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Ground Support Systems

Keeping the ground above your head where it belongs. Expert ground support installation, monitoring, and geotechnical assessment for every underground condition.

Ground support is the foundation of every safe underground operation. Before a single tonne of ore is extracted, the excavation must be stabilised. Ground conditions vary enormously — from competent hard rock requiring minimal support to heavily fractured, stressed, or squeezing ground demanding sophisticated multi-element support systems.

Jahkai's team brings extensive experience across the full spectrum of ground conditions encountered in Australian underground mining — from the stable granites of Western Australia's goldfields to the challenging coal measures of Queensland and the complex metamorphic sequences of base metal operations. We deploy that experience into every new geological environment, adapting proven support methodologies to local ground behaviour.

"The ground will always tell you what it needs. The skill is listening — reading the geology, understanding the stress regime, and installing the right support before the ground decides for you."
What We Deliver

Ground Support Methods

Every support element selected for the right geological condition, installed to specification, and verified for performance.

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Rock Bolting
Full range of bolting systems matched to ground conditions: split sets for immediate friction support in competent rock, resin bolts for high-capacity permanent reinforcement, Swellex bolts for rapid installation in fractured ground, CT bolts for corrosion-resistant long-term support, and cable bolts for deep reinforcement in wide spans and intersections.
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Mesh Installation
Weldmesh for standard ground support in development and production areas. Chain-link mesh for dynamic ground conditions where deformation capacity is required. High-tensile mesh for seismically active ground and high-stress environments. All mesh installed to specification with correct overlap, pinning density, and integration with bolting patterns.
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Shotcrete
Wet-mix shotcrete for high-volume, high-quality application in development headings and permanent infrastructure. Dry-mix shotcrete for remote areas and smaller applications. Fibre-reinforced shotcrete for enhanced tensile performance and crack resistance. Nozzle operation, thickness verification, and quality testing (early-age and 28-day strength) to international standards.
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Steel Sets & Heavy Support
Steel arch sets and lattice girders for high-convergence ground, major intersections, and long-term infrastructure openings. Designed to geotechnical specification, fabricated to dimension, and installed with backfill or shotcrete encapsulation for full load transfer. Used where bolt-and-mesh systems alone cannot manage ground behaviour.
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Specialist Support Methods
Spiling for advancing through poor ground ahead of the face. Forepoling with grouted steel elements to pre-reinforce weak zones. Canopy tubes for systematic pre-support in tunnel portals and shallow cover zones. These specialist techniques are critical for managing difficult ground conditions safely.
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Ground Monitoring
Comprehensive monitoring systems to track ground behaviour in real time: extensometers for measuring displacement at depth, convergence monitoring for opening deformation, seismic monitoring for microseismic activity in high-stress environments, and cavity monitoring systems (CMS) for void survey and stope performance assessment.
Equipment & Technology

Mechanised Ground Support Fleet

Modern ground support is a mechanised discipline. Manual installation is reserved for areas where equipment access is restricted. Our operators are experienced across the industry's leading equipment platforms.

Bolting Equipment

Sandvik DS-series bolters — DS311, DS411, DS421 for single and twin-boom mechanised bolting in development and production
Epiroc Boltec — Boltec M, Boltec S for automated and semi-automated bolt installation
Cable bolt rigs — purpose-built platforms for deep-hole cable bolt installation in wide spans
Handheld equipment — pneumatic and hydraulic bolters for restricted-access areas and secondary support

Shotcrete & Monitoring

Normet Spraymec — mechanised shotcrete spraying for development headings and infrastructure areas
Putzmeister concrete pumps — high-pressure pumping for long-distance shotcrete delivery underground
GroundProbe — slope stability radar adapted for underground convergence and deformation monitoring
IDS GeoRadar — interferometric radar systems for real-time ground movement detection in high-risk areas

Local employment and training

We employ people from the place the mine is, and we train them on the tools, in the mine, from offsider through operator to supervisor. We leave a trainer behind.

Knowledge Transfer

Ground Support Training & Assessment

Ground support installation is a critical safety skill — incorrect bolt installation, insufficient shotcrete thickness, or missed geological indicators can have fatal consequences. Our training covers every element of ground support competency.

  • Geological awareness — reading the rock mass, identifying structural features, assessing ground quality before and after blasting
  • Support selection — matching the right support element to the observed ground condition, understanding when to escalate support requirements
  • Mechanised installation — safe and efficient operation of bolting rigs, shotcrete machines, and cable bolt equipment
  • Quality verification — bolt pull testing, shotcrete thickness and strength testing, mesh installation inspection, monitoring system operation
  • Geotechnical observation — training frontline operators to identify and report ground behaviour changes that may indicate developing instability
  • Emergency ground control — procedures for managing unexpected ground failure, evacuation protocols, and temporary stabilisation techniques
Secure Your Underground

Expert ground support design, installation, and monitoring — from rock bolting and shotcrete through to comprehensive geotechnical assessment and real-time ground movement detection.

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