The US Bureau of Mines conducted research on underground stope leaching of metalliferous ores. Leaching underground would minimize the environmental impact of ore processing on the surface and would maximize minable reserves. An important aspect of this process is the minimization of pregnant solution losses and groundwater contamination by leach solutions. Bulkhead design and construction are important issues for solution control and stope- leaching economics. A reinforced-concrete bulk-head was designed, constructed and tested for solution control in an underground mine near Idaho Springs, CO. This paper presents the bulkhead-design methodology and construction procedure.
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