Ever increasing depth of mineral extraction presents a challenging environment for hard rock underground mines. High in-situ stresses and associated seismicity with potential rockburst hazards are the major decisive factors contributing to the choice of a ground support regime. Conventional ground support systems, designed primarily for static loads, are not always capable of providing safe working conditions for underground personnel in seismically active mines. Systems specifically developed to resist dynamic loading and allowing for larger deformations are therefore preferred alternatives. High-tensile chain-link mesh has a proven record of successful use in open cut operations in various rockfall barrier installations due to its high energy absorption capacity. It has also been used in underground operations in various parts of the world. This paper describes a method of mechanized installation of a chain-link mesh as trialed at the moment in Kiruna mine in Sweden as well as has been installed in South Africa, Australia and Switzerland.
Increasing stresses and associated seismicity with the risk of rockbursts is a serious challenge for deep hard rock underground mines. Conventional ground support systems are not effective in rockburst conditions and thus have to be replaced by systems specifically designed for dynamic loading and large deformations. One of the used ground support products in rockbursting conditions is high-tensile chain-link mesh. Due to its strength and flexibility, the mesh was able to absorb the kinetic energy thereby slowing down the impacting rock masses. The high strength of the mesh is required to transfer the rockburst loads to the anchors and to avoid puncturing of the mesh by the rock fragments. Although its ability to withstand large rock mass deformations has been proven, its use in mines is limited due to the high labour intensity.
