Stabilized Mobile Paste Backfill North Longo April2015

Paste Supplement
Stabilised with mobile paste backfill

mobile system was also used to re-stabilise a Halting such failure is important to minimise
Sue Longo and Darren portion of the crown pillar for an operating surface subsidence hazards for both worker and
Kennard of Golder underground mine. The mine discovered that a public safety and is especially critical for those
Associates look at the void existed between the existing backfill and voids associated with arsenic storage due to the
the crown pillar and additional backfill was potential environmental ramifications.
advantages of mobile paste neededto stabilise the area. Paste is a widely used means of backfilling
backfill systems in open voids in active underground mines and, as
The Giant mine experience a non-segregating material, it can be pumped
stabilising abandoned One of the latest applications of the mobile and delivered via boreholes and pipelines under
mines, such as the Giant system was at the now closed Giant mine in low line velocities. Using a comparatively small
operation in the Northwest Canadas Northwest Territories. Over the decade amount of binder (e.g. cement), can provide the
since the mines closing in 2004, open voids in strength properties required for structural fill.
Territories the underground area have begun to weaken The use of paste backfill for orphaned/
and pose the threat of collapse. This could abandoned mines is not as well-known but is
obile paste backfill systems have been eventually cause negative effects on the surface gaining acceptance across industries and
M used for over a decade, mainly for land

remediation purposes. With urban
development demands, concerns over general
including subsidence and sinkholes and allow
arsenic contaminants stored in underground
vaults to migrate to other areas of the underground.
government agencies.
The initial application of paste backfilling at
Giant mine was planned for the summer months
safety, including potential subsidence issues, In consideration of the close proximity of however, due to various delays the start of the
abandoned or orphaned mines that are left the city of Yellowknife to the site, various field testing and backfilling program was
under the charge of the local, regional or Federal unrestricted access points for the public, including a postponed until October 2013. At this far
government are being re-examined for different highway, and numerous on-site features, including a northern location, that meant very low
uses. For example, near the town of Canmore, creek, it was important to find effective - and temperatures and limited daylight. Daylight
Alberta, mitigation measures were being economical ways to support the mine workings to hours were short and much work was conducted
employed to old undermined coal workings for reduce the impact of any failure associated with using artificial lighting platforms. Snow and
the development of commercial and residential underground voids. wind coupled with temperatures ranging from
properties. Altogether, approximately 800 ha of It was determined that using existing tailings -25 to -52 C made the project extremely
land was used for this planned community with from the site and processing them into a paste challenging. Producing paste backfill from a
over 24,000 m3 of paste backfill poured to backfill would enable cost-effective filling of mobile system using frozen tailings that
support this endeavour. In another application, open voids that exhibited a potential to fail. The contained free silica and arsenic at these
in Drumheller, Alberta, a school was built over backfill minimises the potential for propagation temperatures had not been done before. The
reclaimed land. The advantages of using a of localised failure of the underground voids. complex, interconnected nature of the
mobile system were especially evident as it was
a relatively small pour with just less than 1,600 Figure 1:The possibilities of transforming a previous underground mining area with associated safety
concerns to land suitable for a resort style community. Shown is a typical mobile paste backfill plant
m3 of paste backfill introduced to the set up and a golf course in the same area built after mitigation undermining hazards by filling them
abandoned underground coal mine. This same with paste backfill.
P18 International Mining | APRIL 2015 Supplement

Paste Supplement
underground workings and the requirement to

keep adjacent mine access tunnels open during
backfilling added to the planning challenges.
Strict specifications required for government
contracting and permitting were also required.
An adaptive approach which called for
ingenuity and flexibility in planning and logistics
to safely drill delivery boreholes, produce the
paste and deliver it underground, and contain it
within the targeted voids whilst maintaining
safe access for personnel in adjacent openings,
was required.
Some notable facts from the Giant project:
n 11,000 m3 of paste backfill pumped
underground in 2.5 months during a northern
winter
n Over 1,500 cylinders were cast for strength
confirmationas per the strict specifications
n Five different paste backfill recipes were land development industries. Complete Figure 2: Producing paste backfill under
utilised for void specific pour requirements remediation of the Giant mine will include adverse weather conditions.Discharge of paste
backfill from the modified concrete batch truck
n Remotely pumped paste backfill barricades further underground paste backfill injection, to the pump hopper.
were constructed to seal off exit points from closing and capping the tailings ponds, further
the targeted void before bulk paste fill was decommissioning and deconstruction of mine requirements. The mobile system maintains the
poured. buildings, and monitoring of groundwater, soil, flexibility to use tailings, aggregate and other
and other environmental aspects. waste materials as the major constituent for the
Summary Some of the key characteristics of paste paste backfill. It also remains an economically
The ability to produce and distribute paste backfill produced from a fixed plant are viable method to support underground structures.
backfill in this kind of harsh climate has maintained with a mobile system. It has been The added benefits of the mobile system are the
relevance across the globe in terms of design- demonstrated that a homogeneous and minimal capital expenditure required and the
build projects for remediation of old mine flowable paste backfill can be consistently ability for the operation to quickly mobilise and
workings and risk mitigation for the power and produced to meet the target strength relocate to another area. IM
APRIL 2015 Supplement | International Mining P19

Stabilized Mobile Paste Backfill North Longo April2015

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Paste Supplement

Stabilised with mobile paste backfill

M used for over a decade, mainly for land

P18 International Mining | APRIL 2015 Supplement

underground workings and the requirement to

APRIL 2015 Supplement | International Mining P19

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