COMPANY INSIGHT

Your Partner for Safer Mining

Mining is all about partnership – and in the Master Builders Solutions experts, you will find the right partner: A partner not just offering tailor-made solutions for each step in the mining cycle, but also supporting you with on-site problem solving, start-up supervision, and lab testing. Through advanced chemistry for hard rock, coal or open pit mining, we help you increase the efficiency and profitability of operations while improving safety at the same time.

Sprayed Concrete (SC)

High-quality, durable sprayed concrete (shotcrete) has become a vital component of ground support and stabilization in both tunneling and mining. BASF provides a wide range of superplasticizers for all needs which improves the pumpability and workability performance of sprayed concrete mixes in the fresh state while reducing permeability and increasing density and long-term strength performance in the hardened state.

“Constantly striving to exceed customer needs and demands, our admixture technologies enhance the workability, hydration control and viscosity of fresh concrete.”

Sprayed Liners

In hard and soft rock mining, changes in humidity and temperature affect weak strata, causing rock falls and rib degradation. Effective surface support and the protection against weathering of rock and strata are critical to the safety, efficiency and longevity of any mining operation. BASF provides systems for supplementary surface support to strategic areas of a mine. MasterRoc TML (thin mortar liner) is a range of cement-based mortar which has an excellent bond to concrete, rock and coal and can be sprayed using simple to operate equipment. MasterRoc TSL (thin spray-on liner) range provides products based on polymers which allows them to be used in thin layers supporting the strata.

Injection

Unexpected water ingress and poor ground conditions can cause significant delays and escalate costs. To counteract these risks, an economical approach is to pre-inject the ground ahead of the advancing face. MasterRoc MP microcements provide extremely effective penetration into fine cracks in rock and fine-grained soils to give efficient water tightness, stability and durability. BASF´s fast reacting and non-water-sensitive polyurethanes and polyurea silicate systems quickly stabilize poor ground and are suitable for strata consolidation and rock reinforcement. BASF´s post-excavation injection technologies counteract risks and challenges like instable ground conditions by offering a comprehensive range of injection solutions and technical support.

"Our solutions allow a cost-effective approach whilst improving working safety at the same time.”

Rock Bolting

Working at ever greater depths with potentially unstable strata, increases the need for enhanced personnel safety within the mine environment. BASF offers a wide range of rock bolting solutions: Besides reactive resins from the MasterRoc RBA 38X range, the portfolio includes ready-to-use cementitious products and admixtures for OPC based grouts to adjust the behavior in terms of shrinkage compensation, corrosion protection, pumping capacity, and bond improvement.

Backfill

Backfill operations represent 25 to 30 per cent of the overall mining costs. Thus, optimization of the backfill process leads to significant total mining cost reductions as well as improved mining production. BASF takes a scientific approach to this challenge that can help mining companies understand and run backfill operations at lower risks and lower costs with higher efficiency through our tailor-made chemistry and backfill expertise.

More than half of the country’s coal mines are managed by pro-Russian separatist militia.Credit: DmyTo/Shutterstock.

Repair and Maintenance

As a full-range supplier of repair and protection products, BASF offers customized solutions for concrete structures as well as support for the evaluation of the causes of structural damage. Being certified by independent testing institutes in compliance with national and/or international standard requirements, BASF system solutions help customers to extend the service life of their construction and, lastly, make a significant contribution to sustainability.

Infrastructure Above Ground

BASF admixtures aid in the production of high-strength, durable concrete – a prerequisite for complex structures. They are allowing the concrete to flow, thus increasing performance and making it easier to use. They also aid in the curing process of the concrete, preventing the concrete’s components from segregating. After curing they leave the concrete with a smooth and clean surface – and ensure an extremely long service life for the structure. The increased energy efficiency, higher concrete durability and better construction process contributes to reducing CO² emissions and save time and costs.