Grant: Strategic Workshops Program

Of the most common types of rockbursts in underground mines (fault slip, pillar burst and strain burst), fault slip (FS) is often the most disruptive. Despite an increasing number of incidents worldwide and the consequent huge economic impact on mines as well as the health & safety risk to workers -- and despite significant advances in seismic data interpretation -- relatively little focused research has been undertaken to address the problem of controlling FS events in mining. There is even less known about the relationship between underground rockmass geology and FS events. A workshop will take place January 20-21, 2009 in Toronto. This workshop will involve invited geology experts from Canada and around the world, comprising academia, government and the private sector. This two-day event will have three main goals within the context of geology implications in FS events: 1. Identify and classify the realms of expertise represented. 2. Identify where are the gaps in knowledge, data utilization, and technology 3. What topics are of highest relevance and urgency relating to understanding rockmass geology and its relationship to rock bursting, specifically FS rock bursts. The deliverable will be a workshop report comprising: (1) workshop results summary; (2) a listing of attendees and their respective areas of expertise; (3) a list of potential linkages between specific companies, organizations, institutions which emerge from the workshop; (4) next steps required to further develop and focus the outcomes. One or more additional meetings will be undertaken to identify a specific research topic/theme and project(s).