SHAFT SINKING prior to the raise being constructed. This allowed for the blasted rock to be dropped from the raise to the mine workings below, according to Smith.
He added:“ This eliminated the significant schedule and cost to construct a traditional sinking headframe with a sinking hoist; rather, a simplified structure that sat directly on the shaft collar was used to move the sinking stage, concrete forms, etc.”
According to Smith, there are many other relatively short( 500 ft or less) ventilation shafts required in that same mining district in Nevada that can benefit from this methodology, which will give the mine operators better ventilation without the complexity and cost of a headframe.
The company’ s commitment to safety and training has also been on show recently, with progress made on several fronts.
Following the launch of a partnership with LoopX to significantly enhance dynamic safety at mining project sites, Cementation Americas recently entered the next phase of testing of LoopX’ s personnel detection system on jumbo drills at its North American maintenance facility.
In addition to this, Cementation Americas installed a new Epiroc Underground Drilling Classroom Simulator at its training facility in Mexico to enable trainees to develop and refine their underground drilling skills in a highly realistic, controlled environment – without putting equipment, production time or safety at risk.
Cementation has also partnered with Komatsu on“ fielding” some of the OEM’ s mechanical rock-cutting technology for horizontal mine development. This includes the MC51, which was previously trialled in Sudbury at Vale’ s Garson mine.“ We have been working on deploying this technology in Canada as well as the US and Mexico,” Smith said.“ We are pretty excited about the possibility of a step-change in how rock is excavated for mining operations!”
From shaft collar to final commissioning
Cementation Africa, which has spent the past 21 years building its reputation as one of Africa’ s most respected underground mining contractors, continues to leverage more than 50 years of combined experience, underpinned by technical excellence, continuous innovation and an unwavering commitment to safety and value.
This depth of expertise enables it to integrate engineering design seamlessly with the world-class execution of both vertical and decline shaft development, it says.
“ The success of any shaft sinking project starts long before a spade breaks
ground,” John Goulding, Study Manager in the Mine Engineering department, says. This is why the company prioritises earlystage engagement with clients,“ applying its engineering insight from concept and tradeoff studies through to feasibility, detailed design and on-site support,” he says.
“ This early involvement ensures that design solutions are practical, buildable and optimised for the challenging environments in which shafts are typically sunk.”
Goulding notes that the team’ s multidisciplinary structure – spanning civil, mechanical, structural and electrical engineering – allows for holistic input throughout the project lifecycle.
“ Shaft sinking is one of the most complex undertakings in underground mining,” he says.“ Our engineers understand the real-world demands of these projects which means our designs are grounded in constructability and risk mitigation.”
Cementation Africa’ s engineers play an active role throughout the approval process, engaging clients and stakeholders in an iterative journey to refine solutions. Whether the scope includes a deep vertical shaft through fractured ground or a mechanised decline, the focus is always on safety, functionality and lifecycle performance. Digital tools are also enhancing
Cementation Africa’ s shaft sinking expertise.
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