The Assessment of Aging Shaft Linings for Potash and Salt Mines

2019

Joe Anderson, Golder Associates; Shaun Gillis, Golder; Sean Hopkins, Golder; Jack Nolan, Golder Associates

Cast in place concrete shaft linings have been used in many salt and potash shafts sunk in North America over the last 100 years.  A large number of these shafts have exceeded their initial design lives and as producers look to extend the life of their operational assets, maintenance costs and shaft downtime will, in many cases, continue to rise unless repair work is undertaken. Successfully implementing concrete liner repair schemes in operating salt and potash shafts is complicated due to their age, environment and time constraints during inspection, detailed design and construction.  This paper outlines a general approach to the repair of concrete-lined portions of these shafts, based on lessons learned from the author’s involvement in a recent repair project.

Keywords: Concrete, Potash, Salt, Liner Repair