HIGH PROFILE
On the back, the xCell Cyclops has a socket that allows it to be installed directly onto existing rock bolts
Always watching
Sandvik’ s xCell Cyclops™ has brought a new and fresh approach to underground mine convergence monitoring – IM Editorial Director Paul Moore recently spoke to Osvaldo Vallati, Product Manager Digital Products at Sandvik’ s Ground Support Division, to get a better understanding of the background and benefits
Osvaldo Vallati, Product Manager Digital Products at Sandvik’ s Ground Support Division
The xCell Cyclops™ is a unique system that Sandvik launched in 2023 to measure convergence in underground excavation. It was initially designed and tailored for hard rock mines, but has later also been applied in soft rock. It provides wireless, continuous, remote and real-time measurement of ground movements. It also features built-in notifications and alarms to support a safer and more sustainable work environment.
Vallati started with its overall upside in operational terms – it helps mine operators improve their knowledge of how the ground is moving, which in turn allows them to plan for better rehabilitation and more efficient use of ground support. And of course it has a fundamental safety benefit:“ As a leading OEM, Sandvik has the duty to investigate and implement new technologies that improve safety underground and today, we are fortunate enough to have the digital tools to make this possible.”
Most mines are prone to ground movement. Squeezing ground conditions commonly occur when the rock strata is layered or foliated as well as when you have weaker homogeneous ground. The rock creeps over time and causes movement of the excavation where the wall bulges or buckles inwards, the floor heaves and the back sags.
You can also have a situation where the deformation is sudden, a so-called rock burst, which is really a seismic level of event and is a major cause of fatalities. In this case, ground movement is primarily caused by the fracturing and bulking of rock.
Ground movement is inevitable and can lead to support failures, rock falls, safety hazards, and operational delays. xCell Cyclops can help address a lot of these issues in mining, at least to the point where harm to personnel is largely prevented – just as it is with open pit mine movements using slope stability radar.
It is also useful for the providers of ground support themselves. Vallati:“ When there is ground movement, there is ground support damage and as a ground support supplier, Sandvik cares about this. We care about what happens to the bolts. As the rock mass deforms, it places excessive stress on the ground support system, causing issues such as bolt elongation, tension failure, shearing, and bending. Surface supports like mesh can tear or stretch, while shotcrete may crack, spall, or delaminate, compromising the containment of the excavation. Rock movement and tunnel closure can also create clearance problems for equipment and damage infrastructure such as pipes and ventilation systems, which may become bent, twisted, or broken. In very bad conditions, the ground can move up to a metre or more causing spalling or rockfalls.”
Lack of access to that area can mean lowered productivity and mine operation disruption and therefore unexpected financial losses for the mine, but it can also be a problem for the safety of the workers. So it’ s very important to monitor movement, and understand what’ s happening. And this is especially so as mines go deeper and rock stresses increase.
A new way of looking at ground support strategies
As stated, monitoring is also an important part of geotechnical risk management. It provides feedback on ground support performance and allows to react to problems as and when they occur. If the ground moves too much and the supports are compromised, then rehabilitation might be needed, but you can only know if the ground is moving through monitoring.
So this type of hazard detection can be seen as early warning for preventative actions. In addition, monitoring can inform your ground support design allowing it to be optimised based on actual ground conditions, which helps reduce costs.“ Monitoring is not passive,” Vallati explained.“ It lets you know when something is happening, so that gives you more control in managing worker safety and adapt mine plan. It transforms ground support design from a static plan into an adaptive, learning system.”
Vallati pointed out that convergence monitoring has been carried out in the industry in many different ways. Traditionally, visual inspection has been used, where personnel walk the mine and look for signs like delamination or cracks in the shotcrete, damaged bolts, or damaged rock plates. In some cases, they take measurements with a measuring tape or with a laser meter. But geotechs do not have the time to go around taking regular manual inspections – especially with the labour shortages in mining today.
There are also some mechanical devices that can measure the strata movement. An example quite widely used in Australia is the
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