Corrosion considerations in design and operation of rock support systems

Abstract

The selection and design of rock support systems rarely takes into explicit consideration the susceptibility of the systems to corrosion. The loss in capacity associated with the corrosion of support systems can be a major safety and economic concern in underground hard rock mines. This paper reports on the influence of atmospheric, aqueous and microbiological corrosion on the performance of support systems in several hard rock underground mines. In situ observations were complemented by laboratory investigations aiming to quantify the potential in loss of capacity of the installed support systems. A methodology is proposed to contribute to the selection and design of support systems in corrosive environments.