Integrating mechanisms, monitoring and modelling for strainburst support design in deep cave mining

Authors: Roy, J; Primadiansyah, A; McMillan, R; Eberhardt, E; Moss, A; Campbell, R; Viljoen, N

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DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2645_106

Cite As:
Roy, J, Primadiansyah, A, McMillan, R, Eberhardt, E, Moss, A, Campbell, R & Viljoen, N 2026, 'Integrating mechanisms, monitoring and modelling for strainburst support design in deep cave mining', in A van As, D Cumming-Potvin & J Wesseloo (eds), Caving 2026: Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Block and Sublevel Caving, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 1-14, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2645_106

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Abstract:
The increasing depth and scale of cave mining operations are exposing underground excavations to highstress environments where brittle damage mechanisms dominate. Under these conditions, spalling and strainbursting govern the excavation response, yet current engineering approaches remain largely rooted in empirical methods developed for lower-stress and shear-dominated conditions. This paper presents a synthesis of recent advances that collectively establish a mechanistic and data-driven framework for strainburst hazard management and ground support design in deep cave mining. A data-driven methodology is first used to demonstrate that strainbursting is the dominant rockburst damage mechanism in a deep panel cave mine, with mining-induced stress redistribution identified as the primary trigger. A purpose-built geotechnical monitoring framework is then presented, integrating borehole imaging, convergence measurements and LiDAR scanning to quantify the depth of stress fracturing and bulking, providing early indicators of deformation demand. These monitoring observations are incorporated into deformation-based support design and preventive support maintenance strategies through empirical relationships that link fracture depth and displacement. Finally, bonded block modelling is used to explicitly simulate spalling and strainbursting, including both quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions, and to evaluate support system response under repeated loading. The integration of these components provides a comprehensive, fieldvalidated framework that enables improved prediction, design and management of strainburst hazards in deep cave mining operations.

Keywords: strainbursting, deep cave mining, deformation-based support design, preventive support maintenance, geotechnical monitoring, bonded block modelling

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