Ground support for development in mine fill

Authors: Roache, B; Sainsbury, D; Mungur, G; Hall, C

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2625_12

Cite As:
Roache, B, Sainsbury, D, Mungur, G & Hall, C 2026, 'Ground support for development in mine fill', in D Cumming-Potvin & J Wesseloo (eds), Ground Support 2026: Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Ground Support in Mining, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 1-14, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2625_12

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Abstract:
Ground support design for development in mine fill remains a common yet technically challenging requirement in underground mining. Development in cemented rockfill (CRF), cemented aggregate fill (CAF), and paste fill (CPF) is often undertaken for short-life access drives, sometimes within complex stope geometries, or for permanent infrastructure, with performance influenced by variable fill material properties. This paper presents learnings to assist with design and implementation of ground support when developing in mine fill, especially when using fibrecrete liners, mesh and friction bolts as the support system. Two case studies are presented. The first case study is from Olympic Dam, Australia, detailing the evolution of ground support design for development in CAF. The second is from Cannington, Australia, which has many years of development in CPF. The case studies highlight practical learnings from long-term operational experience and demonstrate how design practices have been refined to align with current standards and improved understanding of cemented fill behaviour.

Keywords: cemented rockfill, cemented aggregate fill, paste fill, ground support, underground development

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