Moving towards mechanized rock bolting

2019

Ryan Lyle, Cementation Canada Inc.; Alex MacInnes, Cementation Canada Inc.

If mechanized rock bolting produces safer results without impairing performance – why isn’t all rock bolting mechanized? Cementation has wide experience with varied bolting methods over a diverse range of ground conditions.  With this perspective we have seen the progression of rock bolting installation methods from using handheld gear off of the muck pile to remote mechanized screen and bolting from an adjacent heading.  In our presentation we will examine both the safety and productivity implications of mechanized bolting methods, including the reduction of safety incidents using these methods.  In spite of all the advantages presented, we recognize that there remains some challenges to the broader use of mechanized bolting methods, including equipment advancements required to allow the efficient installation of the wide variety of ground support products available today.  We aim to share our findings with two goals in mind: i) greater adoption of mechanized bolting in Canadian mining leading to better safety outcomes, and ii) further development by equipment suppliers to overcome some of the current challenges allowing this increased adoption of mechanized bolting.

Keywords: mechanization, rock bolting, ground support, safety