Results
Mining operations safely recommenced beneath the stabilised high wall.
Reinforced drape system successfully mitigated rockfall risks on a slope over 270m high.
Instabilities within upper stopes contained through additional mesh and rock bolting.
Innovative rigging and rope access methods enabled construction in areas inaccessible to cranes.
Project delivered safely despite extreme working conditions, reinstating productivity in one of the world’s largest gold mines.
Project
Solution
Design of a high tensile drape system reinforced with vertical cables transferring loads back to crest anchors, mitigating performance loss due to drape weight.
Controlled rockfall behaviour achieved by guiding boulders between mesh drape and rock face, with loads transferred through mesh into top anchors.
Top-down installation methodology, incorporating both mechanical and meticulous hand scaling by geotechnical rope access technicians
Deployment of a 200t crane for mesh handling, supplemented by technical rigging systems in areas beyond crane reach.
Installation of dimensioned Geobrugg TECCO G65/4mm mesh system with rock bolts and isolated mesh reinforcement in unstable stopes beneath the drape.
Project
Challenges
Rockfall event forced an immediate halt to mining in a critical cutback area, requiring urgent stabilisation.
Slope height exceeded 270m, creating significant design challenges due to the drape’s self-weight reducing performance.
Extreme conditions, with face temperatures exceeding 55°C, impacting safe working practices and productivity.
Large wall length extended beyond crane reach, necessitating complex rigging systems for mesh placement.
Highwall instability within upper stopes required additional reinforcement beyond the drape system alone.
Project
Overview
At the Fimiston Super Pit, Australia’s largest open cut gold mine, a rockfall event in the South East Corner of the Chaffers Cutback halted mining operations. A robust remediation solution was required to manage ongoing rockfall risks and enable mining to safely continue beneath the high wall.
A high tensile drape system reinforced with vertical support cables was designed and installed, ensuring falling rocks could be guided in a controlled manner to the toe of the slope, minimising bounce height and kinetic energy.