Settlement of open cast mine backfill : two large scale field tests
Date
1998
Authors
Van Wyk, Wilhelm Jacobus
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Abstract
The Electricity Supply Commission of South Africa (Eskom) have identified open cast coal
mine backfill areas as potential disposal sites for the large volumes of coal ash produced
by their power stations. As Eskom's power stations are mainly situated in agricultural and
coal rich areas of the provinces of Mpumalanga and the Free State, the sterilisation of
substantial areas of agricultural soil and coal deposits is thus reduced.
The construction of a tailings dam or dump on uncompacted open cast mine backfill
creates various problems related to the settlement of the backfill. The scale of the
operation, the large particle size and heterogeneous nature of the backfill and its method
of placement complicates the prediction for settlement of the backfill.
Areas in excess of 74 000 ha could be subjected to opencast mining in Mpumalanga and
for future development of these areas more information regarding the magnitude and
mechanics of mine backfill settlement is required.
This dissertation describes two large scale field tests in which the settlement of mine
backfiil was studied during the construction of a test section of an ash tailings dam and
the construction of a dry ash dump.
Description
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering, University of
Witwatersrand, in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Master Science in Engineering
Keywords
Mine filling -- South Africa., Soil consolidation., Coal ash sites -- South Africa., Ash disposal -- South Africa., Strip mining.