Filling of a Flooded Gypsum Mine with a Flowable Soil-Cement Mix
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 22, Issue 6
Abstract
This paper describes the use of a fluidized soil-cement mix to fill a former gypsum-anhydrite mine located in the village of Santa Brigida in Northen Italy. The mine was excavated with the chamber-pillar method on four different levels and it was abandoned several tens of years ago. Two lower levels are flooded and the dissolution of gypsum and anhydrite, consequent to the flow of water inside the tunnels, puts under serious hydrogeological risk the area above the mine. Geological and geotechnical studies found as the most adequate solution to the problem the complete filling of the tunnels with a material with mechanical and physical properties comparable to common properties of soils. Nevertheless, the presence of water with significant concentration of sulfate ions inside the tunnels has required a specific study in order to define both an appropriate filling material and the technology to introduce it in the tunnels. The results of laboratory studies to develop and characterize the flowable soil-cement are summarized and a pilot work is described.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the local municipality of Santa Brigida by means of a financing of the Regione Lombardia. The paper is dedicated to the memory of Mr. Giuseppe Regazzoni, major of Santa Brigida, for his efforts in promoting the realization of the rehabilitation project of the abandoned mine.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 22 • Issue 6 • June 2010
Pages: 628 - 636
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Feb 18, 2009
Accepted: Jan 20, 2010
Published online: Feb 5, 2010
Published in print: Jun 2010
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