Question 1.

In relation to underground mining define:

a) Primary Development

b) Secondary Development

Give examples of each, using sketches where required.

Question 2.

Describe in detail with the aid of sketches, any two methods of raising.

Question 3.

Sketch and briefly describe the mechanisms involved in the excavation of rock using any four of:

• A drag cutter
• A point attack cutter
• A disc cutter
• A roller cutter
• A button cutter

Question 4.

List the criteria that should be used when selecting the site for a shaft.

Question 5.

What parameters are used when determining the shape of shafts and the size of shafts?

Question 6.

Detail the unit operations within a conventional drill and blast shaft sinking operation including the shaft bottom operations as well as those undertaken on the sinking stage.

Question 7.

Whilst pilot hole drilling to site a 200m deep vertical shaft, a 20m layer of unconsolidated wet sandy material was encountered at a depth of 80m. The remainder of the ground was generally good.

List the options that may be available to tackle this problem and describe, with sketches where appropriate, two such options.

Question 8

A shaft is to be sunk to a depth of 1100 m from surface. Geological investigation indicate that at a depth from surface of 600m there is a 300m thick water bearing sandstone layer. Describe in detail a method that can be used in this instance to avoid flooding the shaft.

Question 9.

The haulage level of a mine using transverse sub level open stoping is described below:

There are both footwall and hangingwall drives which are connected at the extremes outside of the orebody and at regular intervals along the ore body's 600m of strike length. The footwall drive is connected centrally to a downcast shaft and ventilation raises are positioned at each end of the ore body. The connections in ore are called draw point crosscuts and drawpoints are developed from these crosscuts into the undercut of the stope. Draw a plan view of this showing all details of the hangingwall and footwall development, ventilation system, drawpoint crosscuts and at least one set of drawpoints. To understand the system it may be useful to sketch a section of the system.