We are currently seeking industry funding for GSSO4. This project aims at providing better solutions for mitigating rockburst risks in underground mines by providing practitioners with tools to extend their capabilities to design and implement safe and reliable ground support systems.

The project is subdivided into the following five Work Packages:

WP 1: simplified blasting tests to estimate/validate the displacement capacity of support systems under dynamic loading
WP 2: further develop the empirical ground support survivability matrices
WP 3: develop new functionalities for the mXrap Ground Support Designer app
WP 4: expand the application of discrete fracture networks (DFN) to underground problems, including stope cable bolt design, brow cable bolt design, raises and ore passes stability assessment, as well as input into numerical modelling
WP 5: construction of ground support system testing machine and develop shotcrete guidelines from a comprehensive testing program.

GSSO4 is a continuation of Phase 3 of this project which was completed in May 2026.  A final report is currently being prepared.

Principal researcher: Professor Yves Potvin

Please view the GSSO 4 research proposal  which provides detailed information about the project background and the anticipated scope of work.

For further information about this project and to express interest in sponsoring it, please contact:

christine.neskudla@uwa.edu.au or yves.potvin@uwa.edu.au