roadheaders to extend
their capability into economical excavation of hard rocks. In
addition, using the mini-disc cutters, a drum miner concept
has been developed by EMI for application to hard rock mine
development. A picture of the drum miner during full-scale
laboratory testing is shown in Figure-2.

Figure-2: Drum Miner Cutterhead

FIELD PERFORMANCE DATABASE

Performance prediction is an important factor for
successful roadheader application. This deals generally with
machine selection, production rate and bit cost estimation.
Successful application of roadheader technology to any
mining operation dictates that accurate and reliable estimates
are developed for attainable production rates and the
accompanying bit costs. In addition, it is of crucial
importance that the bit design and cutterhead layout is
optimized for the rock conditions to be encountered during
excavation.
Performance prediction encompasses the assessment of
instantaneous cutting rates, bit consumption rates and
machine utilization for different geological units. The
instantaneous cutting rate (ICR) is the production rate during
3
actual cutting time, (tons or m / cutting hour). Pick
consumption rate refers to the number of picks changed per
3
unit volume or weight of rock excavated, (picks / m or ton).
Machine utilization is the percentage of time used for
excavation during the project
The Earth Mechanics Institute of the Colorado School of
Mines jointly with the Mining Department of the Istanbul
Technical University has established an extensive database
related to the field performance of roadheaders with the
objective of developing empirical models for accurate and

Table-I: Classification of the Information in the Database

INFORMATION GROUP

DETAILS

General Information

Type/purpose of excavation (roadway, railway, sewer, mining gallery, etc.),

contractor, owner, consultant, location, starting and completion date, etc.

Roadheader Information

Manufacturer, condition of the roadheader (new, refurbished, direct reuse),

specifications of roadheader, machine weight, cutterhead power and diameter,
bit number and type, ancillary equipment (automatic profile control, water
sprays, grippers, etc.)

Technical and Operational

Information
Rock Mass Information
For Each Rock Zone
Intact Rock Information
For Each Rock Zone
Performance Records
For Each Rock Zone

Excavation length, depth, and gradients, dimensions of excavation profile,

operator experience, cutting sequence at the face, daily and weekly mining
hours, muck evacuation system, ground support system, etc.
Geological origin, number and character of geological zones, hydrogeological
conditions, rock mass classifications, RQD, bedding properties, joint set
properties (orientation, spacing, roughness, filling, etc.)
Rock cuttability properties, uniaxial and tensile strength, elasticity modulus,
surface hardness, texture (porosity, mineral / quartz content & grain sizes,
microfractures, etc.), abrasivity properties, etc.
Cutting rates, bit and holder consumption, roadheader utilization and
availability, energy consumption, average and best advance rates
(shiftly/daily/weekly/monthly), major obstructions to excavation operation,
downtime analysis (roadheader related stoppages, backup system stoppages,
ground and support stoppages, etc.)

reliable performance predictions. The database contains field

data from numerous mining and civil construction projects
worldwide and includes a variety of roadheaders and different
geotechnical conditions.
The empirical performance prediction methods are
principally based on the past experience and the statistical
interpretation of the previously recorded case histories. To
obtain the required field data in an usable and meaningful
format, a data collection sheet was prepared and sent to major
contractors,
owners,
consultants,
and
roadheader
manufacturers. In addition, data was gathered from available
literature on roadheader performance and through actual visits
to job sites. This data collection effort is continuing.

grippers, automatic profiling, laser guidance, bit cooling and

dust suppression by water jets, etc.).
The operational parameters generally affect the
performance of the excavator through machine utilization.
The most important operational parameters include ground
support, back up system (transportation, utility lines, power
supply, surveying, etc.), ground treatment (water drainage,
grouting, freezing, etc.), labor (availability and quality), and
organization of the project (management, shift hours, material
supply, etc.).
PERFORMANCE PREDICTION

The database includes six categories of information, as

shown in Table-I. The geological parameters in the database
consist generally of rock mass and intact rock properties. The
most important and pertinent rock mass properties contained
in the database include Rock Quality Designation (RQD),
bedding thickness, strike and dip of joint sets and
hydrological conditions. The intact rock properties are
uniaxial compressive strength, tensile strength, quartz content,
texture and abrasivity. The rock formations are divided into
separate zones to minimize the variations in the machine
performance data to provide for more accurate analysis. This
also simplifies the classification of the properties for each
zone and the analysis of the field performance data.

In a previous study (Copur et al, 1997), it was suggested

that instead of developing a universal performance prediction
model, separate models for different geological and machine
conditions (by classification and subsequent normalization of
the field data) should be developed to improve the accuracy
and reliability of the performance predictions. This
methodology is presented and discussed in this paper for
Instantaneous Cutting Rate (ICR) and the Bit Consumption
Rate (BCR). Roadheader and cutterhead type, rock mass
origin and the rock type are used as principal classification
parameters. The uniaxial compressive strength (UCS),
cutterhead power (P), roadheader weight (W) and cutterhead
diameter (CHD) are used as normalization parameters.

The major roadheader parameters included are the machine

type (crawler mounted, shielded), machine weight, cutterhead
type (axial, transverse), cutterhead power, cutterhead-lacing
design, boom type (single, double, telescopic, articulated),
and the ancillary equipment (i.e.

The variation of ICR with UCS, based on the available

field performance data, is presented in Figure-3 for all
geological conditions encountered and for all types of
roadheaders. As expected, the data shows significant scatter
with a low correlation coefficient, not allowing any trends to
be deduced between UCS and ICR. After separation of the
data for the transverse roadheaders in sedimentary rocks, the

scatter becomes much smaller, as shown in Figure-4. Still, the

correlation coefficient is low, precluding an accurate
expression of any relationship between these two variables.
Since ICR is directly proportional to P and W and inversely
proportional to UCS, after normalization by (P/UCS),
(W/UCS) and (PxW/UCS), the correlation is significantly
improved, as shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7. As be seen, the
classification and subsequent normalization has produced
some definite trends in the data. But the relationship is still
not accurate enough.
Another step of classification was applied to the data in
terms of rock group. This contributed to further improvement
in the relationship, as shown in Figure-8 for evaporatic rocks..
In this case, the predictive equation derived is as follows:
ICR = 27.511 x e

0.0023 x (RPI)

RPI = P x W / UCS
Where,
3

ICR
= Instantaneous Cutting Rate, m /hr
RPI
= Roadheader Penetration Index
UCS
= Uniaxial Compressive Strength, MPa W
= Roadheader Weight, metric ton
P
= Cutterhead Power, kW
e
= Base of the Natural Logarithm
CONCLUSIONS
The evaluation and analysis of the data compiled in the
roadheader field performance database has successfully
yielded a set of equations which can be used to predict the
instantaneous cutting rate (ICR) and the bit consumption
rate(BCR) for roadheaders. A good relationship was found to
exist between these two parameters and the machine power
(P), weight (W) and the rock compressive strength (UCS).
Equations were developed for these parameters as a function
of P, W and UCS. These equations were found mainly
applicable to soft rocks of evaporatic origin. The current
analysis is being extended to include harder rocks with or
without joints to make the equations more universal. In
jointed rock, the RQD value will be utilized as a measure of
rock mass characteristics from a roadheader cuttability
viewpoint. It is believed that these efforts will lead to the
formulation of an accurate roadheader performance prediction
model which can be used in different rock types where the
roadheaders are economically applicable.
REFERENCES
Bilgin, N., Yazici, S., and Eskikaya, S., 1996, A model to
predict the performance of roadheaders and impact hammers
in tunnel drivages, Int. Eurock 96 Symp., 2-5 Sep., Torino
Copur, H., Rostami, J., Ozdemir, L., and Bilgin, N., 1997,
Studies on Performance Prediction of Roadheaders Based on
th
Field Data in Mining and Tunneling Projects, Int. 4 Mine
Mechanization and Automation Symp., Brisbane, Australia,
pp. 4A1-4A7

Neil, D. M., Rostami, J., Ozdemir, L., and Gertsch, R.,

1994, Construction and estimating techniques for
underground development and production using
roadheaders, SME Annual Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona
Ozdemir, L, Rostami, J., and Neil, D. M., 1995,
Roadheader Development for Hard Rock Mining, SME
Annual Meeting, March 6-9, Denver, Colorado