SSAB’s expandable rock bolts have been used in international mines for years. The OEM is Now expanding its offering into Australia.
Tunnelling deep into the ground to extract valuable ore can be a dangerous job.
With this in mind, SSAB developed its expandable rock bolts (ERB) to help miners secure the rock roof and avoid harmful accidents when heading underground.
Through supplier Cimertex, metals mines in Portugal have been using SSAB ERB for several years and have found that no other bolts can match up.
“From our experience with mining and tunnelling, we looked for the best quality ERB available to distribute and contacted SSAB,” Cimertex executive director Álvaro Bastos said.
“Our SSAB ERBs are by far the market leaders because of quality and logistics.”
A primary feature of the SSAB ERB is how quickly the bolts can be installed. Once a hole is drilled, the folded rock bolt can be inserted and expanded with water from a high-pressure pump.
As soon as the bolt is expanded, it is squeezed against the rock, which means operators don’t have to wait for any grout or resin to harden. It also means operators don’t have to work with dangerous chemicals contained in resins or grout.
The pure steel bolts can also remain in the rock without contributing negatively to the natural environment.
“There are just four easy steps to securing the SSAB ERB,” SSAB said.
“First, the hole is drilled to a necessary length. Then, the bolt is inserted and a pressure pump is attached to expand the pipe. Finally, the pump is removed and the rock is secured.”
SSAB ERBs have been reliable tools for Somincor, the company that operates the Neves-Corvo underground copper-zinc mine in Portugal.
“SSAB ERBs fit our needs regarding our safety standards and the fact that we do not feel the necessity of change, because operational and performance issues prove that this support has been fulfilling our operational requirements,” Somincor head of rock mechanics Rodolfo Machado said.
“The fact that the industry is moving in a sustainable direction also speaks strongly for this technology.”
SSAB controls the entire production chain of the SSAB ERBs, meaning the product is always trustworthy and stable.
“Each production stage from steel manufacturing to profiling and assembling of rock bolts is covered by SSAB’s own production and quality control chain,” SSAB said.
“Each individual bolt is marked with a unique code, which enables full traceability.”
SSAB ERBs are employed in mines all over the world, including at the Jokisivu gold mine in Finland.
Dragon Mining, the company that operates Jokisivu, is currently mining at a depth of 645m and trusts SSAB ERBs with its rock support.
“We prefer inflatable bolts instead of split set bolts due to availability issues of split-set in the Nordic region,” Jokisivu mine manager Timo Ridaskoski said.
“It’s also easier to run one bolting system rather than two. We can get the bolts directly from SSAB in Sweden, which secures our supply of bolts.”
An innovative concept, the SSAB ERBs feature high-quality Nordic steel and guarantee a minimum breaking load.
The bolts also go through eddy current non-destructive testing, inflation tests and flattening tests to ensure they are safe to use.
SSAB explained exactly how the ERBs work.
“The bolt forms a mechanical interlock between the borehole wall and the bolt over the full bolt length,” the company said.
“When the SSAB ERB is inflated it also contracts in the bolt length, which effectively tensions the bolt’s face plate against the rock surface.
“The rock bolts are designed to accommodate large rock movements and still maintain their high load-bearing capacity. SSAB ERB is suitable for both manual and mechanised installation.”
Having been used by miners across the globe for decades, SSAB is excited to bring this offering to the Australian mining industry.
This feature appeared in the December 2023 issue of Australian Mining.
