Accepted Manuscript

Key technologies of drilling process with raise boring method

Zhiqiang Liu, Yiping Meng

PII: S1674-7755(15)00006-2
DOI: 10.1016/j.jrmge.2014.12.006
Reference: JRMGE 130

To appear in: Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering

Received Date: 9 October 2014

Revised Date: 8 December 2014
Accepted Date: 26 December 2014

Please cite this article as: Liu Z, Meng Y, Key technologies of drilling process with raise boring method,
Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (2015), doi: 10.1016/j.jrmge.2014.12.006.

This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to
our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo
copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please
note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all
legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Key technologies of drilling process with raise boring method

Zhiqiang Liua, ∗, Yiping Mengb

PT
a
Institute of Mine Construction, Tiandi Science and Technology Co., Ltd., China Coal Mine Engineering Co., Ltd., Beijing 100013, China
b
School of Civil Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China
Received 9 October 2014; received in revised form 8 December 2014; accepted 26 December 2014

RI
Abstract: This study presents the concept of shaft constructed by raise boring in underground mines, and the idea of inverse construction can be extended to
other fields of underground engineering. The conventional raise boring methods, such as the wood support method, the hanging cage method, the creeping cage
method, and the deep-hole blasting method, are analyzed and compared. In addition, the raise boring machines are classified into different types and the

C
characteristics of each type are described. The components of a raise boring machine including the drill rig, the drill string and the auxiliary system are also
presented. Based on the analysis of the raise boring method, the rock mechanics problems during the raise boring process are put forward, including rock

US
fragmentation, removal of cuttings, shaft wall stability, and borehole deviation control. Finally, the development trends of raise boring technology are described as
follows: (i) improvement of rock-breaking modes to raise drilling efficiency, (ii) development of an intelligent control technique, and (iii) development of
technology and equipment for nonlinear raise boring.
Key words: raise boring machine; upward reaming; rock fragmentation; stability of shaft wall; development trend; winze
AN
of reverse sinking construction processes. In the past, due to factors like
1. Introduction complex formations, weak self-supporting ability of rock, and harmful
gases in coal mines, the wood-supported raise method, also called
M

According to the site-specific conditions of mines in China, most conventional raise mining, was generally used in the coal industry in
mineral resources need to be exploited by shaft access mines. As tunnels China. With this method, workers first build cross-bracing, ladders and
enter into the ore body, vertical and inclined shafts are constructed from platforms from bottom to top, and then drilling, charging and blasting
the surface to the desired depth. When the shaft excavation reaches the operations are carried out on the platform. After ventilation, loading and
D

designed mining level, some horizontal roadways for transportation, scaling, the next blasting cycle starts, and wood is used as support
ventilation and pedestrian access to the ore body can then be driven. structures to maintain the stability of roadways. The creeping cage
TE

According to the distribution characteristics of the ore body, a variety of method was generally used in the hydropower industry, and was adopted
shafts should be constructed, such as blind vertical or inclined shafts as transportation equipment for workers and working platforms for
connecting with ore body at different levels, ore bins storing minerals, excavation operations. The hanging cage method was generally used in
ore passes for slipping minerals to the collection level, etc. There is no metal and nonmetal mines. In these raise boring methods, workers need
EP

outlet on the ground for these underground shafts, and due to the to enter the working face to apply operations of drilling, charging,
dimensions of the shafts, drilling equipment and support facilities are blasting and supporting and as a result are liable to be affected by water
restricted or forbidden in a narrow space. Therefore, the reverse sinking gushing, harmful gases, rock caving and so on, leading to frequent
method, called the raise boring method, is generally used on site. The accidents and low work efficiency. To solve the above safety problems
C

raise boring method is suitable for production of vertical or inclined of construction, the deep-hole blasting method was developed. A set of
shafts from bottom to top in underground mining operations. Generally, parallel boreholes is drilled along the axis of the shaft at the top by the
AC

a small-diameter hole, called pilot hole, is first drilled, through which drill rig, charging is carried out from the upper level, and blasting is
the cuttings fall to the lower level. The raise is a type of excavation that applied piecewise from bottom to top. The accuracy of drilling holes
can be constructed by the raise boring method. Raise boring is very limits the construction depth of this method. Therefore, new methods
important in the mining industry, and it is also applied to other and equipment were needed. In 1850, a percussion-type drilling machine
underground engineering, such as water conduits, air shafts, elevator was first used to drill a small diameter shaft. In the 1930s, the rotary rig
hoistways and cable shafts in hydropower stations and pumped-storage was adopted for drilling vertical shafts, and the tunnel boring machine
power stations, ventilation shafts and exit passageways of long tunnels (TBM) was applied in tunneling gradually. In the 1950s, miners applied
for highways, railways and subways, and underground nuclear waste the rock-breaking mechanism of shaft drilling machines and TBMs to
storages and military installations (Zhu, 2004; Su and Wang, 2010; Guo raise boring, and gradually the modern raise boring machines were
and Zhang, 2012; Liu, 2013a, b; Sun, 2013). These excavations are developed. However, raises constructed by raise boring machines have
important and difficult parts during a project’s construction. small diameters and often act as pilot holes. Thus, other methods are
According to industry and construction practices, there are a variety needed to ream the pilot holes by raise boring machines to the designed
sections. This study presents the concept of shaft excavation by raise
*Corresponding author. Tel.: +86 13901334274; boring machines. To this end, the large raise boring machine, drilling
E-mail address: [email protected] process, rock breaking and shaft wall stability during raise boring should
 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
be studied (Liu, 2001; Zhang et al., 2008, 2010). 3. Classification of raise boring machines

2. Drilling process and constitution of raise boring machines Different from the conventional drilling machines, the cuttings
usually fall down to the lower level by gravity during raise boring,
The raise boring method is a way to excavate shaft by back reaming which is the common characteristic for all types of raise boring
the pilot hole using drill rigs. The drill rig plays a significant role in machines. The above-mentioned conventional raise borer is only one
underground engineering, such as mineral exploration, and blasting. For type of raise boring machine, and the drilling process involves two steps,
rotary type of drill rigs, the rotational torque and axial force are exerted i.e. pilot drilling and back reaming. In fact, there are many types of raise
to drill bit (called pilot hole drill bit for raise boring machines) along the boring machines. For example, they can be classified into box type,
drill pipe to create a circular hole. Generally, the cuttings are removed frame type and column type according to the structure of the drilling
from the hole with the aid of flushing medium (as shown in Fig. 1a). frame; chain type and cylinder type according to the propulsion mode;

PT
The construction process of the pilot hole by raise boring machines is motor-driven type and hydraulic motor-driven type according to the
the same as that by conventional drilling machines except the back rotational power source. However, these classifications are not based on
reaming process introduced in the raise boring method. When the pilot the essence of the raise boring machine. The raise boring machines can
hole breaks through into the lower level, the drill bit is removed and be classified into two types according to the back reaming process, i.e.

RI
replaced with a large-diameter reaming head. The reamer is rotated and upward reaming type and downward reaming type. Table 2 briefly lists
pulled back toward the drilling unit, and through this way a the characteristics of two types of raise boring machines. According to
large-diameter shaft is formed (Fig. 1b). A complete set of raise boring the reaming direction of the raise boring machine, the drilling process

C
machine includes drill rig, drill string and auxiliary system, as shown in can be classified into two categories, i.e. the upward reaming method
Table 1 (Sizer, 1983; Liu, 2012). (Fig. 2a) and the downward reaming method (Fig. 2b). The following
conclusions can be drawn by comparing the two reaming methods:

US
Accident of pilot hole
AN
Deviation of pilot hole Fragmentation of rock
M

Stability of shaft wall

D
TE
C EP

(a) Pilot drilling. (b) Back reaming.

AC

Fig. 1. Raise boring method and correlated rock mechanics problems.

which needs small-diameter hole, so the drilling speed of the pilot

(1) In the downward reaming method, the cuttings fall down through hole is fast.
the annulus between the drill pipe and the hole wall to the lower (3) It is easier to drill pilot hole and control hole deviation by upward
level. The cuttings shattered by the cutter in different positions on reaming than by downward reaming. In the downward reaming
the reamer head converge at the center of the head and are method, since the drill string is under compression during pilot
repeatedly broken by other cutters. In the upward reaming method, drilling and easily bent, the quality of the hole is difficult to
however, the cuttings usually fall down by gravity, and are rarely control, and the drilling depth is limited.
repeatedly broken, so its efficiency is higher than the downward (4) In the upward reaming method, since the workers operate the
reaming method. drilling machine in the upper level, the working condition is safer
(2) In the downward reaming method, the pilot hole is the passage of than that of the downward reaming method. In the downward
the drill string and cuttings, thus the falling down of the cuttings reaming method, since the cuttings removal and drilling operations
can damage the drill string. In the upward reaming method, are carried out in the lower level, the working condition is poor.
however, the pilot hole only serves as the passage of the drill string
 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
Table 1. Main functions and components of raise boring machine.
Component Function and purpose Main structure
Drill rig
Frame, rotation and auxiliary Provide thrust, tension and torque for rock breaking; sustain propulsion and guiding parts
operating system of the raise boring reactive tension and torque in the drilling process; transmit the Propulsion: hydro-cylinder type, chain type, gear rack type
machine reaction force to the rig base; achieve the purpose of dismantle or Guiding: frame type, cylindrical structure type, rectangular structure type
connect the drill string
Rotation and driving parts
Hydraulic motor (high-speed motor with planetary gear reducer, low-speed
motor with multi-stage reducer), frequency conversion motor, DC motor, AC

PT
motor, etc.

Power (driving) system Provide power for propulsion, rotation, auxiliary functions of the High-pressure oil: motor or diesel engine driven hydraulic pump
drill rig using high-pressure oil and controllable electricity Electricity: inverter, DC/AC controller
Control system Control and regulate the power to achieve the function parameters Hydraulic valves control, switches control and computer-aided control

RI
and auxiliary operations of drill rig
Drill string
Drill pipe for pilot holes Drill pilot holes and ensure the drilling accuracy The drill pipe for pilot holes is made of round steel processed by cylindrical
grinder

C
Common drill pipe Transmit thrust, tension, torque, etc., for rock breaking The drill pipe or its upset end is made of round steel
Special-shaped joint Fit nonstandard thread of drill bit The special-shaped joint is made of round steel

US
Pilot bit Break rocks during the pilot drilling Tricone drill bit, diamond drill bit
Reamer head Crush rocks during back reaming Spherical, conical, flat structure, integral structure, assembly structure
Cutter Mount on the reamer head to directly crush rocks Disc cutter, roller cutter (conical button, spherical button, composite button)
Stabilizer Support the drill string Spiral, straight, reamed hole and other types
AN
Auxiliary system
Circulation system Remove cuttings, cool down drill string and stabilize the hole wall Centrifugal pumps, submersible pumps, mud pumps, high-pressure gas, mud,
during pilot drilling detection system
Cooling system Cool down the hydraulic oil or electrical components, reamer head Fan, outer recycle cooling water, internal recycle cooling liquid, recycle
and cutter, and reduce dust during drilling cooling pump, water supply within drill pipe, water supply in annular space,
M

nozzle spray of reamer head

Cutting removal system Remove cuttings during back reaming Scraper loader, rock loader, side loader, scraper, rake loading machines, belt
conveyor, tramcar, etc.
D

Quality checking of boreholes Detect and correct borehole deviation and situation during pilot Inclinometer, screw power drill string under the shaft, signal transmission,
drilling underground TV, rotary directional drilling system
Water supply Provide water for pilot drilling, cooling, and mud mixing, etc. Pipes, pumps, etc.
TE

during raise boring

Power supply Provide power for electric-driven equipment Control switches, etc.
EP

4. Main technical problems during raise boring

The raise boring machine has completely changed the working

conditions in raise construction, and workers operate machines far away
C

from the dangerous working face. All drilling processes are achieved by
the raise boring machine, which lays a good foundation for automatic
AC

and unmanned drilling technology. In the past decade, great

achievements in raise boring technology and equipment research (Xu,
2008; Liu and Xu, 2011) have been made in China. The diameter and
depth of drilling holes reach 5 m and 600 m, respectively, and the
application of the raise boring machine is extending to other fields
gradually. The progress in raise boring technology needs to address
many important issues about basic theory and key equipment of raise (a)
boring machine. According to the drilling process of the conventional
raise boring machine, a series of rock mechanics problems should be
concerned, including stability of hole wall, interaction of drill string and
rocks, drilling trajectory control of pilot hole, etc. (James, 1997).
 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
The flushing media used for cuttings removal include mud, water,
compressed air, etc. Introduced through the center of the drill pipe, the
flushing media are sprayed out through the tricone bit nozzle with the
aid of the pump. The rock broken by the cutter is separated from the
hole bottom, and removed out of the borehole along the annulus
between the drill pipe and hole wall. The basic condition for effective
cuttings removal is that the speed of flushing media is higher than the
sedimentation speed of cuttings in the flushing media. As a typical
flushing media, the mud has good suspension properties, and it also can
help to prevent the collapse of hole wall. However, the sudden loss of
mud pressure when the hole breaks through into the lower level can

PT
result in hole collapse and drill devices buried in unstable strata.
Therefore, water is often used instead of mud to remove cuttings from
pilot hole. With the aid of water flushing, the unstable strata can be
easily explored and addressed to prevent the accident after hole drilling.

RI
(b)
Fig. 2. Photos of two types of reaming mothod: (a) Upward reaming; and (b)
Compressed air can achieve efficient cuttings removal in the condition
Downward reaming.
that the strata are relatively stable and hard, with abundant cracks and
small caves, but the leakage of flushing fluid is serious. Thus the

C
4.1. Pilot drilling flushing medium and flow in different strata and reasonable parameters
Pilot drilling is a process of drilling a pilot hole in a small diameter such as pressure need to be studied. According to different flushing
media and cuttings flow, the risk of strata should be determined to

US
along the axis of shaft (Fig. 4). When the pilot hole breaks through into
the lower level, the roller bit is removed and replaced with a reaming prevent drilling accidents.
head. The reamer is rotated and pulled back toward the drilling unit, and 4.1.3. Deviation control of pilot hole
eventually the shaft is formed. The following requirements should be Deviation of pilot hole is that the centerline of pilot hole does not
coincide with the planned shaft axis. Deviation rate of pilot hole is a
AN
satisfied for pilot hole in raise boring:
ratio of raise length to the maximum deviation. Deviation of pilot hole is
(1) The axis of pilot hole should be linear as much as possible and its generally caused by anisotropy of strata, machining accuracy of drilling
curvature cannot change too large. devices, artificial control, etc. In pilot drilling, rock is broken by drill bit.
The drill bit is connected with stable drill pipe and ordinary drill pipe to
M

(2) The maximum distance from axis of pilot hole to shaft axis must
be kept within the engineering allowance, i.e. the deviation rate of form a drilling string to stabilize the drilling process and to reduce its
the pilot hole should be minimized. impact on the borehole deviation. However, the machining cannot
(3) In the drilling process, accidents must be avoided, and the finished ensure that the axes of all drill pipes are connected in a line. Drilling
D

pilot hole should be smooth and stable. tends to deviate the designed direction, affected by the drilling pressure.
Underground stratum is a typical anisotropic body which can produce
uneven hole bottom and additional moment, making drilling deviate
TE

4.1.1. Rock breaking in pilot drilling

During pilot drilling, rocks are separated from the rock body by from the designed drilling direction. The interaction between the drill
tricone roller bit. The mechanism of rock breaking by the drill bit has string and hole wall can also bring in stress changes of drill string and
been researched extensively in petroleum engineering and thus can be influence its normal operation. The adaptability of designed drilling
schemes to the mechanics parameters of different strata, including
EP

used in the raise boring. Different from petroleum drilling, raise boring
aims to detect rock properties and geological structures in advance, and drilling pressure, rotational speed, and torque, will also cause deviation
to provide a reference for selection of reamer and supporting method. of pilot hole. Therefore, the influences of physico-mechanical properties
On the basis of regression equation of drilling speed, weight on bit, and anisotropy of strata, interaction of drill string and hole wall, and
drilling parameters on deviation of pilot hole need to be studied, and
C

rotational speed and torque during pilot drilling through different strata,
rock drillability classification and relationship between back reaming automatic-correction drill string by terrestrial magnetism should also be
developed.
AC

parameters and pilot drilling parameters should be studied.

4.1.2. Cyclic cuttings removal in pilot drilling

Table 2. Comparison between two types of raise boring machines.

Raise boring Position of Drilling Position of Reaming Reaming Drilling Borehole Cuttings Applicable Advantage Disadvantage
machine drilling direction replacing direction mode depth (m) diameter removal condition
machine of pilot reamer (m)
hole head
Downward Lower From Upper level From top Multi-step <200 1.2 Cuttings There are Weight of the drill string is Cuttings removal and
reaming type level bottom to to bottom reaming during roadways helpful in rock breaking, thus drilling operation can affect
top reaming both in upper the energy is saved. This kind each other. Hole diameter of
process fall and lower of machine has low power, each reaming is small, and
down to the levels relative small size and weight rocks are repeatedly broken.
lower level Drilling efficiency is low.
and are Reaming should be
mucked out conducted for many times,
 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
by loaders and speed is low. Accuracy
of borehole is hard to ensure
Upward Upper From top Lower level From One-step 1000 7 There are Drilling operation and cutting It is difficult to drill pilot
reaming type level to bottom bottom to reaming (maximum roadways removal are separately hole, and many auxiliary
top 1260) both in upper carried out on two different equipment is needed
and lower levels. Working condition is
levels good. Influence of geological
conditions is little.
Perpendicularity error of
borehole is easy to control
Lower From Lower level One-step <100 1 There is a It can be used when there is The power of drill machine
level bottom to reaming roadway only no roadway or production is high. Cuttings removal

PT
top in lower level system in the upper level and drilling operation can
Upper No pilot Lower level One-step <100 1 affect each other
level hole reaming

RI
4.1.4. Pilot hole stability and accident control Inserted button
Button
When the deviation of pilot hole is beyond the engineering allowance, cutter shell
the pilot hole cannot be used anymore and has to be abandoned. In Thrust bearing

C
addition to this serious engineering accident, there are many other
drilling accidents, such as drill string loss and pilot hole abandonment Screw sleeve Piston pillar
due to leakage of flushing fluid, hole shrinkage and collapse, and drill Pin roller

US
L-shaped
string burying induced by unfavorable geological conditions. The drill hermetic assembly
string is generally more expensive than the drill rig, thus the damage of
Tap bolt
drill string will cause greater economic losses. For this reason, cyclic Sealed cover
cuttings removal, drilling parameters changes, vibration of drill rig and Mechanical seal
AN
annular assembly Small bearing
other factors should be studied to determine strata conditions and holder
Big bearing
early-warn accidents, and reinforcement and modification technology of holder
strata in advance should be researched to prevent wall collapse of shaft Saddle-shaped
with large section and no support in back reaming. cutter head
M

4.2. Back reaming Fig. 3. Sketch of rock-breaking cutter.

4.2.1. Efficient rock breaking
In back reaming, the raise boring machine drives the drill pipe the cutter is composed of drill button, cutter shell, sealed bearing, saddle,
D

rotation, and energy is transferred to the reamer head along the drill pipe. etc. Two cutters are in a group and laid symmetrically to finish rock
Then the cutter is driven to crush down the rocks, and the cuttings fall breaking. As shown in Fig. 4, the main technical parameters of the cutter
down by gravity to the lower level, where they are mucked out using
TE

include generatrix length, cone angle, diameter of large end, button

l o a d e r s . A s s h o w n i n F i g . 3 , spacing and row spacing, etc. The button parameters include button
shape, diameters, and so on. During back reaming process of raise
boring machine, the reamer exerts certain force on the cutter in the
EP

drilling direction until the cutter presses into the rock, and the rock fails
when the deformation is beyond its elastic limit. Meanwhile, the cutter
rotates under the combined action of rocks and rotating reamer head,
and the cutter buttons extrude and scrape the rock, bringing in button
C

marks on it. These marks in similar size and depth cause gradually
separating of rock fragment from rock body and formation of rock
breaking with circular section, which can meet the project requirements.
AC

Therefore, mechanism of rock breaking by cutter, rock drillability,

structure and shape of cutter, material and structure of cutter button,
wear resistance, arrangement of cutters on the head, spatial arrangement
of the head to satisfy efficient cuttings removal need to be studied.
 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

PT
C RI
Fig. 4. Basic parameters of cutter. L - generatrix length; P - row spacing; D - diameter of large end of cutter; M - button spacing; θ - cone angle.
diameter, back reaming generally lasts for 2−3 months,
4.2.2. Stability of shaft wall dismounting and mounting of lifting equipment and hanging

US
Although the back reaming of raise boring machine has minor scaffold for a week, and temporary support of anchoring and
disturbance to shaft wall, a variety of factors that affect stability of shaft shotcreting generally for 1.5−2 months. Thus the exposure time
wall still exist. reaches 110−160 d. The exposure time of shaft wall reduces
gradually from bottom to top, and the influence of exposure time
AN
(1) Stratigraphic conditions. When the shaft is constructed in an on stability of shaft wall needs to be studied.
unstable formation, the formed shaft wall after back reaming
cannot support its stability, and phenomena like rock expansion 5. Technology and equipment of raise boring
and crushing by contacting with water often occur and will cause
M

partial collapse, rib spalling, caving of the shaft. 5.1. Application conditions and main technical parameters of raise
(2) Gushing water and cooling water in strata. When the pilot hole boring machines
breaks through into the lower level, the flushing water leaks out, 5.1.1. Application conditions
D

and the mud pressure on hole wall disappears, making the water The study of raise boring technology was initiated from the
contained in strata flush into pilot hole. As the exposed area of construction of air shafts in coal mines, and then it was conducted in
rock increases during back reaming, the water inflow grows. In the hydropower projects and other underground engineering. In these
TE

back reaming process, heat produced by breaking rock results in a projects, the boring machines drill through rocks characterized with
sharp rise in the temperature of the cutter. Thus a nozzle is set in different properties. In coal mines, coal is one of the major types of
the reamer head to spray water to cool the cutter down. Meanwhile, sedimentary rocks with low uniaxial compression strength (UCS) (<120
the water mist can clean dust produced in rock breaking to reduce MPa). The drilling depth in coal mines can reach 600 m, and the
EP

the influence of dust on the lower production system. The gushing maximum diameter of back reaming reaches 5 m. The boring inclination
water and cooling water have adverse effects on strata stability, for ranges from 50° to 90°, and the maximum rate of back reaming is 0.8
example, they will flush cement of shaft wall rock, reduce m/h. In hydropower projects and other underground engineering, the
cohesion and internal friction coefficient of rock, and increase rock rock masses are mainly composed of igneous rocks with high UCS of
C

instability risk. 120−200 MPa. The drilling depth can reach 600 m, and the maximum
(3) Concentration and redistribution of stress. In the process of raise diameter of back reaming reaches 3.5 m. The boring inclination ranges
AC

boring, the shaft gradually forms, and the original rock stress from 40° to 90°, and the maximum rate of back reaming is 0.5 m/h.
distribution gradually changes. Generally, stress concentration 5.1.2. Main technical parameters
occurs on the pilot hole wall, shaft wall and interface between (1) Drilling pressure, Pf
cutter and rock. In fractured strata, once the broken condition is The reamer head of 5 m in diameter (Dr) contains 30 cutters on it, and
satisfied, partial collapse will occur. the 3.5 m diameter head contains 18 cutters (Fig. 5). When drilling is
(4) Prolonged exposure of shaft wall. The exposure time varies in performed in the rocks with UCS less than 120 MPa, the pressure on
different parts of shaft wall using raise boring method. The cutters for breaking rocks should be approximately 35 kN, thus the
exposure time of the lower shaft wall is the longest, and it includes drilling pressure for reamer head of 5 m in diameter is 1050 kN. When
the time of back reaming, the time from the dismantling of the the UCS of rocks reaches 200 MPa, the pressure exerted on cutters
raise boring machine to the installation of support and lifting should reach 80 kN to meet the target drilling rate, thus drilling pressure
equipment, and the time of temporary support from top to bottom. for reamer head of 3.5 m in diameter needs to be 1440 kN.
As to the raise boring shaft with 400 m in depth and 5 m in
 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Cutter

PT
Cutter
Reamer head

C RI
US
Fig. 5. Structure of reamer head of the raise boring machine for shafts of 5 m in diameter.

(2) Rotational speed, nr and it contains energy loss. The consumed energy in the laboratory
AN
In order to achieve high efficiency of rock breaking and low wear of experiment of UCS is low, and the common consumption value is
cutter buttons, the time of cutter buttons in contact with rocks should be 5×107−9×107 J/m3. Dp is the diameter of the pilot hole.
0.02−0.03 s, and correspondingly the linear velocity (Vc) of side cutters The required torque for different drilling rates ranges from 156 kN m
should be controlled at 0.7−1.0 m/s. Through calculation, to 264 kN m. Considering other accident treatments, the torque of the
nr=60Vc/πDr=2.67−3.8 r/min, thus the designed maximum rotational raise boring machine is 300 kN m.
M

speed of raise boring machine is 5 r/min. 5.1.3. Other parameters

(3) Torque, Ms Based on the rotational speed, torque, and drilling pressure, the
Based on the drilling rate and rotational speed, the drilling depth (hr) tension of the raise boring machine is calculated. Considering the total
D

in each round is 1.6−2.7 mm. In addition to the drilling depth in each weight (3160 kN) of drill pipe 600 m long (2700 kN), drill bit 5 m in
round (or the drilling rate), the maximum torque of rock breaking is also diameter (400 kN), and driving unit (60 kN), the lifting force of the raise
TE

related with the diameter of the reamer head and the friction coefficient boring machine is 4610−4750 kN. Considering the machine's capacity,
of the cutter bearing. In rock breaking, the cutters require energy to the tension of raise boring machine is designed to be 6000 kN.
separate rock from rock bodies, and the cutter bearing and friction The main technical parameters of the self-developed raise boring
between reamer head and rock can also consume some energy. Without machine ZFY5.0/600 for shafts 5 m in diameter are shown in Table 3.
considering some other minor factors, the torque can be calculated as
EP

K r π( Dr2 − Dp2 )hr

Ms =
4
where Kr is the required energy to break unit volume of rock by cutters,
C

Table 3. Main technical parameters of the self-developed raise boring machine ZFY5.0/600.
AC

Basic parameters Parameters of pilot drilling Parameters of back reaming Other parameters
Diameter of UCS of Rated Rated Rated Mass of Power of
Diameter of Drilling Drilling Rotational Thrust Rotational Maximum
finished shaft rock torque (kN tension torque (kN drill rig drill rig
pilot hole (mm) depth (m) angle (°) speed (rpm) (kN) speed (rpm) torque (kN m)
(m) (MPa) m) (kN) m) (kg) (kW)
350 5 600 60−90 120 0−18 1300 92 2−5 6000 300 450 25,200 284.7

5.2. Development of raise boring machine for large-diameter shafts intelligence and safety of the drilling machine. The drill pipe is 1.5 m in
Fig. 1 shows the schematic diagram of site application of the length with 1:8 cone thread. The reamer head is composed of removable
self-developed raise boring machine ZFY5.0/600. Considering the segments (as shown in Fig. 6), facilitating underground transportation
capacity improvement of the raise boring machine, there are 4 cylinders, and installation.
2 guide posts (Fig. 6) and 4 motors (Fig. 7) in the drill rig. The main 5.3. Case illustration
force-bearing components are bolted rigidly. The adjustable angle of the The auxiliary ventilation shaft in Baoxin coal mine of Lanhua Coal
machine body is not less than 30°. The electrohydraulic control system Industry Group in Guxian, Shanxi, China is 4.7 m in net diameter and
is adopted in power and control system to ensure the flexibility, 482.2 m in depth. The shaft passes through the rock strata of upper
 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
Shihezi group, lower Shihezi group, Shanxi group, and Taiyuan group, cylinder; 4 - flashboard assembly; 5 - base.
with UCS less than 100 MPa. The self-developed raise boring machine
ZFY5.0/600 is adopted in this project. In order to ensure the stability of
the shaft wall and safe construction, risk assessment should be first
performed using detailed geological exploration data, including rock
composition, physico-mechanical properties of rocks, geologic structure,
development of fissures and bedding, and underground water situation
in strata. Secondly, pilot drilling should be considered. Based on the
investigation of the exposed rock, leakage of drilling mud and drilling
parameters, the stability of the shaft wall after back reaming can be
determined. Through analyzing geologic exploration data, the upper

PT
unstable strata may lead to the collapse of the borehole by water
flushing during drilling process, thus partial excavation and shotcreting
are conducted (Fig. 8). The unstable strata are removed from top to
bottom and supported temporarily, and the stable strata are reinforced

RI
using low-grade concrete. As the concrete reaches certain strength, the
raise boring machine is installed and the drilling starts. The drilling site
of the raise boring machine is shown in Fig. 9. The pilot drilling of the

C
Baoxin coal mine took 25 d from March 15 to April 10, 2012, within
which 215 h is consumed for drilling. The finished pilot hole is 350 mm Fig. 7. Structure of the multi-motor driving unit.
in diameter and 482.2 m in depth, with deviation rate less than 0.2%.

US
The back reaming started on April 25, 2012, and ended on June 10, 6. Development trend of raise boring technology
2012.
After successful application to coal mines, the raise boring machine 6.1. Improving rock-breaking method to increase drilling efficiency
ZFY5.0/600 has constructed a dozen deep shafts in hard basalt layers The cutter is the key component of raise boring machine to break
AN
with UCS larger than 150 MPa in Baihetan hydropower station, which rocks, and it is also the main consumable material. The energy
further tests the capacity of the raise boring machine. consumption of cutting is much higher than that of conventional method
like blasting. Therefore, efficient and low energy consumption cutter
needs to be developed through the improvement of cutter body structure,
M

cutter button structure and the use of new materials. Based on the
1 physico-mechanical properties of rocks, auxiliary rock breaking
technologies, such as high-pressure water jet, microwave vibration and
D

chemical modification, need to be studied to further improve the

2 efficiency of rock breaking and drilling by raise boring machine. With
the development of new technologies, such as laser, high-energy particle,
TE

and directionally controlled micro-blasting, current full-face rock

breaking methods with which all the rocks are broken can be changed.
4 By forming controllable and regularly shaped artificial fissures, rocks
3
5 can be separated from rock body. In the process of rock breaking, the
EP

shaft wall that needs to be stable can be melted and recrystallized, and
the rock properties are fully used to solve the problems of breaking rock
and preventing rock crushing.
Fig. 6. Structure of drilling frame of the raise boring machine ZFY5.0/600. 1
C

- beam; 2 - guiding square columns; 3 - connecting flange of the propulsion

AC
 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

PT
RI
Fig. 8. Support process of upper unstable strata. (a) Excavation; (b) Pouring concrete; (c) Back reaming.

C
timely reinforcement of the surrounding rocks, stability of shaft wall is
improved, and accidents during back reaming are reduced. Firstly,

US
intelligent recognition technology of surrounding rocks in the drilling
process should be researched. Secondly, remote-controlled shotcreting
devices and robot control technology should be studied to achieve
intelligent detection of shotcrete layer, intelligent control of shotcreting,
AN
and shape control in formed shafts, and thus the following work can be
well carried out.
6.3. Nonlinear drilling
To meet requirements of safe mineral exploitation under different
M

geologic conditions, it is necessary to develop different types of raise

boring machines. The raise boring machine with a drill pipe plays an
Fig. 9. Drilling site of raise boring machine.
important role in promoting the development of raise boring technology.
However, due to the limit of drill pipe stiffness, the present raise boring
D

6.2. Intelligent control technology machines can only drill in a straight direction which is difficult to
With the development of raise boring machinery, it is increasingly control. Therefore, raise boring machinery without drill pipe at early
TE

used in various fields of underground construction, and it is suitable for stage of development should be considered when the wire rope was
all kinds of excavations from horizontal to vertical. Therefore, acted as traction and guidance component. With the development of
improving drilling accuracy and ensuring the drilling along the designed control technology, it is necessary to develop raise boring machines
borehole axis become the most important issues for the raise boring without guidance by the wire rope or so-called "hamster" type of raise
EP

machine. Development of pilot hole drill bit and drill string which can boring equipment to exploit nuclear material, gold and other rare
intelligently control the drilling direction is the key to solving the minerals along the mineral vein. Thus through tracing the minerals, the
problems. There are some issues to be addressed, such as accurate raise boring machine can reduce the ore dilution, decrease mining costs
positioning measurement and signal transmission of drill bit in and impact on the environment, finally achieving green mining.
C

three-dimensional space, servo-control of drilling direction, structure of

small drill bit with these functions, energy supply method of drill bit, 7. Conclusions
AC

etc.
Some projects with nuclear radiation and overflow of harmful gases The raise boring machine has made great progress in the last several
are not suitable for field operations of workers, and these unfavorable decades. As a type of equipment used in site-specific conditions, the
conditions have an adverse impact on equipment performances, or raise boring machine can now be applied to many fields, including coal
interfere with data communication. Thus the intelligent remote control mines, hydropower stations, transportation, underground building,
technology can be applied to efficiently transmit the signals and achieve military engineering and other underground projects, with the maximum
the unmanned operation of the raise boring machine. In various working excavation diameter gradually increasing. Particularly, the successful
conditions, supply, grab and positioning of drill pipes should be development of the raise boring machine ZFY5.0/600 achieves
intelligently controlled. The raise boring machine has functions of large-diameter shaft construction, whilst former raise boring machines
judgment and pretreatment, and errors can be automatically diagnosed. can only drill small-diameter raises. The raise boring machine
The drilling work can be carried out by preprogrammed procedures and ZFY5.0/600 constructed a ventilation shaft 5 m in diameter in a coal
remote control. mine and drilled a dozen deep shafts 3.5 m in diameter in hard basalt at
To ensure the stability of the shaft wall, the remote shotcreting the Baihetan hydropower station. However, many theoretical,
technology in conjunction with the raise boring needs to be studied. By mechanical and other technical issues about raise boring machines and
the drilling process need to be further studied to solve problems on
 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT
aspects of drilling efficiency, energy savings, safety, unmanned Zhiqiang Liu obtained his Ph.D. at the
operation and so forth. Optimization of the rock-breaking method, University of Science and Technology Beijing

intelligent control technology, and nonlinear drilling of the raise boring in 2014. He is the Vice Director of the Institute
of Mine Construction, Tiandi Science and
machine need to be further researched and developed. As a reliable
Technology Co., Ltd., a Key Scientist of China
mechanized construction method, the raise boring technique is an ideal
Coal Mine Engineering Co., Ltd., and the
supplement to traditional shaft construction, and provides an efficient,
Director of the National Engineering Laboratory
mechanized construction method. Compared with the conventional
for Deep Shaft Construction Technology in Coal
drill-and-blast method, mechanized construction methods can greatly Mining. He has a long career in the research of
reduce the number of operating workers, improve safety in the coal mine construction, and raise boring and
construction of shafts, reduce injuries of workers and improve working shaft sinking technology. He has finished more
efficiency. Therefore, the development and application of raise boring than 30 research projects, including National

PT
technology are prospective. Science and Technology Major Project, Science and Technology Support Programs. He
has been awarded a national prize for Progress in Science and Technology, and has

Conflict of interest published more than 100 papers. At present, he is handling research on a shaft boring
machine in mining granted by the National High-tech R&D Program (863 Program),

RI
China. With regards to the fundamental theory, equipment and process of raise boring,
The authors wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of
his research and application practices in recent years have laid foundations for Chinese
interest associated with this publication and there has been no
raise boring technology. He has made great contributions to large-diameter shafts
significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its
construction using drilling methods, freezing technology for deep shafts, ground

C
outcome. pre-grouting technology and so on. He has widespread influence and recognition in the
field of underground engineering construction in coal mines, hydroelectricity and
References

US
transportation. In February 2013, he obtained the special allowance of the government of
China State Council, and he is the Man of the Year of Scientific Chinese in 2012.
Guo DF, Zhang H. Application of raise-boring method in construction of underground
water-sealing caverns. Tunnel Construction 2012; 32(5): 709-12 (in Chinese).
AN
James A. Catastrophic failure of a raise boring machine during underground reaming
operations. Engineering Failure Analysis 1997; 4(1): 71-80.
Liu ZQ, Xu GL. Research on ZFY5.0/600 mode large diameter raise boring machine.
Coal Science and Technology 2011; 39(5): 87-90 (in Chinese).
Liu ZQ. Development and prospect of mechanical shaft boring technology. Journal of
M

China Coal Society 2013a; 38(7): 1116-22.

Liu ZQ. Drilling technology and development of LM series raise boring machine. In: Cai
MF ed. Rock Mechanics: Achievements and Ambitions (Proceeding of the 2nd ISRM
D

International Young Scholars’ Symposium on Rock Mechanics. London, UK: CRC

Press; 2012. pp. 671-6.
TE

Liu ZQ. Technology & equipment and development of raise boring machine. Coal
Science and Technology 2001; 29(4): 9-12 (in Chinese).
Liu ZQ. Technology of rapid constructing ventilating shaft in mining district by
large-diameter raise boring machine. Journal of Mining and Safety Engineering
2013b; 30(Supp. 1): 35-40 (in Chinese).
EP

Sizer RA. Raise boring: Its potential in the environmental field. Journal of the Mine
Ventilation of South Africa 1983; 36(10): 97-106.
Su XM, Wang WS. Application of raise-boring method in Luohe iron mine. China Mine
C

Engineering 2010; 39(2): 11-3 (in Chinese).

Sun K. The application and improvement of bucket inverse method in the vertical shaft
wall construction. Construction and Design for Project 2013; (8): 151-3 (in Chinese).
AC

Xu GL. Development of BMC200 raise-boring machine. Coal mining Technology 2008;

13(6): 61-2 (in Chinese).
Zhang YC, Shi JS, Wang ZJ. Construction handbook of mine shaft drilling. Beijing,
China: Coal Industry Press, 2010 (in Chinese).
Zhang YC, Sun J, Wang A. Drilling technology. Beijing, China: Coal Industry Press,
2008 (in Chinese).
Zhu GG. Rapid construction of mining ventilation shaft with raise boring machine for
nuclear mine. Coal Science and Technology 2004; 32(2): 48-9 (in Chinese).