United States
United States

myGeobrugg

Rockfall Protection - Kanmantoo Copper Mine 2019

West Wall during barrier construction, June 2018. Note the multiple levels of rockfall barriers and attenuators above.

Rockfall Protection - Kanmantoo Copper Mine 2019

North Wall of the Giant Pit in 2016. This was later draped with DELTAX® G80/2.

Rockfall Protection - Kanmantoo Copper Mine 2019

RXE-3000 barrier built in October 2016.

Rockfall Protection - Kanmantoo Copper Mine 2019

Haul Ramp running underneath ATTENUATOR.

Rockfall Protection - Kanmantoo Copper Mine 2019

Building RXE-3000 barrier in June 2018.

Rockfall Protection - Kanmantoo Copper Mine 2019

Aerial view of West Wall, September 2018. Note the wedge and planar failures as well as different levels of rockfall barriers and attenuators.

Rockfall Protection - Kanmantoo Copper Mine 2019

Haul Ramp running underneath ATTENUATOR. Note the 560 t block above stabilised with SPIDER® S4-130 (video: 1.00 min.)

Rockfall Protection - Kanmantoo Copper Mine 2019

North Wall September 2018, covered in DELTAX® G80/2.

Rockfall Protection - Kanmantoo Copper Mine 2019

One of the West Wall rockfall ATTENUATORS, September 2018.

Initial situation

The Kanmantoo Copper Mine in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia is operated by Hillgrove Resources Pty Ltd. Underground Cornish style mining occurred in the area in the mid1800’s. The first open pit became operational in the 1970s, and then more recently the mine was reopened in 2011. Since then Geobrugg has worked closely with Hillgrove Resources, by designing and supplying a range of systems.

Two smaller pits (Kavanagh and Spitfire) were operational from 2011 to 2015, before amalgamating into one. The result, The Giant Pit, is to be completed in mid-2019.
Its steep-walled design requires an intensive rockfall management plan and the installation of extensive rock support. The pit has two main competent rock types; biotite Schist (BSch), and garnet andalusite biotite schist (GABS). There are no major faults and few shear zones, so the stability of the pit is defined by four main joint sets. Two steep easterly dipping structures result in planar and wedge failure modes, mainly on the western walls.

Description

Geobrugg has worked closely with the mine and the installation contractor to manage a range of rockfall hazards. To date, approximately 45,000m² of DELTAX®, MINAX®, and TECCO® drape mesh have been installed, along with over 1000 lm of low (35 kJ) and high energy (3000 kJ) rockfall barriers, and 300 lm of attenuators.

Pre-splitting of batters, mechanical scaling and hydro-washing are used to reduce and eliminate the potential for general, smaller rockfalls. General weathering, rainfall, and blasting have still lead to rockfall events, so engineered structures such as rockfall drapes and low energy barriers (T35) are installed to manage these in selected areas.

Large scale wall failure is managed by a slope stability radar and three laser scanners. Due to the potential for rapid, brittle type failures and orientation, batter instability is difficult to predict and alarm with radar and scanners. Hence this risk has been managed through berm retention (using shear pins), and high energy rockfall barriers. In areas where berm loss has still occurred, Attenuators are installed to mitigate the additional rockfall risk.

Mining operations will cease in May 2019 when the pit will then be redeveloped into a pumped hydro project.

Our video shows all solutions at Kanmantoo Copper Mine.

Customer

Hillgrove Resources

Contractor

RW Solutions

Protected object

Mine / Quarry, Infrastructure

Corrosion protection

Galvanized, GEOBRUGG SUPERCOATING, GEOBRUGG ULTRACOATING

Engineering

Geobrugg Australia Pty Ltd

Other installed applications

Rockfall Protection, Slope Stability, Debris Flow & Shallow Landslide Protection, Underground & Open Pit Mining

Your local contact

Kevin H. Coyle
 

Kevin H. Coyle

Regional Manager Northeast

Natural Hazards
Hydraulic Engineering
Geobrugg North America, LLC,3 Beaudet Terr,Columbia CT 06237 / United States Regional Manager Northeast

E-Mail

Saleh Feidi
 

Saleh Feidi

Regional Manager California

Natural Hazards
Hydraulic Engineering
Geobrugg North America, LLC,8921 Emperor Ave.,San Gabriel, California 91775 / United States Regional Manager California

E-Mail

John Kalejta
 

John Kalejta

Regional Manager Central US

Natural Hazards
Hydraulic Engineering
Geobrugg North America, LLC,3215 67th Avenue Pl,Greeley CO 80634 / United States Regional Manager Central US

E-Mail

Bob Lyne
 

Bob Lyne

Regional Manager Southeast

Natural Hazards
Hydraulic Engineering
Geobrugg North America, LLC,8004 Windspray Drive,Summerfield NC 27358 / United States Regional Manager Southeast

E-Mail

Pierce Runnels, Civil Engineer
   

Pierce Runnels

General Manager Geobrugg North America

Natural Hazards
Geobrugg North America, LLC,22 Centro Algodones , Civil Engineer General Manager Geobrugg North America

E-Mail

Tim Shevlin
 

Tim Shevlin

Sales Director

Natural Hazards
Geobrugg North America, LLC,Salem OR 97302 / United States Sales Director

E-Mail