Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
  • E21D—SHAFTS; TUNNELS; GALLERIES; LARGE UNDERGROUND CHAMBERS
  • E21D15/00—Props; Chocks, e.g. made of flexible containers filled with backfilling material
  • E21D15/48—Chocks or the like
  • E21D15/483—Chocks or the like made of flexible containers, e.g. inflatable, with or without reinforcement, e.g. filled with water, backfilling material or the like

Definitions

• Fluid filled supports have use in many environments, most notably in underground mines. These supports are typically constructed from liquid permeable geotextile material which is formed into a container, which is operatively filled with a fluid such as slurry. The liquid component drains through the permeable walls of the container while the solid component remains trapped inside. The trapped solid component sets into a hard mass, which creates a support in the place where the container is filled.
• a single sheet of woven geotextile fabric is used and its ends are stitched together. The height of the sheet determines the height of the container and the length of the sheet its circumference. Stitching the ends of the container together in this manner thus creates a loop which forms the side walls of the container.
• To complete the container top and bottom are stitched into position, these typically being square, and a filler tube is installed, typically somewhere through a side wall. In this manner the intended parallepiped structure is created for the bag.
• an underground mine support comprising a fabric container having a top and a bottom, at least one sidewall and an inlet operatively for filler material to be pumped into the container, the container further includes at least one elongate tensile element arranged to extend through the container extending at each end through the sidewall.
• the container prefferably be right circular cylindrically shaped, and preferably for the tensile element to extend through the longitudinal axis of the container, more preferably for a plurality of tensile elements to extend through the container at different heights in relation to the bottom of the container, and at differing angular orientations with respect to each other.
• the invention further provides for the tensile element to be located in position by means of a washer, preferably a disc or having any shape, including a square shape, located between each end of the tensile element and the operatively outer surface of its respective side wall, and further preferably for the end of the tensile element to be folded over or knotted onto the washer, alternatively to be crimped with lugs onto itself, further alternatively any suitable fastening means.
• a washer preferably a disc or having any shape, including a square shape, located between each end of the tensile element and the operatively outer surface of its respective side wall, and further preferably for the end of the tensile element to be folded over or knotted onto the washer, alternatively to be crimped with lugs onto itself, further alternatively any suitable fastening means.
• each end of the tensile element is provided with a ferrule.
• the support includes a plurality of such tensile elements extending through opposing sidewalls thereof, for the tensile elements to be arranged in layers with equidistantly spaced apart tensile elements, and for layers of tensile elements to also be equidistantly spaced apart through the height of the support, thus forming a network of layers of tensile elements.
• one or more tensile elements to be used in conjunction with layers of internal reinforcing comprising mesh material, alternatively without any internal reinforcing layers.
• the container is manufactured from a flexible material, more preferably a liquid permeable fabric.
• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an underground mine support according to the invention with tensile elements extending through it;
• Figure 2 shows detail of two such tensile elements proximate a corner of the support of
• Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of an underground mine support according to the invention with tensile elements extending through it.
• a support (1 ) according to a preferred embodiment of the invention and detail thereof are shown in Figures 1 and 2.
• the support (1 ) comprises a parallelepiped shaped container (2) manufactured from a liquid permeable geotextile material.
• the container (2) includes a top (3), bottom (4), and four sidewalls (5).
• the support (1 ) is installed between a hanging wall and foot wall of an underground mine.
• the sidewall (5) has a predetermined height selected to be substantially similar to a stope design height in a mine stope where the support (1 ) is to be installed.
• the container (2) includes an upper panel (14) extending between the operatively upper edge (15) of the sidewall (5) and the top (3) to allow for vertical expansion of the container (2) upon filling with filler material.
• the support (1 ) also includes through each set of opposing side walls three rows (6) of elongate tensile elements (7) that are located substantially parallel in respect of the top (3) and bottom panels (4). This means that if the support (1 ) were to be placed on a level surface the rows of tensile elements (6) would be arranged horizontally with respect to such level surface.
• the ends may also be provided each with a ferrule (not shown) to locate in position onto its disc (8).
• the ends of the tensile elements thus bear onto the discs (8), and restrain the opposing sidewalls (5) from expanding away from each other.
• the container (2) is filled with filler material and starts to take load of the weight of the filler material and of the hanging wall bearing down onto it the normal expansion of the sidewalls (5) of the container (2) places the tensile elements (7) under tension and they undergo elongation, and this elongation may include elastic and/or plastic deformation.
• the tensile elements reinforces the container (2) and provides for the containment thereof, preserving its shape to a much greater degree than is presently the case.
• the second embodiment shown in Figure 3 comprises container (10) that has a right circular cylindrical shape.
• This container (10) also includes a top (1 1 ) and a bottom (12) but of course only has one continuous sidewall (12).
• the sidewall (12) of this container (10) also has a predetermined height selected to be substantially similar to a stope design height in a mine stope where the container (10) will be installed as a support.
• the container (10) also includes an upper panel (16) extending between the operatively upper edge (17) of the sidewall (12) and the top (1 1 ) to allow for vertical expansion of the container (10) upon filling with filler material.
• the tensile elements (13) are also provided with a series of spaced apart tensile elements (13) that extend through the container (10), and through its sidewall (12).
• the tensile elements (13) pass through the longitudinal axis of the container (10), in this embodiment at right angles to it.
• the tensile elements (13) pass through the container (10) equidistantly spaced apart at different heights.
• At each specific height there are two tensile elements (13A, 13B) that extend through the container (10), at right angles to each other.
• the series of spaced-apart tensile elements combine to form a network of reinforcement that confine the sidewall from expanding under filling with filler material.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
• Geology (AREA)
• Woven Fabrics (AREA)
• Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)

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Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

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Citations (2)

• 2013
  • 2013-09-18 WO PCT/IB2013/058628 patent/WO2014045204A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2013-09-20 ZA ZA2013/07092A patent/ZA201307092B/en unknown

Patent Citations (2)

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