SEDL / STP / STP1129-EB / STP19739S

Design and Construction of a Plastic Concrete Cutoff Wall for the Island Copper Mine

Davidson, RR
Senior Associate, Woodward-Clyde Consultants, Denver, Colorado

Denise, G
Senior Staff Engineer, Woodward-Clyde Consultants, Denver, Colorado

Findlay, B
Mine Maintenance General Foreman, BHP-Utah Mines, Ltd., British Columbia,

Robertson, RB
Engineering Manager, BHP-Utah Mines, Ltd, British Columbia,

Pages: 18    Published: Jan 1992

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Abstract

A plastic concrete slurry wall was constructed at the Island Copper Mine on Vancouver Island to prevent excessive seepage from the ocean into a large copper mine open pit during a south wall push-back which would lead to pit slope stability problems and flooding. An unusually low strength plastic concrete was chosen as a backfill to sustain relatively large deformations without cracking and to resist erosion if a crack should develop. Very difficult construction problems were successfully surmounted including excavation through a loose, pervious mine rock waste dump and embedding the toe of the wall into a very hard glacial till. Pit slope excavation has been completed through the cutoff soils without problem.