Sublevel Caving

Department of Mining Engineering -

University of Santiago of Chile
Unit Operations SLC
It is used in mineralized bodies with
vertical orientation and high power
mayor to 40m
The box rock is of low competition and the
competent medium mineral rock
It is exploited by sublevels where it
the operations are carried out in a cycle
drilling units, blasting,
loading and transportation
It consists of sinking the box rock and the
hanging wall like this
mineral remains in contact with the
sterile facilitating access of LHDs to
through the production galleries
Productivity 4000 to 20000 tpd
Cost 7-12 $/t
Dilution is high up to 15%
Recovery 75%
Characteristics of the Exploitation Method
Downward method, facilitates entry into production
It is flexible, allowing adaptation to the geometry of the mineralized body.
incorporating other sub-levels
Selective, allows extraction only of the sponge in low-grade areas
From the handling of mineral fragmentation, it is possible to reduce the
% dilution
•Permite avanzar en diferentes operaciones unitarias a la vez en diferentes
levels
Risk is controlled since each drilling rig contains
order of 1500 - 2000t
It is safe as it is done under fortified roof.
Field of Application
It is preferably applied to veins and large mass deposits.
in thickness as in its vertical extension. Also in massive deposits.

The mineralized rock must be of medium to good competence for

use the least amount of fortification possible.

The box rock must be weak enough to collapse and...

can sink easily.

It is also important that the sterile and the mineralized Rx can be

easily distinguishable so that the dilution of the mineral is
minimize.
Developments
Parallel galleries, generally separated by 9 to
15m horizontally.
Transport Gallery that connects all the Galleries
parallel in a sublevel.
The sublevels are located at intervals between 8 to 13 meters.
Transversal transfer spikes to all
sublevels for the transportation of the extracted mineral.
Ramp to reach each exploitation sub-level and
also to reach the Transport Level from the
which is finally taken out the extracted rock and is taken away
to the destination.
Ventilation
Considering that the work in this method
for blind areas, ventilation systems should be used
auxiliaries.
Fresh air is injected through the ramp. The air
accesses the header gallery where a is installed
control door that has a blowing fan
injector. From there, the air reaches the galleries of
production and the work fronts.
The air returns through the production galleries towards the
gallery header and exits through a chimney that
It has an extractor fan.
Detachment Ellipsoid
According to the principle of gravitational flow, the extraction of material
broken by a point generates above it, a volume in motion in
shape of a revolution ellipsoid. This ellipsoid has height h and width W,
grows in dimensions as extraction increases, maintaining
a relationship of practically constant eccentricity, equal to:

With a and b being the semi-major and semi-minor axes, respectively. Strictly speaking, the
eccentricity increases with height. The eccentricity (E) varies according to
to the type of material (granulometry, viscosity, humidity, etc.). This
The ellipsoid is called 'Desprendimiento Ellipsoid'.
 At the initial moment, the mineral is found untainted.
and sterile over it. At the beginning of the extraction, they start to move the
different layers allowing the mineral to be extracted, while the waste rock
descends upon him.
Exploitation Sequence:
The mining sequence in the Sublevel Method
Caving is by nature descending and in retreat.
It is advisable to work while maintaining the
independence between the different operations that are
they are carried out in such a way that they do not stop
operations in an area due to the interference of another.
Three types of Sequences are distinguished:
Strict Horizontal Sequence.
Strict Descending Sequence.
Combined Sequence.
Advantages
Mining operations that are presented at a minimum
risk.
Allows high mechanization, with high equipment
performance.
High production rates that can be achieved
thanks to the number of fronts in production
Controlled dilution if there are several levels in
production.
Disadvantages
Uncontrolled blasting can cause damage to
equipment and injuries to people.
Ventilation tasks are a problem when
it is about the same level with several fronts in
production.
The maintenance of an acceptable level of dilution in
the ore, creates a greater control of the mineral.
Classic SLC Model
Unit Operations
Production drilling
Production
Loading of explosives
Preparation
The mineral is fragmented by
drilling and blasting while
the ceiling of the exploitation and the
the wall fragment and
dogs by the action of efforts
induced
Descending method that is used
by levels
The sterile continuously fills the
spaces left by the mineral
fragmented
Basic Concepts
The overload material must be continuously submerged in such a way
to confine the mineral to explode
Once the mineral is extracted, it is usually replaced by
sterile overload material
Due to the fact that mineral and sterile are moving towards the
extraction point exists a mixture of ore and waste which
define the law of production
The design and programming of production must be such that
maximize the extraction of undiluted ore
Design and Flow
The exploitation method is based on that the
mineral is constantly interacting with the
sterile sunken
The sub levels of production are developed.
transversal to the mineralized body
In each sub-level on the hanging wall
they develop open-face chimneys
On the sloped wall, access ravines that
they connect to pits which concentrate the
transport activity at a transport level
generally by trains and trucks.
 Dilution
The entry point of the dilution Dilution Model
define the recovery of reserves Traditional, Kvapil (1982)
and therefore impacts the plan
miner and the sustainable business
for this
Traditional SLC designs are
they were based on silo theory
reporting a percentage of
input of dilution of 20-40 %
The accumulated dilution of this
the method is on the order of 30-50%
with a law factor of 60%
Variable Fragmentation in the Column of
Extraction
The variability of fragmentation in the column makes it
internal mineral hangings are produced
Interactive draw will induce a greater frequency and
hanging time facilitating the entry of the dilution
from the areas that exhibit a high density
The initial extraction of the column must be controlled
way to generate enough friction between particles of
larger size in order to mitigate the probability of
tapestry
The extraction control is essential.
Design
Production crossovers are due
space according to the degree of
desired interaction, use rules of
flow
The spacing between levels
conditions the abilities of
drilling, up to 30m
The drilling diameter must be
the maximum possible to avoid
deviations and ensure a burden
adequate (115mm).
Define the burden according to B=20D
The ratio of spacing
maximum and burden is 1.3 to achieve
fragmentation and compaction
adequate of the rock
Design Examples
Example
Mulfura Mine Kiruna Mine
Vertical vs. Inclined Fans
Better induction of the flow to
there is a component
horizontal
The entry of the
dilution
Access to upload is facilitated.
the blasting rings
 Sub Level Caving
Geometric Parameters of the Ellipsoids of
Movement
Sponge ellipsoid or
movement is the ellipsoid that
marks the boundary between rock in
situation and breakage

The extraction ellipsoid is

the one that represents the
extraction of material in a
fixed time
The height ratio is
1:2.5
The relationship of volumes is
1:15
Draw cone representation (Kvapil 1980)
Sub Level Caving
Formation of
Ellipsoid

Greater mobility of
smaller particles
the eccentricity of
ellipsoid
The eccentricity of
the ellipsoid varies between
0.92 and 0.96
Sub Level Caving
Mining System

Typical Levels Scheme

operational in an SLC mine

Examples:
§Kiruna, Suecia (Fe) : 60.000
tpd
Kiruna Mine Operation Section
 Sub Level Caving
Width of Extraction and Mining Design Ellipsoid

The design is created for

a height of extraction
2/3 of the height
perforated in such a way as to
ensure the interaction
between columns
The extraction height is
calculate between floors of
production levels
contiguous
Sub Level Caving
Design
According to the relationships
geometric properties of the ellipsoid
extraction there is a relationship
between the extraction height hn and
the width 2bn
This relationship is given
due to the eccentricity of
ellipsoid
The spacing between galleries of
production is the width of
extraction (2bn)
Sub Level Caving
Dilution
For 80% extraction
there is at most mineral
a 43% dilution and the
minimum is 18%
For 60% extraction
of mineral exists to the
more than 30% dilution and a
minimum of 10%
 Sub Level Caving
Adjustment for Production Gallery Geometry

Height of
extraction is
estimate at 25m
a = 80%*Wd
a = 4m
 Example Sublevel Caving
Production gallery width: 5m
High production gallery: 4m
Material density: high (3.7), low eccentricity (0.9)
Production gallery ceiling: plan
Mineral law: 5 g/ton Au
Conventional geometry, ensuring 80% recovery of the mineral
Simulate the heights of blasted material, ht=30m and ht=40m
Estimate the design and the proportion m prepared by tonnage extracted (use the area
of a rhombus)

Department of Mining Engineering -

University of Santiago de Chile
 Sub Level Caving
Altitude Case
Perforated 30m

Hn = 30*2/3m = 20m
Using the relationship of
excel
•Bn = 4.4m, W´ = 8.8m
Geometry adjustment of
gallery
WT=11m
Sub Level Caving
Drilling Solution 30m
B = 2.7 m

11m
30m

20m

Tons / m = 11 * (30 - 4) * 2.7 / 1

 Sublevel Caving

Department of Mining Engineering -

University of Santiago de Chile
Kvapil Extraction Ellipsoid
Flow Principles Applied to Sub Design
Level Caving

Kiruna design 1982, spacing between galleries of 12.5m, in galleries of 5x3.5,

spacing between sublevels of 12m and blasting burden of 2m.
Current Designs in Kiruna Lkab
Design Parameters
Making it economically attractive
exploitation of low-grade deposits
has pushed at production rates
highs that must be supported by
designs that escape from the
fundamentals of the method of
exploitation.
Mina Scale Test, Janelid 1972
Marker results
installed in the mine
Grängesberg Janelid (1972)
Extracts of 400t and 600t.
Comparison Model Scale 1:20 versus Scale
Mina
Ellipsoids in scale experiments tend to be smaller.
diameter and more elongated, greater eccentricity than those observed.
This refers to the shape of the fragmented particles in the
scaled experiments have friction angles of 35 degrees and in the
The mine scale experiment is between 45 and 55 degrees depending on the
final fragmentation
In the model, the extraction is more uniform based on the
reported densities
LKAB Kiruna Mine Experiment

908 markers were

installed on 24 rings of
Mineral density is 4.2 t/m3
drilling of which 272
and sterile 2.6 t/m3 markers have been
recovered
Recovery of Markers

Contour plot of
recovery of
markers
Behavior of Dilution

In an area
experimental the
dilution was estimated
in 20% and the
recovery in
92% this is
extreme given the
quality of the
extraction
Scale Experiment in Perseverance
Mineral density of 3.45 t/m3
3500 t per fan
1762 markers were installed
There was no display of draw interaction.
The extraction width was 11.5 plus or minus one meter.
35% of the markers of a ring are reported in others
levels of production
At 20% extraction, markers may appear.
higher level
Only 540 markers recovered
Entry point of dilution between 11 and 25%
Lateral posterior dilution
60 to 70% of the markers recovered at the level of
installation, 20 to 25% at the next level and 10 to 15% in
the third level
Flow Tracer Results

In all cases the relationship width of the flow width of

the production gallery is on the order of 1.4
The central area of the fan tends to puff up first.
therefore has a greater likelihood of flowing than
the contours
Foaming of Different Materials
Sponge Filling in Sub Level Caving
Free cushioning and cushioning
confined
The confined swelling is of
order from 2 to 17% according to
experiments conducted by Newman
in Kiruna
Adding the free cushioning
materials this does not match with the
sponge offered by the
current designs
Test

After breaking up
Experience
Gap resulting from extraction

50% of the material flows

toronado
Test foaming

Final Situation
Teams

LHD or Scoop Loaders.

Trucks for transporting ore at Level
Transport.
Jumbo or Boomer for horizontal drilling.
Simba for radial or fan drilling.