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Second International Symposium on Block and Sublevel Caving

20 – 22 April 2010, Australia

Initiated by the Australian Centre for Geomechanics, the Universidad of de los Andes, Chile and the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, the ACG looks forward to hosting the Second International Symposium on Block and Sublevel Caving for the first time in Australia. It is intended to run this seminar every four years, in between the MassMin Symposia (Lulea 2008, Sudbury 2012).

The growing popularity of caving methods around the world is largely due to the very low production cost and the intrinsic safety associated with this mining approach. It is often the only viable mining method for some of the lower grade massive orebodies that are becoming too deep for open pit mining.

Strategically, most medium and large mining companies are operating or planning to operate a caving mine. Codelco El Teniente mines in Chile and the LKAB Kiruna mine in Sweden are amongst the largest and most famous caving operations in the world. Australia’s leading caving operations include Rio Tinto Northparkes mines, BHP Billiton Nickel West Perseverance mine and Newcrest's Telfer and Ridgeway gold mines.

Click here to view the First Announcement Brochure

Themes

  • Open pit to underground mining transition
  • Caving mechanics
  • Fragmentation
  • Ground support
  • Rockburst and seismic risk
  • Block and sublevel caving design and layouts
  • Undercutting
  • Closure and rehabilitation
  • Case histories

      • Symposium Chair

      YVES POTVIN
      Chair
      Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Australia

      Yves Potvin is the director of the Australian Centre for Geomechanics and a professor at the University of Western Australia (UWA). Prior to joining UWA, Yves spent more than 10 years in the mining industry. He was previously the mining research manager at Mount Isa Mines in Queensland and the rock mechanics programme manager at the Noranda Technology Centre, Canada.

      Yves’ recent research work focuses on rockburst and mine induced seismicity, ground support of underground excavations and cave mining mechanics. Since 2004, Yves has co-edited three books and four symposium proceedings.

      Call for Abstracts

      Intending authors are requested to prepare and submit their abstracts by the end of August 2009 to the Australian Centre for Geomechanics via acg@acg.uwa.edu.au.

      All accepted written papers will be peer reviewed and published in the Second International Symposium on Block and Sublevel Caving Proceedings.

      Collaborating Organisations