Support design of an underground Pb-Zn mine in Turkey

Production from Balya Lead-Zinc mine deposit located in the western part of Turkey restarted at 2009 that had been firstly mined by a French company at the end of 19th century. The mine operation method was projected as per underground sublevel stoping. Declined ramp will be used to reach the production face which is connected to the entrance portal with a main gallery. The 2400 m long main gallery as horseshoe-shape with 5 m width and height has 356 m elevation difference between entrance and final points and has been driven in two main formations which are limestone and dacite. Especially the contact zones of these two main formations are formed in a better way for water flow which mostly affects dacite rocks due to its high porosity that causes unstable conditions causing caving. The old abandoned French galleries also causes extra load on the support system while main gallery is intercepting and/or getting closer to them. The aim of this study is to design the support system of the main gallery related with the formation and properties of the rock mass, effect of the abandoned French galleries, and the shape of the underground openings.