Proceedings of the International Workshop on 

Rock Mass Classification in Underground Mining 

Information Circular (IC) 9498 

 Rock mass classification is widely used throughout the underground mining industry—in both coal 

and hard-rock mines. The technique has been successful because it— 

• Uses simple measurements to rate rock mass 

strength. 

• Helps mine planners to make the best use of 

geologic information in mine design. 

• Makes it possible to compare ground control 

experiences between mines, even when the 

geologic conditions are very different. 

 The International Workshop on Rock Mass 

Classification in Underground Mining provided a 

forum for leading practitioners of rock mass classification from around the world to come together and 

share their methods and experiences with the technique. The workshop was held in Vancouver, British 

Columbia, Canada, on May 31, 2007. It was cochaired by Christopher Mark of the National Institute 

for Occupational Safety and Health, Pittsburgh, PA, 

and Rimas Pakalnis of the University of British 

Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. 

 The proceedings of the workshop contain 16 

invited papers from 9 countries, reflecting the international depth and breadth of current practice. 

Applications in both hard-rock and coal mining are 

well represented. Some of the topics that were 

addressed at the workshop include: 

• Major rock mass classification systems used 

in mining and their variants 

• Collection of input data through observation, 

rock testing, and geophysics 

• Design of mine layouts and rock support systems using classification 

• Estimation of rock mass strength and other 

input parameters for numerical models 

• Applications in weak rock, raise boring, 

cavability assessment, and other special topics 

• Risk assessment using rock mass classification 

No. 526 July 2007 
 Contributors to the proceedings included leading 

international experts in the field such as Nick Barton, 

Z. T. Bieniawski, Paul Marinos, and Evert Hoek. 

 The proceedings may be downloaded from the 

NIOSH Mining Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/

niosh/mining/pubs/pubreference/outputid2437.htm 

You may also order a free copy of these proceedings 

by sending an e-mail to: pithealth@cdc.gov. Or you 

may complete the order form below, detach, and mail 

to: Office of the Director, Health Communications, 

NIOSH Pittsburgh Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 

18070, Pittsburgh, PA 15236–0070, or fax to (412) 

386–6780. 

To receive other information about occupational 

safety and health topics, call 1–800–35–NIOSH

(1–800–356–4674), or visit the NIOSH Web site at 

www.cdc.gov/niosh. 

Mention of any company name or product does not 

constitute endorsement by the National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health. 

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2007–149

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