Ground Support Design for Olympic Dam Expansion Project

Olympic Dam is currently undergoing an expansion project, costing an estimated SAUS 1.5 billion. Included as a part of the expansion project is 24km of tunnels as well as 6km of underground rail system. BFP is currently working under contract to Wester Mining Corporation (WMC), t o provide ground support design and advice relating to the expansion project. The two main approaches being used for the support design was a n overall rockmass one using the Rock Tunnelling Quality Index, Q b y Barton et al. (1974) and a structural failure one using the geotechnical programs DIPS and UNWEDGE. Both these approaches have been used to derive a support design for all the proposed development drives, shafts and chambers located in varying orientations, depths and geological materials for the Olympic Dam Expansion Project.