The occurrence of rockbursts poses a significant and growing threat to mines--and miners--throughout North America. High stress on brittle rock structures during mining operations can produce sudden, explosive reactions that result in costly mine failures, serious injury, and even death. Using a series of case studies, this essential reference documents the experiences of 15 of the most rockburst-prone mines in the US and Canada over the last century.

The book provides an historical analysis of rockburst activity along with state-of-the-art strategies for anticipating and preventing this dangerous and disruptive phenomenon. This vital resource provides a primer on rockbursts, including an examination of the conditions that favor their occurrence.

The text highlights practical methods to alleviate this danger, including controlling blasting times, changing mining methods, altering the extraction sequence, utilizing backfill, employing de-stress blasting, and using yielding supports.

Packed with dozens of cost-saving and potentially life-saving ideas, this book is an important resource for mining engineers and operators who work in hard-rock mines.

Chapters include:

• The Rockburst Phenomenon
• Brunswick Mine (Bathurst, New Brunswick)
• Lake Shore Mine (Kirkland Lake, Ontario)
• Lake Shore and Wright-Hargreaves Mines at Depth
• Macassa Mine (Kirkland Lake, Ontario)
• Falconbridge No. 5 Shaft (Sudbury, Ontario)
• Strathcona Mine (Onaping, Ontario)
• Creighton Mine (Sudbury, Ontario)
• Copper Cliff North Mine (Sudbury, Ontario)
• Quirke Mine (Elliot Lake, Ontario)
• Campbell Mine (Red Lake, Ontario)
• Lucky Friday Mine (Mullen, Idaho)
• Star Mine (Burke, Idaho)
• Galena Mine (Wallace, Idaho)
• Sunshine Mine (Kellogg, Idaho)
• Rockbursting at Kirkland Lake and Coeur d'Alene)