A Survey of Current Planning, Design, and Geotechnical Practices for Orepasses

Details

• Journal Article:
  Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration
• Personal Author:
  Guerin-Davey, Kristin ; Brickey, Andrea
• Description:
  Determining the location, design, and construction method for orepasses in underground mining operations can be challenging. Existing studies and literature contribute useful content but stop short of offering standardized methodologies for design and placement decisions. Past surveys have documented operational procedures at select operations, with the most recent published survey being from 2013. This paper presents the results of a survey conducted in 2024 of numerous underground operations in Canada and the United States. The survey obtained information regarding orepass design, construction, and planning. Responses are compared to industry best practices and case studies found in the available literature. Topics covered in this article include construction methods, orepass dimensions, guarding, mechanical support, causes of hang-ups, corporate policies on placement, and geotechnical factors, among others. The survey responses provide valuable insights into the current state of orepass practices and the benefits of orepass placement for effective and efficient strategic and operational mine planning.
• Subjects:
  Mining Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Underground Mining; Orepass Design; Finger Raises; Orepass Hang-ups; Survey Underground Mining; Geotechnical Engineering; Ore Pass; Materials Transport; Ground Stability; Mines Excavations; Mine Shafts;
• Source:
  Min Metall Explor 2025 Aug; 42(4):2101-2115
• ISSN:
  2524-3462
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Contract
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  South Dakota ; Denver Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  15 pdf pages
• Volume:
  42
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071370
• Contact Point Address:
  Andrea Brickey, Mining Engineering and Management, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 501 E. St. Joseph St, 57701, Rapid City, SD, USA
• Email:
  Andrea.Brickey@sdsmt.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Performing Organization:
  South Dakota School of Mines
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20190909
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f10c6b5f032ca4e3dd73e204ab2dc58637a250c285a20be72a3142077e8d757c34598a289959ad5c0eee950a47f9b0623ff97d848f200f10c4b3f55c0f129a22
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/258845/cdc_258845_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.17 MB ]