In situ monitoring of cemented paste backfill pressure to increase backfilling efficiency

CIM Journal, Vol. 2, No. 4, 2011

B. D. Thompson, M. W. Grabinsky and W. F. Bawden

Use of cemented paste backfill (CPB) offers economic and environmental advantages over other backfill methods. However, many operations have limited knowledge of how their CPB behaves in situ. Therefore, to avoid over-pressuring containment barricades, backfilling strategies necessarily tend to be conservative. In situ monitoring at Barrick Gold Corporation’s Williams Mine and Inmet Mining Corporation’s Cayeli Mine has been conducted and factors controlling barricade pressures are demonstrated, including rise rates, binder content, stope geometry, and tailings properties. The application of barricade pressure monitoring on a stope-by-stope basis can increase backfilling efficiency and, thus, reduce stope cycle times, while maintaining optimal safety.

Keywords: Cemented paste backfill, Cement hydration, Pressure arching, Mining, Geotechnical, Mine tailings, Instrumentation, Total earth pressure cells