CARL NHAPI - R1914560X
ZVIKOMBORERO MUPUWI - R198138W
NYARADZO MUSKWE - R173489M
FANI JOE - R197041B
5.1 MINING AND MINERAL PROCESSING ENGINEERING
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
GROUP ASSIGNMENT
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QUESTION
Explain the concept of back filling using solid mine waste.
Backfilling is the process of filling the cavities or voids created by underground or surface mining
activities with material that provides support to the surrounding rock mass and reduces environmental
impacts. Backfilling can be done with various materials, such as soil, sludge, tailings, or cement. It is a
requirement in many mining methods and has several benefits, such as preventing surface subsidence,
reducing ore dilution, and creating a safer working area.
Solid mine waste is a byproduct of mining and beneficiation processes. It can be classified based on the
particle size of the waste products, which is a solid waste characteristic of major importance from both an
environmental control and potential health impact point of view. The properties of solid waste backfilled
materials may significantly influence local strata behaviour. Therefore, assessment of the behaviour of
backfill material under different in-situ stress conditions is of crucial importance.
There are three types of solid mine waste which are overburden, waste rock, and tailings. Overburden is
soil and rock removed to gain access to a mineral deposit, while waste rock is separated from ore during
mining. Tailings are fine waste particles produced during beneficiation. The solid mine waste is used in
different forms and combinations for effective backfilling.
The following are the final materials commonly used to backfill mines:
Cemented backfilling: In this type, cement is poured over tailings and waste rock to help fill voids that
need filling, thus binding the backfill together. This is particularly useful when low volumes of cement
are needed to bind materials since cement can be very expensive in large quantities. This method is cost-
effective and has been accepted as a very effective backfilling method compared to other types of
underground backfilling methods.
Dry rock backfilling: Dry rock consists of dried tailings, gravel, rock waste, or surface sand. The
backfilling material is placed in the excavated area and compacted. This backfilling material is best used
in cut and fill mining.
Hydraulic sand backfilling: Hydraulic sand is the result of separating out fine sand from tailings and using
the coarser sand as backfill. The sands are hydraulically pumped into voids in mines. When deemed
necessary, the sand can be mixed with binding agents such as water, glass, cement, lime, and bitumen
emulsion. This method is one of the types of hydraulic fill backfilling. Other types include slurry and
dense slurry fills, paste fill, and rock fill. The sand is carried by water through pipelines. Solid particles
are sluiced through the water quickly without having the chance to settle until they reach the dumping
point.
Rock fill backfilling: Rock fill is a type of backfilling material that is used to fill large underground
voids. It is made up of large rocks and boulders that are placed in the voids to provide support to the
surrounding rock mass.
Paste backfilling: Paste backfilling is a technique used in modern mining operations, typically coal mines,
to provide support and reduce risks of underground goaf and surface tailings ponds. It is a high-density
mixture of water and fine solid particles with a relatively low water content (10-25%). Solid tailings can
be broken down and mixed with water, cementing materials, and fly ash, creating a coagulable paste that
can be used for backfilling.The paste however is usually prepared by dewatering the tailings slurry, which
is the first step in preparing a paste backfill mixture. Fine particles, often referred to as “slimes”, must not
be lost during the dewatering operation so a conventional gravity thickener becomes the equipment of
choice for the first stage of dewatering. The most important requirement to produce a paste is the presence
of a sufficient amount of fine particles. In most cases, pastes must contain at least 15% by weight of
particles less than 20 microns in diameter.
Successful backfilling is a technical and operational challenge that requires balancing the influences on
the mining operation. Backfilling is a fundamental component of many underground mining operations,
as it supports the surrounding rock mass, reduces wasteful dilution, enables a safe working area for
production activities, and mitigates surface subsidence risk.
