Course overview
The course aims to provide students with a basic knowledge in rock mechanics, rock excavations, geotechnical risks and hazards assessments, dynamic events, instrumentation and monitoring, and rock supports in mining operations. The course also gives an introduction to numerical modelling for mining geomechanical problems.
Course learning outcomes
- Explain the contribution of rock breakage to the mining process
- Describe the various methods of rock breakage
- Select appropriate methods of drilling and rock breakage for given in-situ rock conditions
- Apply fundamental principles to the design and selection of safe and efficient blasting and machine mining to: Design blasts to achieve particular outcomes; Manage and control blast damage and environmental impacts; Optimise design of cutter heads; Evalute productivity and economics
- Identify relevant requirements for the security, storage and handling of explosives