ROCK ENGINEERING

Routine Rock Engineering

Saxum provides routine rock engineering services to operating coal mines. These services include, but are not limited, to rock engineering legal appointments, routine rock engineering assessments of production areas, strata control assessments (including Physical Risk Assessments and Performance Assessments), planning meeting participation, pre-emptive risk assessments for new mining areas (underground and opencast), strip mining highwall assessments and “Special Areas” investigations and evaluations.

Rock Engineering Audits

Saxum regularly attends to rock engineering audits, reviews and compliance matters.

Optimised Underground Mine Design

Saxum undertakes conceptual roof support designs, pillar design strategies, pillar stability investigations and pre-feasibility studies. An integral part of these services include rock field strength tests.

Highwall and Slope Design

We believe that good planning ensures that the relevant geological and geotechnical data are incorporated into a mine design for effective ground control (and hence safe production), starting from the box cut stage.

Numerical Modelling

Saxum provides turnkey numerical modelling solutions including:

  • Finite element analysis (FEA)
  • 2D Limit equilibrium analysis for slopes
  • Boundary element (LAMODEL) numerical simulation or modelling

CODES OF PRACTICE

Saxum is highly skilled in the compilation of COPs to Combat Rock/Roof Fall Accidents. The COPs to Combat Rock/Roof Fall and Slope Instability-Related Incidents are mandatory documents for all operating mines. It is drafted and reviewed at least every two years by the employer through the participation of the Health and Safety committee, management, technical experts, contractors and employee representatives. It defines the geological and geotechnical environment and mining parameters in which the mine operates. It highlights risks to prevent accidents, and loss of work hours and equipment to create an overall safe working environment for all concerned.

Coal: Underground

Saxum compiles the Mandatory Code of Practice to Combat Roof Fall Accidents In Underground Coal Mines for our clients in accordance with the provisions of the Mine Health and Safety Act, No. 29 of 1996 (as amended). Saxum also provides Code of Practice implementation and SC Hazard Awareness Training in accordance with the DMRE guidelines.

Coal: Opencast

Saxum compiles the Mandatory Code of Practice to Combat Rock Fall and Slope Instability-Related Accidents in Surface Mines for our clients in accordance with the provisions of the Mine Health and Safety Act, No. 29 of 1996 (as amended). Saxum also provides Code of Practice implementation and Highwall Hazard Awareness Training in accordance with the DMRE guidelines.

ROCK SUPPORT

Saxum provides support system designs based on the local ground behaviour, as well as non-destructive testing (NDT) of rock support.

Independent Rock Support Evaluation

Saxum provides an independent rock bolt testing service where each of the elements of a rock bolting system, hole size, drill bit size and type, bonding agent properties, steel properties and bolt profile are tested to optimise the bond strength, and provide a system capable of rapid installation.

The ability of fully bonded roof support systems to reinforce the surrounding strata depends on the strength and stiffness of the bond between the roof bolt and the surrounding strata.

In the case of polyester resin being the bonding agent, a Short Encapsulation Pull Test (SEPT) is the typical prescribed testing method to determine the resin bond strength of the proposed roof bolting reinforcement system in situ.

The primary aim of the SEPT tests is to measure the performance of the rock bolt-resin-rock system in the specific production environment.  This is achieved by attempting to defeat the resin bond (test to destruction) and characterising the resin bond failure in terms of bond strength and system stiffness.

New Support Product Evaluation

Saxum provides an independent evaluation of various support products, including roof bolters, rock bolts and resin.

ROCK FALL HAZARD AWARENESS TRAINING

Saxum provides rock fall hazard awareness training for its clients in both opencast and underground operations. The training is designed to cater for three levels of experience: basic, intermediate and a more advanced training module for middle management. The aim is to reduce rock fall risks through basic strata control knowledge and by creating awareness.

Saxum provides two types of this training.

StrataSmart©

StrataSmart© Training deals with training of underground mining personnel on underground rock falls and strata hazard awareness. There are three levels of training.

StrataSmart© I for 1st level underground personnel and operators.
StrataSmart© II for 1st line supervisors.
StrataSmart© III for middle management level.

RockSmart©

RockSmart© Training deals with training of personnel on rock fall-related hazard awareness in the surface mining environment.
There are three levels of training:

RockSmart© I for 1st level surface personnel and operators.
RockSmart© II for supervisory staff.
RockSmart© III for middle management level.

GEOTECHNICAL SERVICES

Geotechnical Evaluation 

Saxum provides specialised geotechnical evaluation and field testing of geological rock drill core.

Saxum conducts the following routine field tests:

  • Geotechnical logging of drill core (Orientated and Non-orientated)
  • Joint and structure mapping
  • Rock Mass Ratings (RMR)
  • Rock Quality Designation (RQD)
  • Impact Splitting
  • Point Load Testing
  • Laboratory Tests Sampling