The conventional transportation system in open pit, a to u.* itc:,~> truck., to carry the ore along the ramps. Normally, the transportation distance
increases greatly as mining progresses deeper. A new approach to
overcome the above disadvantage is to adopt a buried roadway by which
ores is transported by conveyors from the mining area to the outside
dump in the shortest distance so that the production efficiency is greatly
increased. Maintenance of the buried roadway in a good working condition is the
key factor that determines the success or failure of the proposed approach.
This includes the determination of support load, types and structures of
support and other related supporting measures. The crucial problem here
is to effectively control the load applied on the buried roadway in a
certain range that the ordinary support can stand. Based on the theoretical analysis, numerical modelling and physical
simulation testing using equivalent material, this paper studies effects on
control of the support load by adopting certain measures, for instance
reinforcing the surrounding rock and placing the extendable layer
between the support and a rock mass. Furthermore, the influence of the
dynamic load induced by the movement of heavy vehicles on the stability
of the buried roadway is also investigated.