Pierce, M, Weatherley, DK & Kojovic, T 2010, 'A hybrid methodology for secondary fragmentation prediction in cave mines', in Y Potvin (ed.), Caving 2010: Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Block and Sublevel Caving, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 567-581, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_rep/1002_39_Weatherley-Pierce
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/1002_39_Weatherley-Pierce/)
Abstract: Drawing upon numerical studies, published laboratory results and comminution theory, a new methodology has been developed for the prediction of drawpoint size distributions throughout the operational life of a cave mine. The method is ‘hybrid’ because it utilises both numerical modelling and empirical comminution relations to track the evolution of caved rock size distributions reporting at drawpoints. In this paper we review the current knowledge on caved rock fragmentation, present new results analysing the micromechanics of shear-induced attrition of granular materials, and demonstrate via back-analysis, the applicability of the hybrid methodology for predicting drawpoint fragment size-distributions in existing caving operations.