Planning for Services

Any mine opening is a service development if it is not developed specifically to gain

information about the mineral reserve and mining conditions, to obtain a bulk sample, or
to handle the production system. Service developments are subject to the same basic
considerations as are the production openings, i.e., their functions, inclinations, sizes, and
physical arrangements. The name of the development is a combination of function and
inclination, size, and arrangements, thus, ventilation raises, personnel and materials
service shafts, sump clean-out drifts, emergency escape shafts, etc. A service
development may serve a combination of functions or change its function over the life of
the property.

Basically, the design rationale for service developments follows that of production
developments, modified by special considerations associated with the service function.

Ventilation Openings

The current practice in ventilation raise and shaft development is for the opening to be
bored or reamed upward, rather than drilled or blasted. Such holes can be completed by
an outside contractor or by a mine crew who may own or lease a boring machine. The
size of the opening is determined by the ventilation needs. However, size is a trade-off
between the cost of the larger raise opening versus the cost of the power that will be
required. The trend should be to enlarge the opening size to reduce ventilation power
consumption and to move the needed amount of air at minimum cost. This is a problem
of optimization that has to be solved for each individual user. In horizontal developments
or slopes, ventilation tubes or ducts are used in most metal mines, though various types
of stopping, such as brattice cloth or canvas, are also used.