CEMI releases results of $6.7M deep underground mining research

New research spearheaded in Sudbury could prevent injuries, deaths, and mine shut-downs by helpingminingcompaniespredict and prevent rock walls from collapsing kilometres below the earth's surface.

"There was a need by the deep mining industry to better understand how the rock in underground mines behaves in response to the mining process itself," saidDamienDuff.

Duff is vice-presidentofgeoscienceandgeotechnicalresearch and development at theCentre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI)in Sudbury, the group that led the research.

The $6.7 million project, calledSUMIT(Smart Underground Monitoring and Integrated Technologies for deep mines),was funded by the provincial government, the mining industry, and several universities including Laurentian University, University of Toronto, and Queen's University.

Much of the research will helpmining companies better understand how rocks are affected by mineblasting and extraction.

Moving forward with greater 'confidence'

Researchers usedunderground lasers totrack subtle changes in the rock face andcomputer software topredict how rock might react to specific mining activities.

"That enables us to see very quicklyand very easily over time what changes might be happening to our tunnelsas the mine evolves," Duff said.

"We've got the capability of being able to read into our data far better than we have in the past," he continued. "We're moving forward with a greater degree of confidence."

The project also created a database of mining knowledge in northern Ontario and updated guidelines on how best to fortifythe underground tunnel walls to prevent falling pieces of rock.

"We insert numerous rock bolts and other ground support elements like screen, straps, and cables throughout the mines," said Duff. "The last time a document outlined how to do that was in 1996, 20 years ago."

Duff told CBC News the project included researchconducted by 75 students ranging from undergraduate to postdoctoral fellows.

Nearly 1,000hours of underground fieldwork took place on three test sites in Sudbury.