Mine Backfill, an Operator's Guide. an Interactive Cd-rom for Mine Operators and Engineers

“Mine Backfill, An Operator’s Guide” is an extension of the electronic book on CD-ROM entitled “Mine Backfill 1998”, which was prepared for the CIM’s (Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum) centennial celebrations in 1999. Discussions with many operations revealed that there was an industry need for a backfill guide for front-line operator training and as a reference manual for operators and mine engineers. Sponsored by the mining industry and the CIM, “Mine Backfill, An Operator’s Guide” has been developed by the Departments of Mining Engineering at Queen’s University and McGill University to fulfil this need. “Mine Backfill, An Operator’s Guide” is an interactive multimedia package that incorporates high quality colour images, animations, sound, and video with text to review the main backfill methods employed in Canada, including hydraulic/slurry, paste and rock fill. Based on a combination of engineering theory, visits to mines, and discussions with operators, the Guide discusses and reviews key issues, practices, and technology currently in use. The Guide has been designed to be user friendly, includes extensive help features, with operators in mind, and is being distributed on CD-ROM. The Guide is divided into training and reference sections. When in training mode, the operator is guided through a presentation of common mining and backfill practices and technologies so that he/she may become more familiar with different aspects of the backfill process. Beginning with a global perspective, so that the operator becomes aware of the total system, the Guide will then focus on a series of sections covering all aspects of an underground mine backfill system. To ensure that key concepts have been learned, the operator will be tested after each section using a series of multiple choice and true/false questions. When in reference mode, the operator or engineer may browse through the information in a more detailed and independent fashion through a series of interactive menus. The Guide focuses on the following main topics: resources, surface preparation, distribution, stope activities, health and safety, and quality control. Special features included in the Guide are a Buyer’s Guide, a Trouble Shooting Guide, and an interactive glossary of backfill and mining terms.