Abstract:
A barrier for a passage is configured to close off a zone in an enclosed environment, for example for a drift in a mine to close off a zone in the mine. The container may be least partially flexible and expandable, by being formed of woven fabric. A supply pipe for an hydraulic fill extending from outside the zone into the zone, and a drainage pipe can be provided for permitting fluid to drain from the zone. These pipes may extend through or around the container. After placing the container in the passage, the container is expanded to form a barrier in the passage, to close of the zone, except for the pipes. The container is filled with hydraulic fill, e.g a slurry. After forming the barrier, further hydraulic fill is supplied to the zone to fill the zone, with the barriers containing the fill in the desired location.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    Aspects and embodiments of the invention relate to a container formed of flexible material for forming a barrier in enclosed environment. More particularly, the invention relates to a flexible container, that may be formed of geotextile material, for forming a barrier closing off a drift or tunnel within a mine. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The following paragraphs are not an admission that anything discussed in them is prior art or part of the knowledge of persons skilled in the art. 
         [0003]    Many mine operations depend on progressively working in old body. As areas of ore body are mined, new tunnels and drifts are made into adjacent areas, to enable further parts of the ore body to be mined. In many cases, once a particular area or zone of the ore body has been exhausted, it is desirable to close off that exhausted area of the ore body. 
         [0004]    More particularly, in many ore bodies and rock formations, it is desirable, if not essential, to back fill the mined and exhausted area of the ore body with sand. Such back filling ensures that the exhausted area is stable and cannot collapse, and will use any requirement to maintain supports for tunnels, drifts, and open areas created by the previous mine activities. 
         [0005]    Filling an exhausted area and mine with sand or aggregate is usually achieved by supplying a slurry of the sanding aggregate, filling the desired space, and permitting excess water to drain away. Fundamentally, this requires forming some sort of barrier closing off the area to be filled. As the slurry of sand or aggregate will apply considerable pressure load to a barrier, the barrier needs to be substantial. Conventional practice is to form a barrier or fence, which requires bringing in and installing various equipment. 
       INTRODUCTION 
       [0006]    The following introduction is intended to introduce the reader to this specification but not to define any invention. One or more inventions may reside in a combination or sub-combination of the apparatus elements or method steps described below or in other parts of this document. The inventor does not waive or disclaim his rights to any invention or inventions disclosed in this specification merely by not describing such other invention or inventions in the claims. 
         [0007]    A barrier for a passage is configured to close off a zone in an enclosed environment, for example for a drift in a mine to close off a zone in the mine. The container may be least partially flexible and expandable, by being formed of woven fabric. A supply pipe for an hydraulic fill may extend from outside the zone into the zone, and a drainage pipe can be provided for permitting fluid, e.g. water and/or air, to drain from the zone. These pipes may extend through or around the container. After placing the container in the passage, the container is expanded to form a barrier in the passage, to close of the zone, except for the pipes. The container is filled with hydraulic fill, e.g. a slurry. After forming the barrier, further hydraulic fill is supplied to the zone to fill the zone, with the barriers containing the fill in the desired location 
         [0008]    In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container for forming a barrier in a passage to close off a zone in an enclosed environment, the container being at least partially flexible to enable the container to conform to the passage, and the container including at least one opening for a pipe, whereby, in use, a pipe is provided extending through the opening into the zone, for filling the zone with a fill material 
         [0009]    Another aspect of the present invention provides a container for forming a barrier in a passage to close off a zone in an enclosed environment, the container being at least formed from flexible, woven fabric, to enable the container to conform to the passage, and the container including at least one opening for a pipe, whereby, in use, a pipe is provided extending through the opening into the zone, for filling the zone with a fill material, and the container providing a device for drainage of water from the container. 
         [0010]    In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container for forming a barrier in a passage to close off a zone in an enclosed environment, the container being at least partially flexible to enable the container to conform to the passage, and preferably being formed of a woven material, e.g. a geotextile, and the container including a strip of porous material to permit liquid to drain from the container. 
         [0011]    A further aspect of the present invention provides a method of forming a barrier in a passage, to close off a zone in an enclosed environment, the method comprising:
   (a) providing a container that is at least partially flexible and expandable, and placing the container in the passage;   (b) providing a supply pipe for supplying an hydraulic fill extending from outside the zone into the zone, and providing a drainage pipe for permitting fluid to drain from the zone;   (c) expanding the container to form a barrier in the passage, to close of the zone, except for the pipes;   (d) supplying hydraulic fill material through the supply pipe to fill at least partially the zone with the hydraulic fill material, while permitting displaced fluid to vent from the zone through the drainage pipe.   
 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0016]    For better understanding of the present invention and to show more clearly how the invention may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanied drawings in which: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a schematic vertical section through a passage in a mine; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a schematic vertical section through the passage in a mine, similar to  FIG. 1  and showing placement of a first embodiment of a container according to the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a schematic vertical section through the passage in a mine, similar to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and showing connection of the container to a ventilation system; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a schematic vertical section through the passage in a mine, similar to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , and showing inflation of the container; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a schematic vertical section through the passage in a mine, similar to  FIGS. 1-4 , and showing placement supply pipes for the container; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a container according to the present invention, including a drainage tube connected to a rear thereof; 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 6 , of the container with the drainage tube removed; 
           [0024]      FIG. 8A  is a perspective view from the underneath of the container of  FIGS. 6 and 7  showing an opening in the container, with  FIG. 8B  showing details of the opening on a larger scale. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0025]    Various apparatuses or methods will be described below to provide an example of an embodiment of each claimed invention. No embodiment described below limits any claimed invention and any claimed invention may cover apparatuses or methods that are not described below. The claimed inventions are not limited to apparatuses or methods having all of the features of any one apparatus or method described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses described below. It is possible that an apparatus or method described below is not an embodiment of any claimed invention. The applicants, inventors and owners reserve all rights in any invention disclosed in an apparatus or method described below that is not claimed in this document and do not abandon, disclaim or dedicate to the public any such invention by its disclosure in this document 
         [0026]    Referring to the Figures, there is shown a passage in a mine, generally indicated by the reference  10 . This passage way may, variously, be described as a drift or tunnel. This passage or drift  10 , typically, may lead to an area or zone of a mine, where the ore body has been exhausted, or where for other reasons a decision has been made to stop further mining. For example, perhaps unstable and unsafe conditions have been encountered. Accordingly, it is sometimes desired to refill or back fill this abandoned zone of the mine with material, intended to ensure stability of this area. This ensures that no further maintenance work needs to be required, and it will no longer be necessary to maintain support structures and the like. Then, mining operations can turn to areas and zones of the mine, where mining activities can continue. 
         [0027]    For this purpose, and according to the present invention, there is provided a container  12 , in the form of a bag formed from a geotextile material. The container  12  can have any suitable shape, depending upon the shape of passage  10 . It is expected that the passage  10  will commonly have a generally flat floor. It may have approximately vertical sides walls and a flat roof. For such a cross-section, the container  12 , as detailed below can be formed with floor panels corresponding to the floor, sidewalls and roof. For some mining operations, the passage  10  may have a cross-section, showing a generally a flat floor, and then sidewalls and a roof that are essentially continuous and form a curved, arched profile. The container  12  can be formed with one panel corresponding to the floor and then another continuous panel that, in use, forms an arched shaped corresponding to the described arched profile of the sidewalls and the roof. 
         [0028]    In any event, whatever the profile of the passage  10 , as the container  12  is formed from a flexible fabric, it is possible that a single piece of fabric could extend all around the top, sides and bottom of the container  12 , with a single seam joining edges of that single piece of fabric into a tubular shape. Provided that tubular shape has a circumference somewhat larger than the circumference of the passage  10 , then it can follow the shape of the tunnel. All that is then required is that end panels have a shape that may approximate the cross-section of the passage  10 . 
         [0029]    As mentioned, the dimensions of the container  12  can be chosen so that they are slightly larger than the dimensions of the passage  10 . This should ensure that, when the container is filled with material, it fully closes off the passage  10 , without imposing excessive stresses in the fabric of the container and with the container in close abutment with surfaces defining the passage  10 . 
         [0030]    The container  12  may be formed from a various geotextile materials. Geotextile materials usually are permeable fabrics which, when used in association with soil or sand, have the ability to separate, filter, reinforce, protect, or drain. Typically, they are made from polypropylene or polyester, geotextile fabrics may come in three basic forms: woven (looks like mail bag sacking), needle punched (looks like felt), or heat bonded (looks like ironed felt). 
         [0031]    In the first embodiment of the container  12  shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , the container  12  has a bottom panel  14  joined to two side panels  16 . A top panel  18  is joined along side edges to the two side panels  16  (this panel structure is also present in the second embodiment and apparent from the perspective views of  FIGS. 6-8 ). The container  12  is completed by a front panel  20  and a rear panel  22 , each joined to all four of the panels  14 ,  16 ,  18 ,  20  along corresponding edges. In known manner, the panels would be joined by sewing along adjacent edges, to give a desired strength to the container  12 . 
         [0032]    On the top panel  18 , or on the front panel  20 , there is provided a relatively large diameter tube connector sleeve  24  for connection to a ventilation system, for providing initial inflation to inflate the container  12  as detailed below. For example, the tube  24  could have a diameter of 30 cms and length of 60 cm. The dimensions of the container  12  will be selected according to the dimensions of the passage  10 . It is anticipated that often each container will be custom manufactured to meet the dimensions of a particular site and passage. 
         [0033]    On the front panel, there are two connection sleeves  26 , forward from the fabric which the container  12  is made. Another connection sleeve  28  is provided on the rear panel  22 . Further connection sleeves  30  are provided on both the front and rear panels  20 ,  22 , adjacent lower edges of those panels. 
         [0034]    Referring first to  FIG. 1 , a passage  10 , e.g. a tunnel or a drift leading to a stope in a mine, is shown. Depending upon the nature of the ore body and surrounding rock, it is often necessary to reinforce side walls and a top surface of the passage  10 , to prevent loose rocks from falling. Thus, screens may be attached to the walls and top surface, to prevent such rock falls. 
         [0035]    Before installing the container  12 , the desired location in the passage  10  may be cleaned and floors blown backed to solid surface and also it may be backwashed down. To fill in any spaces between screens and the actual surface of the passage  10 , foam gaskets may be blown completely around the circumference of the passage  10 , as indicated at  32  in  FIGS. 1-5 . To the greatest extend possible, the surfaces of the foam gaskets will be left reasonably smooth, so as to enable an essentially continuous contact to be made to the container  12 , thereby forming an adequate seal with the container  12 . 
         [0036]    Turning to  FIG. 2 , the container  12  would be laid on the floor of the mine, and a drainage and ventilation pipe  42 , detailed below would be installed. A ventilation pipe  34  is then connected between a ventilation supply duct  36  of a ventilation system and the tube connector sleeve  24  ( FIG. 3 ). Air is blown into the container  12 , to inflate the container  12 , and thus to expand the container, until it fills the passage  10  contacting the gaskets  32 , as indicated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
         [0037]    It is here noted that while three foam gaskets  32  are shown, depending on the nature of the passage  10  and how regular it is, more or fewer foam gaskets  32  may be provided. 
         [0038]    After initial inflation, a slurry supply pipe  38  with a branch pipe  40  is mounted in position. The slurry supply pipe  38  passes through the connections sleeves  26 ,  28  and through the container  12 , to a zone  50 , to be closed off and to be filled with material. The slurry pipe  38  supplies slurry of sand or other aggregate, as a hydraulic fill material. This corresponds to the installation of the drainage and vent pipe  42 , installed extending through the sleeves  30  and through the container  12 , into the zone  50 . As shown, the end of the drainage pipe  42  is located close to the roof of the zone  50 . 
         [0039]    The drainage and vent pipe  42  may be formed from a material that is flexible, to enable it to be mounted in desired configuration, but at the same time, sufficiently strong, to resist being compressed and collapse by loads from slurry unlike solid material provided as a fill. It is perforated or otherwise configured, to enable water or other liquid to drain into it. It may be corrugated. The pipe  42  can be provided with a mesh covering, to prevent fine particulate material passing into the pipe  42 , so that only air or liquids will drained out through the pipe  42 . The vent pipe  42  can be configured to drain fluids (air and water) from the zone  50  and also from the container  12 . 
         [0040]    With a supply of slurry connected to the slurry supply pipe  38 , slurry is first supplied to the container  12  itself, to fill the container and to form a substantial barrier in the passage  10 . For this purpose valving is provided to enable the slurry to be directed through the supply pipe  38  to the rear of the container  12 , or to be directed through the branch pipe  40  into the container  12 . During this filling process, the drainage and vent pipe  42  permits water from the slurry to drain out of the container  12 . The slurry supplied to the container  12  may be sand mixed with some cement, so as to form a solid plug in the passage  10 . It is expected that it will not be necessary to wait for the cement to set, before filing the zone behind the container  12 . It is also possible that filling can take place in stages: first the container is partially filled; while water drains from the container, the zone  50  behind the container is filled with the slurry or hydraulic fill material; and these two steps are repeated as often as is needed, until the container  12  and zone  50  are filled. 
         [0041]    Otherwise, with the container  12  filled with the slurry then the zone  50  behind the container  12  can be filled. For this purpose, slurry is then supplied through the supply pipe  38 . As the zone  50  is filled with material, air will be displaced, and will vent out through the drainage and vent pipe  42 . Additionally, as slurry is supplied to the zone  50 , water from the slurry will also pass out through the pipe  42 . This slurry may be just an hydraulic mixture of sand, or other aggregate and water, and need not include any cement. 
         [0042]    Once the zone  50  has been completely filled with slurry then connections to the supply tube  38  on the front panel  20  can be closed off. At this time, the connection from the drainage and vent pipe  42  will be left open, to permit remaining water or other liquid to drain away from the zone  50 , then filled with slurry. Generally, a connection to the drainage and vent pipe  42  will be left open to drain off water that may flow into the filled zone. 
         [0043]    Reference will now be made to  FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  8  which show the second embodiment of the present invention. Here, for simplicity and brevity like parts are given the same reference numeral, but with a suffix 1, e.g. the container is indicated at  112 . 
         [0044]    As for the first embodiment, the container  112  has a bottom panel  114 , side panels  116  and a top panel  118 . It is completed by front and rear panels  120  and  122 . 
         [0045]    Here, the container  112  additionally has, in the bottom panel  114 , an opening  150 , that can be closed with a hook and loop fastener  152 , or any other suitable closure device. 
         [0046]    In use, the bottom of the container  112  is lifted to reveal the hook and loop fastener  152 , which is opened to permit access to the interior of the container  112 . A person can then enter the container  112  and examine the interior of the container, to ensure that it is adequately arranged contacting the passage  10 . In particular, the fabric of the container  112  may be checked for any unnecessary folds and areas that may be, unnecessarily, in tension and not properly contacting the passage  10 . The fabric of the container  112  can be pulled and adjusted, so that the container  112  uniformly fills the passage  10  and contacts the foam gaskets  32  continuously. This access can also be used to fit pipes extending through sleeves, e.g. the slurry supply pipe extending through the sleeves, detailed below. 
         [0047]    As compared to the first embodiment, the second embodiment has a larger number of connection sleeves. At the top, for pipes supplying slurry, it has four connection sleeves  126  on the front panel  120 , and four connection sleeves  128  on the rear panel  122 . For a drainage and vent pipe, there are two connection sleeves  130  on the front panel  120  and two on the rear panel  122 . A large tube connection sleeve  124  is provided for connection the ventilation system. 
         [0048]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , the tube connection sleeve  124  could alternatively be located on panel  118 , to provide easier access when the container is in a collapsed configuration. With the connection sleeve locate on the top, it may prove practical or necessary to partially inflate the container, as the sleeve  124  and any connection to it may contact the top of drift or the like in which it is located. Then, the container can be fully expanded by filling with slurry, etc. 
         [0049]    Additionally, to provide for drainage of liquid from the container itself, a strip of porous material  154  can be provided as part of the front panel  120 , with the remainder of the front panel, and the other panels, otherwise formed from fabric that is largely non-porous. Further to assist in handling the container  112 , fabric handles  156  may be sewn onto various panels 
         [0050]    The installation procedure for the container  112  largely follows that for the first embodiment. Exemplary supply pipes for the slurry are indicated at  138 . Depending on the size of the area or zone to be filled in, for the container  112  shown, it is possible to supply three separate pipes  138 , each extending to a different area of the zone  50 . Further, a branch pipe  140  passes through one of the sleeves  126  on the front panel  120  and opens into the interior of the container  112 . Any unused sleeves may be closed off, e.g. by folding over the ends of them. Fewer pipes  138  can be provided depending upon the size and the configuration of the zone  50 . Alternatively, it may also be possible to provide branches in the tubing  138 , behind the container  112 , to ensure adequate filling of a larger and more complex zone. 
         [0051]    It may be desirable to attach the pipes  138  close to the roof of the passage  10 , adjacent the container  112 , since with the container  112  filled or expanded, the connection tubes  138  will be adjacent to the roof of the passage  10 . 
         [0052]    Prior to inflating the container  112  (and this also applies to the container  12 ), the pipes  138 ,  140  would be inserted through the connection sleeves  126  and  128  on the front and rear panels  120  and  122 , and extending sufficiently far through them, to ensure that they will not become dislodged. 
         [0053]    As for the first embodiment to enable the zone  50  to be filled with material and to vent air from the zone  40  to be filled, a drainage and vent pipe, here indicated at  142 , is provided. This pipe  142  can be provided in a generally U shape extending up sidewalls of the passage  10  and across the roof thereof, as indicated. Similarly to the supply pipes  138 , the pipe  142  will pass through the connection sleeves  130 . 
         [0054]    In some installations, it may be that the zone to be filled is of complex shape, and presents numerous uneven surfaces. In particular, there may be pockets formed in the roof of the zone to be filled, where air pockets could be trapped as slurry is pumped into the zone. To ensure that such pockets are vented of air and, to the extend possible completely filled with solid material, other configurations of the drainage and vent pipe  142  can be provided. 
         [0055]    For example, the pipe  142  can be provided with branches, each terminating at high points in the roof of the zone to be filled, where air pockets might form. 
         [0056]    Accordingly, as for the first embodiment, after installation of the container  112  and filing of the container  112  with air, the container  112  will block the passage  10 , with the pipe  136  extending through the top of the container  112  and the pipe  142  extending through the bottom thereof. The slurry supply pipes  138  will then be connected to a common manifold, having a connection to a supply for slurry. If required, appropriate connections can be made to the drainage and vent pipes  142 , to pump water out of the mine. In some installations, it may be that it would be acceptable to have the pipe  142  simply opening onto the floor of the passage  10 , on the understanding that there will be adequate pumping capacity to remove water as it drains. 
         [0057]    With the supply of slurry connected to the manifold, slurry is first supplied to the container  112  itself, to fill the container and to form a substantial barrier, in the passage  10 . The strip  154  of porous material permits water from the slurry to drain out of the container  112  as it is filled. Again, the slurry supplied to the container  112  may be sand mixed with some cement, so as to form a solid plug in the passage  10 . It is expected that it will not be necessary to wait for the cement to set, before filing the zone behind the container  12 . 
         [0058]    With the container  112  filled with the slurry then the zone behind the container  112  can be filled. For this purpose, slurry can be supplied in any desired order through the supply pipes  138 . For example, depending upon the shape and configuration of the zone, slurry can be provided through all three tubes simultaneously, or through the pipes  136  sequentially, so as to fill different parts of the zone in order. 
         [0059]    As the zone  50  is filled with material, air will be displaced, and will vent out through pipe  142 . Additionally, as slurry is supplied to the zone  50 , water from the slurry will also pass out through pipe  142 . 
         [0060]    Once the zone  40  has been completely filled with slurry then connections to the pipes  138  on the front panel  120  can be closed off. At this time, the connections from the ends of the pipe  142  will be left open, to permit remaining water to drain away from the zone, then filled with slurry. Generally, connections to the pipe  142  will be left open to drain off water that may flow into the filled zone.