A NEWLY developed High Energy Absorption (HEA) mesh is said to be tackling safety challenges in deep and high stress mining conditions.
Professor Yves Potvin from the Australian Centre for Geomechanics developed a mesh and cable product designed in late 2008 that is designed to promote efficient load-sharing between surface supports and reinforcement. According to Potvin, the mesh, which is contained by a cable web, is pulled along as the rock surface moves.
“In comparison to existing ground support systems such as mesh and shotcrete, HEA mesh is cost-effective, flexible, can be rapidly installed and is capable of supporting heavy loads,” he said.
The system is said to withstand seismic effects and rockbursts and minimise hazards when mining near seismically active geological structures. It also addresses challenges related to squeezing ground and high convergence that must be managed during and after development mining.
Although other surface support systems are already available to the industry, Potvin says a number of weaknesses in existing designs created the need to develop strong and deformable support systems.
According to Potvin, the HEA mesh system has a load capacity that is eight times greater than its competitors. It is also capable of elongation and energy absorption rates three times more than existing systems.
The Australian Centre for Geomechanics is now attempting to market the underground mesh system to geotechnical engineers and underground mines to optimise safety in mining operations.
The product will undergo further laboratory testing and field trails early in 2009 to refine the effectiveness of the cable mesh technology. However, Potvin expects the system to be “readily embraced” by the industry once it is officially launched.
Potvin’s mesh and cable product won the Ready for Market category in the Western Australia Inventor of the Year awards in 2008, and is set to revolutionise the mining industry in the future.
Add a comment