ICaRN-III: Investigation of Fragmentation, Draw Control, Water Flow and Ground Response to Better Assess and Mitigate Inrush, Stress and Slope Geohazards in Cave Mining

The proposed project aims to develop and validate new knowledge, technologies and engineering tools aimed at identifying and mitigating geological hazards encountered on deep mass-mining projects. Deep mass-mining is
key for delivering the copper and other critical minerals needed for the transition towards clean energy and electric cars as near-surface resources are depleted. The proposed research will see six interns working closely with the
industry partner and several operating mines to develop reliable mitigation strategies to improve safety and environmental stewardship. This will be done through research that integrates laboratory testing, mine monitoring
data, machine learning, physical modelling, and advanced computer simulations to better understand the underlying controlling factors. This project will also contribute to the International Caving Research Network
(ICaRN), a Canadian initiative directed at maintaining Canada’s competitiveness in the international mining industry. The research network includes a multi-disciplinary group of representatives from industry and academia
covering the fields of geology, cave mining, geomechanics, and mineral processing.

Faculty Supervisor:

Erik Eberhardt

Student:

Partner:

Centre for Innovation in Mineral Resources Engineering

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Mining; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: