Abstract
Understanding where and when large magnitude seismic events are most likely to occur, referred to as seismic hazard, is critical to effectively mitigating seismic risk in high-stress mining operations. The violent ejection of material, known as rockbursting, poses a hazard not only to workers, but also to equipment, critical infrastructure, and the overall viability of an underground operation. Despite limiting worker exposure to these potential events with remote and autonomous processes, we know that mine seismicity and rockbursting will continue to be a focus to guarantee safety for all personnel in the operations in a deep hard rock mine.
The consequence of seismic events is directly proportional to the level of exposure. To determine an accurate measure of consequence, this exposure needs to be considered with respect to static assets, such as the excavated openings, as well as dynamic assets like mobile equipment, and for the personnel in the mine. Seismic monitoring and data assessment are used to evaluate each mine’s seismic hazard in real-time. However, the quantification of seismic risk is currently not tied to the consequence associated with dynamic rock mass failure. The biggest challenge is the constant movement of workers and equipment throughout the mine to assess the consequences in real time.
We propose an innovative, transformative solution and one that further guarantees safety in the operation. With our solution, as workers and equipment migrate throughout the mine, the seismic hazard remains relatively constant, but the seismic risk will fluctuate substantially depending on localized exposure. This solution leverages Industry 4.0 technologies, particularly the advanced communication networks and tagging systems for live tracking of people, materials, and processes. The “whereabouts data” now allows us to evaluate and quantify seismic risk in real time.
At BESTECH, we are combining our mining and seismic expertise with our ventilation control system, NRG1-ECO, and its proven track record of using RFID tagging and tracking, to develop real-time seismic risk maps. Allowing ground control staff, control room operators, and underground supervisors to evaluate real-time seismic risk quickly, easily, visually, and quantitatively. This constitutes a substantial leap forward in safety enhancement in an underground mine, along with an effective and proactive tool for seismic risk mitigation in high-stress hard rock mines.