Site Report

Mine Workings Stabilised with Pumped Concrete

In the course of work to close down the Leonie iron-ore
mine in the Ober Pfalz in West Germany, it is necessary
to fill galleries close to the mine shaft in order to prevent
subsidence which might otherwise result from the
relatively shallow depths involved.

The long-stroke BSA 2100 HE pumps air-entrained foam

concrete underground as filling material during all weather conditions

The underground management has decided to have the

sump gallery system filled at a depth of some 190
metres. The work is made considerably more difficult by
inrushes of water. The filter material is an inexpensive
foam concrete (grain size 04 mm) with a high proportion
of entrained air (20% by volume). This choice of material
takes into account the poor strength properties of the
surrounding geological structure (marl, clay). A high filling
rate results in economical operation. A further positive
aspect is that the foam concrete retains its volume after
setting which would not be case with normal concrete.
The material is expected to achieve its final strength after
50 days.

The sump gallery system to be filled con-sists of a

northern and southern section. lt has a total of some
5,100 m3, which is being filled in two stages. At the time
of our visit, work was in full swing on the filling of the
southern section. 10-hour shift operation allows a daily
input of 400 m3 of material to be achieved. A long-stroke
Putzmeister BSA 2100 HE concrete pump feeds the
foam concrete from the surface directly to the placing
points underground. The machine has been installed
under cover in the shaft hall, enabling operation to
continue without interruption under all weather
conditions. Truck-mounted concrete mixers bring the
material from the concrete works 5 km away and unload
the foam concrete into the hopper of the concrete pump
from a ramp. The BSA 2100 E first feeds the filler
material 15 m horizontally to the shaft through a 125 mm
diameter Putzmeister ZX highpressure pipeline.

80 m long Putzmeister ZX delivery line laid horizontally. Thanks to gentle pumping

characteristic of the BSA 2100, only wood needs to be laid below the line

TS 1330

The 90 pipe elbow at the shaft entrance incorporates a

bleed connector which is used to bleed the material of air
as required. This trick not only improves the flow
characteristics of the foam concrete but also reduces the
delivery pressure which the BSA pump needs to produce.
The delivery line then runs for some 185 m vertically
down the shaft and then for a further
80 m horizontally along the main road. A gate valve,
capable of operating at up to 130 bar, has been fitted in
the pipeline in the main gallery. At the end of the road,
the PM pineline is connected to the mines own pipes
which continue down to the lower-lying sump gallery
system.

A vent bore hole in the 90 pipe bend improves flow behavior

Thanks to the damped pumping characteristics of the

BSA 2100, it has proved possible to lay the delivery line
without anchoring. In the roadways, the pipeline is merely
laid on wooden supports, while running vertically in the
shaft it is supported only by brackets on the shaft wall at
intervals of 6 m.

In the actual sump system itself, suspension chains

secure the delivery pipeline to the mine workings. As
soon as a section has been filled in the sump system
(retaining dams prevent the foam concrete from flowing
back into the gallery), a quick-action gate valve shuts off
the lost line. The piping system is then transferred to the
next section to be filled. The quick-action gate valve can
be recovered 24 hours later.
At the discharge point, a pipe elbow pointing towards the
roof ensures complete filling until the material meets the
roof.
The pipe delivery system described,
including a robust high-performance Putzmeister
concrete pump, allows work to be carried out rapidly in
only a few days.
Minimal preparation costs, high reliabi-lity in operation
and ideal adaptability to the special requirements of
under-ground working are the distinguishing features of
this economic method for concrete handling in the Leonie
mine.
Discharge of the foam concrete in one section of the sump gallery system