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This thesis presents new methods to improve open stope hangingwall (HW) design based on knowledge gained from site visits, observations, and data collection at underground mines in Canada, Australia, and Kazakhstan. The data for analysis was collected during 2 months of research at the Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Ltd. Callinan Mine in Flin Flon, Manitoba, a few trips to the Cameco Rabbit Lake mine in northern Saskatchewan, and 3 years of research and employment at the Xstrata Zinc George Fisher mine near Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia. Other sites visited, where substantial stope stability knowledge was accessed include the Inco Thompson mines in northern Manitoba; BHP Cannington mine, Xstrata Zinc Lead Mine, and Xstrata Copper Enterprise Mine, in Queensland, Australia; and the Kazzinc Maleevskiy Mine in north-eastern Kazakhstan. An improved understanding of stability and design of open stope HWs was developed based on: 1) Three years of data collection from various rock masses and mining geometries to develop new sets of design lines for an existing HW stability assessment method; 2) The consideration of various scales of domains to examine HW rock mass behaviour and development of a new HW stability assessment method; 3) The investigation of the HW failure mechanism using analytical and numerical methods; 4) An examination of the effects of stress, undercutting, faulting, and time on stope HW stability through the presentation of observations and case histories; and 5) Innovative stope design techniques to manage predicted stope HW instability. An observational approach was used for the formulation of the new stope design methodology. To improve mine performance by reducing and/or controlling the HW rock from diluting the ore with non-economic material, the individual stope design methodology included creating vertical HWs, leaving ore skins or chocks where appropriate, and rock mass management. The work contributed to a reduction in annual dilution from 14.4% (2003) to 6.3% (2005), an increase in zinc grade from 7.4% to 8.7%, and increasing production tonnes from 2.1 to 2.6 Mt (Capes et al., 2006).

This thesis presents new methods to improve open stope hangingwall (HW) design based on knowledge gained from site visits, observations, and data collection at underground mines in Canada, Australia, and Kazakhstan. The data for analysis was collected during 2 months of research at the Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Ltd. Callinan Mine in Flin Flon, Manitoba, a few trips to the Cameco Rabbit Lake mine in northern Saskatchewan, and 3 years of research and employment at the Xstrata Zinc George Fisher mine near Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia. Other sites visited, where substantial stope stability knowledge was accessed include the Inco Thompson mines in northern Manitoba; BHP Cannington mine, Xstrata Zinc Lead Mine, and Xstrata Copper Enterprise Mine, in Queensland, Australia; and the Kazzinc Maleevskiy Mine in north-eastern Kazakhstan. An improved understanding of stability and design of open stope HWs was developed based on: 1) Three years of data collection from various rock masses and mining geometries to develop new sets of design lines for an existing HW stability assessment method; 2) The consideration of various scales of domains to examine HW rock mass behaviour and development of a new HW stability assessment method; 3) The investigation of the HW failure mechanism using analytical and numerical methods; 4) An examination of the effects of stress, undercutting, faulting, and time on stope HW stability through the presentation of observations and case histories; and 5) Innovative stope design techniques to manage predicted stope HW instability. An observational approach was used for the formulation of the new stope design methodology. To improve mine performance by reducing and/or controlling the HW rock from diluting the ore with non-economic material, the individual stope design methodology included creating vertical HWs, leaving ore skins or chocks where appropriate, and rock mass management. The work contributed to a reduction in annual dilution from 14.4% (2003) to 6.3% (2005), an increase in zinc grade from 7.4% to 8.7%, and increasing production tonnes from 2.1 to 2.6 Mt (Capes et al., 2006).

O impacto econômico da diluição não planejada está distribuído no aumento de custos diversos do processo, como carregamento, transporte, britagem e moagem, ocasionando um desperdício na capacidade total de processo. Esse trabalho tem como objetivo inicial quantificar a ocorrência de diluição não planejada existente no hangingwall de uma mina subterrânea de ouro com método Transversal Stope e recuperação de pilares com uso de enchimento cimentado. Posteriormente está o uso de modelagem numérica com o objetivo de reproduzir a ocorrência de diluição, além de proporcionar a verificação e otimização de diferentes geometrias para os stopes. A diluição pode ser atribuída tanto a forma de extração (desenho dos stopes, sequência, perfuração e desmonte), além de problemas geomecânicos (qualidade do maciço, cablebolts e estado tensional). Otimizações para reduzir a diluição não planejada requerem um entendimento de todos esses fatores que afetam direta e indiretamente o ingresso de material estéril do hangingwall nos stopes. Este trabalho tem como foco principal verificar a diluição proveniente de problemas geomecânicos e de desenho dos stopes. As ferramentas utilizadas para analisar e quantificar os fatores de diluição foram: escâner de cavidades (CMS - Cavity Monitoring System) e software 3D capaz de efetuar operações booleanas. A diluição no hangingwall foi quantificada por meio da metodologia do fator ELOS. Para reproduzir a diluição nos stopes foram utilizados modelos numéricos de elementos finitos sendo que cinco stopes primários foram selecionados e utilizados para calibração dos modelos. O volume da zona de relaxamento no hangingwall, produzido pelos modelos, apresentou uma boa correlação com o volume da diluição real, refletindo a realidade dos stopes produzidos na mina. Então, a partir dos modelos calibrados, foram produzidos novos modelos com diferentes geometrias de stopes onde foi possível observar diversas oportunidades de melhorias na redução da diluição do método, fazendose modificações no desenho dos stopes/galerias e nos cablebolts instalados no hangingwall. / The economic impact of unplanned dilution is distributed in an increase in many costs of the process, such as loading, transport, crushing and grinding, resulting in less overall process capability. This work has as main goal quantify the unplanned dilution in the hangingwall of an underground gold mine with pillar less Transversal Stopes method, using cemented rock fill. After, numerical modeling will be used in order to reproduce the occurrence of dilution, and provide verification and optimization of different geometries for stopes. Overbreak can be attributed to both the shape extraction (design of the stopes, sequence, drill and blast), and geotechnical problems (rock quality, cablebolts and tensional state). Efforts to reduce unplanned dilution require an understanding of all these factors that directly and indirectly affect the inflow of waste material from hangingwall to the open stopes. This work is mainly focused on checking the dilution from geomechanical problems and design of the stopes. The main tools used in the analysis of dilution factors were Cavity Monitoring System (CMS) and 3D software able to perform boolean operations. The dilution in the hanging wall was quantified by the ELOS methodology. To reproduce the dilution in the stopes, numerical finite element models were used and five primary stopes were selected as calibration models. The volume of the relaxation zone at the hanging wall, produced by the models, showed good correlation with the volume of actual dilution, reflecting the reality of stopes produced at the mine. Then, from the calibrated models were produced new models with different stopes geometries where we could see several opportunities for improvement in reducing the dilution of the method, making some modifications to the design of the stopes/galleries and in cablebolts of the hangingwall.

O impacto econômico da diluição não planejada está distribuído no aumento de custos diversos do processo, como carregamento, transporte, britagem e moagem, ocasionando um desperdício na capacidade total de processo. Esse trabalho tem como objetivo inicial quantificar a ocorrência de diluição não planejada existente no hangingwall de uma mina subterrânea de ouro com método Transversal Stope e recuperação de pilares com uso de enchimento cimentado. Posteriormente está o uso de modelagem numérica com o objetivo de reproduzir a ocorrência de diluição, além de proporcionar a verificação e otimização de diferentes geometrias para os stopes. A diluição pode ser atribuída tanto a forma de extração (desenho dos stopes, sequência, perfuração e desmonte), além de problemas geomecânicos (qualidade do maciço, cablebolts e estado tensional). Otimizações para reduzir a diluição não planejada requerem um entendimento de todos esses fatores que afetam direta e indiretamente o ingresso de material estéril do hangingwall nos stopes. Este trabalho tem como foco principal verificar a diluição proveniente de problemas geomecânicos e de desenho dos stopes. As ferramentas utilizadas para analisar e quantificar os fatores de diluição foram: escâner de cavidades (CMS - Cavity Monitoring System) e software 3D capaz de efetuar operações booleanas. A diluição no hangingwall foi quantificada por meio da metodologia do fator ELOS. Para reproduzir a diluição nos stopes foram utilizados modelos numéricos de elementos finitos sendo que cinco stopes primários foram selecionados e utilizados para calibração dos modelos. O volume da zona de relaxamento no hangingwall, produzido pelos modelos, apresentou uma boa correlação com o volume da diluição real, refletindo a realidade dos stopes produzidos na mina. Então, a partir dos modelos calibrados, foram produzidos novos modelos com diferentes geometrias de stopes onde foi possível observar diversas oportunidades de melhorias na redução da diluição do método, fazendose modificações no desenho dos stopes/galerias e nos cablebolts instalados no hangingwall. / The economic impact of unplanned dilution is distributed in an increase in many costs of the process, such as loading, transport, crushing and grinding, resulting in less overall process capability. This work has as main goal quantify the unplanned dilution in the hangingwall of an underground gold mine with pillar less Transversal Stopes method, using cemented rock fill. After, numerical modeling will be used in order to reproduce the occurrence of dilution, and provide verification and optimization of different geometries for stopes. Overbreak can be attributed to both the shape extraction (design of the stopes, sequence, drill and blast), and geotechnical problems (rock quality, cablebolts and tensional state). Efforts to reduce unplanned dilution require an understanding of all these factors that directly and indirectly affect the inflow of waste material from hangingwall to the open stopes. This work is mainly focused on checking the dilution from geomechanical problems and design of the stopes. The main tools used in the analysis of dilution factors were Cavity Monitoring System (CMS) and 3D software able to perform boolean operations. The dilution in the hanging wall was quantified by the ELOS methodology. To reproduce the dilution in the stopes, numerical finite element models were used and five primary stopes were selected as calibration models. The volume of the relaxation zone at the hanging wall, produced by the models, showed good correlation with the volume of actual dilution, reflecting the reality of stopes produced at the mine. Then, from the calibrated models were produced new models with different stopes geometries where we could see several opportunities for improvement in reducing the dilution of the method, making some modifications to the design of the stopes/galleries and in cablebolts of the hangingwall.

O impacto econômico da diluição não planejada está distribuído no aumento de custos diversos do processo, como carregamento, transporte, britagem e moagem, ocasionando um desperdício na capacidade total de processo. Esse trabalho tem como objetivo inicial quantificar a ocorrência de diluição não planejada existente no hangingwall de uma mina subterrânea de ouro com método Transversal Stope e recuperação de pilares com uso de enchimento cimentado. Posteriormente está o uso de modelagem numérica com o objetivo de reproduzir a ocorrência de diluição, além de proporcionar a verificação e otimização de diferentes geometrias para os stopes. A diluição pode ser atribuída tanto a forma de extração (desenho dos stopes, sequência, perfuração e desmonte), além de problemas geomecânicos (qualidade do maciço, cablebolts e estado tensional). Otimizações para reduzir a diluição não planejada requerem um entendimento de todos esses fatores que afetam direta e indiretamente o ingresso de material estéril do hangingwall nos stopes. Este trabalho tem como foco principal verificar a diluição proveniente de problemas geomecânicos e de desenho dos stopes. As ferramentas utilizadas para analisar e quantificar os fatores de diluição foram: escâner de cavidades (CMS - Cavity Monitoring System) e software 3D capaz de efetuar operações booleanas. A diluição no hangingwall foi quantificada por meio da metodologia do fator ELOS. Para reproduzir a diluição nos stopes foram utilizados modelos numéricos de elementos finitos sendo que cinco stopes primários foram selecionados e utilizados para calibração dos modelos. O volume da zona de relaxamento no hangingwall, produzido pelos modelos, apresentou uma boa correlação com o volume da diluição real, refletindo a realidade dos stopes produzidos na mina. Então, a partir dos modelos calibrados, foram produzidos novos modelos com diferentes geometrias de stopes onde foi possível observar diversas oportunidades de melhorias na redução da diluição do método, fazendose modificações no desenho dos stopes/galerias e nos cablebolts instalados no hangingwall. / The economic impact of unplanned dilution is distributed in an increase in many costs of the process, such as loading, transport, crushing and grinding, resulting in less overall process capability. This work has as main goal quantify the unplanned dilution in the hangingwall of an underground gold mine with pillar less Transversal Stopes method, using cemented rock fill. After, numerical modeling will be used in order to reproduce the occurrence of dilution, and provide verification and optimization of different geometries for stopes. Overbreak can be attributed to both the shape extraction (design of the stopes, sequence, drill and blast), and geotechnical problems (rock quality, cablebolts and tensional state). Efforts to reduce unplanned dilution require an understanding of all these factors that directly and indirectly affect the inflow of waste material from hangingwall to the open stopes. This work is mainly focused on checking the dilution from geomechanical problems and design of the stopes. The main tools used in the analysis of dilution factors were Cavity Monitoring System (CMS) and 3D software able to perform boolean operations. The dilution in the hanging wall was quantified by the ELOS methodology. To reproduce the dilution in the stopes, numerical finite element models were used and five primary stopes were selected as calibration models. The volume of the relaxation zone at the hanging wall, produced by the models, showed good correlation with the volume of actual dilution, reflecting the reality of stopes produced at the mine. Then, from the calibrated models were produced new models with different stopes geometries where we could see several opportunities for improvement in reducing the dilution of the method, making some modifications to the design of the stopes/galleries and in cablebolts of the hangingwall.