Geotechnical Monitoring Instrumentation
Installing geotechnical monitoring instrumentation devices makes mines safer and more productive
A big part of ensuring continual productivity and safety in mines, whether underground or on the surface, is monitoring. Mining has a significant impact on the geological formations in the area in which it is conducted and is in turn also influenced by the behavior and status of these formations.
It is very important that any significant movement or status change in the rock formations and soil deposits in or adjacent to the mine is monitored, noted and acted on, as this can potentially lead to instability, which in turn can threaten the productivity, operational efficiency and safety of the mine.
To perform this type of monitoring, modern mine engineers make use of a variety of monitoring instruments that are installed directly into parts of the mine (e.g. the walls and roofs of shafts, tunnels, rooms, stopes, walls, embankments, etc.)
These geotechnical instruments continually monitor the mechanics and status of rock and soil and provide useful data to engineering staff. This information can then be used for better monitoring of the mine from both productivity and safety standpoints and incorporated into expansion planning and decision-making processes.
At MDT, we manufacture a range of geotechnical monitoring instrumentation that is accurate, tough, simple to install, and can be easily integrated as part of an overall mine monitoring control system; for example, Newtrax (for underground mining applications) or Loadsensing (for surface mining applications).
Some of our key geotechnical monitoring instrumentation products are:
- Extensometers, especially the patented MDT Multi Point Borehole Extensometer (MPBX)
- Contractometers
- Sloughmeters
- Ground Movement Monitors
- Thermistor Strings
All items in our range of geotechnical monitoring instrumentation products are fully customizable. They can be adapted and manufactured to client specifications and to suit operational requirements.
Click here to find out more about the geotechnical monitoring instrumentation and other mining-related products manufactured and supplied by MDT.
