Jinchuan Group Co., Ltd.'s Longshou Mine recently completed an industrial trial replacing traditional bolt-mesh support with steel fiber shotcrete, achieving a breakthrough in underground support technology.
Due to high ground stress and fractured ore bodies at the Jinchuan mine, traditional "shotcrete-bolt-mesh" support often led to roadway cracking and deformation, resulting in frequent repairs, high costs, and intensive labor. To address this, Longshou Mine pursued both independent research and collaborative efforts--introducing advanced external support concepts while conducting repeated on-site trials. By adjusting the shotcrete mix ratio, controlling steel fiber dosage, reducing rebound rate, and minimizing pipeline wear, the technical challenges were systematically overcome. Ultimately, a wet shotcrete enhancer formula and digital proportioning technology were developed, successfully replacing the traditional process.
Simultaneously, Longshou Mine established a specialized technical team focused on improving strength and simplifying procedures. The wet shotcrete strength was upgraded from C25 to C30, and a one-step forming process for steel fiber shotcrete was developed. The new process eliminates the mesh hanging step, offering higher compressive strength, simpler procedures, more stable roadways, and lower costs.
Currently, the mine plans to promote the steel fiber wet shotcrete process throughout its operations, providing robust support for underground safety and production.
Written by Cora Ji, jiruyan@mysteel.com
