METHODS OF HARDENING THE LAYING ARRAY AND ACOUSTIC CONTROL OF ITS STABILITY DURING UNDERGROUND MINING

https://doi.org/10.48498/minmag.2025.244.8.008

Underground excavation produces voids that must be backfilled to provide ground support. Backfilling is widely used in the underground mining industry; however, in many mines, backfill strength design is not properly considered, and detailed laboratory studies are lacking. This paper investigates backfill strength mobilization over time using acoustic emission (AE) monitoring. Cylindrical samples with binder contents of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% were cured for 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days, then tested under unconfined compression with AE monitoring. Uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) increased with curing time for all binder contents, e.g., from 0.06081 MPa (1 day) to 0.3814 MPa (28 days), about 6.5 times higher. UCS growth rates were similar (~45%) regardless of cement content.

T. Aldubay, B. Khussan, *M. Rabatuly