The use of room-and-pillar mining systems at deep levels of iron ore mines

Mykola Stupnik*, Іvan Kushneriov, Vsevolod Kalinichenko, Yurii Kryvenko, Serhii Fedorenko

stupnik@knu.edu.ua

Received 10.12.2025, Revised 20.05.2026, Accepted 30.06.2026, Published 06.07.2026
Abstract

The increasing occurrence of adverse rock pressure effects with mining depth in the mines of the Kryvyi Rih basin often prevents the use of room-and-pillar systems with their effective ore extraction parameters. The objective of this study was to develop an innovative, safe, and efficient technology for mining ore deposits at the existing deep levels of iron ore mines. The study employed a system of methods to investigate the state of the rock massif, the structural parameters of the mining system, and to create a technological flowsheet for ore extraction at deep mine levels. The research established relationships showing the change in the dimensions of rooms and pillars with depth and their lifespan. It also determined the influence of rock strength on the permissible exposure parameters, as well as the optimal conditions for using high-performance self-propelled equipment to improve the efficiency of ore exraction. The study investigated the relationship between the productivity of a range of self-propelled equipment used in contemporary mining and the ore haulage distance within the stope block. An innovative design-and-technology scheme was proposed for stoping with sublevel stope block development. The developed technology focuses on the use of temporary I-shaped pillars, active rock pressure management, and the substantiated lifespans of the components of the sublevel room-and-pillar mining system. The practical significance of this work is the extension of the room-and-pillar mining system’s application range to depths of 1,400 m and more. This is achieved by improving the quality of the extracted ore through a 10-12% increase in the room reserve while simultaneously reducing the room exposure stand-up time by one month within a mining unit

Keywords:
underground mining; rock pressure; stability and lifespan of exposures; temporary crowns; haulage by self-propelled machinery; innovative technology

Retrieved from Vol. 60, No. 1, 2026

Pages 8–21

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Stupnik, M., Kushneriov, І., Kalinichenko, V., Kryvenko, Yu., & Fedorenko, S. (2026). The use of room-and-pillar mining systems at deep levels of iron ore mines. Mining Journal of Kryvyi Rih National University, 60(1), 8-21. https://doi.org/10.31721/2306-5435-2026-1-8-21
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