Sometimes it is suggested that mining engineering and its supporting engineering sciences have reached a state of maturity. However, this proposition is inconsistent with major developments in the twenty years that have elapsed since the preparation of the first edition of this book, and the ten years since it has been subject to any substantial revision. Over those periods, innovations and improvements in engineering practice in mining and mining rock mechanics, and advances in the engineering science of rock mechanics, have been extraordinary. For these reasons the third edition, which results from comprehensive and thorough revision of the earlier editions, has involved the replacement or substantial modification of the equivalent of about half of the text and figures of those versions of the book.
One of the key drivers for many significant developments in fundamental rock me- chanics over the period has been the mining industry’s recognition of the economic returns of better understanding and more rigorous application of the governing sciences embedded in its industrial operations and processes. The result has been some notable advances in mining engineering practice, involving improvements in mining methods in particular. For example, caving methods are now more widely applied as understanding of their scientific basis has improved and their economic and operational advantages have been realised. Whereas sublevel caving was once regarded in some places as a method of marginal interest, the advent of very large scale sublevel caving, made possible in part by improved drilling technology and in part by understanding of the governing rock mechanics, it is now an attractive proposition for many orebodies. Similarly, block caving is now conducted efficiently and reliably in orebody settings that would have been inconceivable two decades ago. At the same time, methods such as overhand cut-and-fill stoping and shrink stoping have declined in application, replaced in part by open stoping and bench-and-fill stoping, where large scale mechanisation, improved backfill technology, reliable rock mass reinforcement of stope walls and the intrinsic advantages of non-entry methods of working have led to superior economics and enhanced operational safety.
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