Early mining methods either left open voids after the ore had been removed or permitted the caving of the surrounding waste rock. Caving methods often resulted in surface subsidence. Temporary and permanent timber supports enabled larger sized workings and there is a rich history of mining in the 18th and 19th centuries using timber alone. One of the earliest records of backfilling in Australia as a discrete technique was the placement of aggregate from lead jig wastes at Mount Isa in 1933 tipped directly from the mill by conveyor to square set timber stopes. This was done both for disposal purposes and for stabilising the working areas by providing an improved platform.
Early mining methods either left open voids after the ore had been removed or permitted the caving of the surrounding waste rock. Caving methods often resulted in surface subsidence. Temporary and permanent timber supports enabled larger sized workings and there is a rich history of mining in the 18th and 19th centuries using timber alone. One of the earliest records of backfilling in Australia as a discrete technique was the placement of aggregate from lead jig wastes at Mount Isa in 1933 tipped directly from the mill by conveyor to square set timber stopes. This was done both for disposal purposes and for stabilising the working areas by providing an improved platform.