Hughes, PB, Pakalnis, R, Hitch, M & Corey, G 2009, 'Performance of Composite Paste Barricades at Goldcorp Inc., Red Lake Mine, Ontario, Canada', in R Jewell, AB Fourie, S Barrera & J Wiertz (eds), Paste 2009: Proceedings of the Twelfth International Seminar on Paste and Thickened Tailings, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 325-335, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/963_36
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/963_36_Hughes/)
Abstract: Appropriate strength barricades and fill fences are a necessary component of underhand cut and fill mining 
operations and stoping operation in general. These important structures are subject to a number of stresses 
and strains as a result of the deposition, and curing of the backfill material. Parametric monitoring of fill 
fences gives the engineer the required data to predict not only the behaviour of the paste backfill as it is 
being deposited but also the ability to predict the deformation and eventual failure of the barricade. A study 
was undertaken to determine the performance of the paste barricades at Goldcorp Inc.’s Red Lake Mine 
using real time instrumentation to monitor the stresses, strains and deformation of paste and paste 
barricades during placement. The barricades at the mine are a standardised barricade comprised of 10 cm 
of shotcrete applied to a rebar skeleton spaced nominally 60 cm apart. In total eight fill barricades were 
instrumented to determine the behaviour of the paste during the loading. Complementing the eight barricade 
tests, an instrumented destructive test was carried out to determine the ultimate capacity of the composite 
barricade. It was determined that the paste backfill behaves as a Rankine-like soil in the initial stages of 
placement with an average coefficient of lateral earth pressure, Ka, of 0.56. The destructive test determined 
that the yielding stress of a paste barricade is approximately 100 kPa. The results of the investigation have 
resulted in operational changes in the placement of paste at the mine.