Guest Editors

Prof. Dr. Shenghua Yin

School of Civil and Resource Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China

E-mail: csuysh@126.com

Prof. Dr. Chongchong Qi

School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China

E-mail: chongchong.qi@csu.edu.cn

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Erol Yilmaz

Department of Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Division, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Fener, Rize TR53100, Turkey

E-mail: erol.yilmaz@erdogan.edu.tr

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Shuai Cao

School of Civil and Resource Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China

E-mail: sandy_cao@ustb.edu.cn

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Qiusong Chen

School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China

E-mail: qiusong.chen@csu.edu.cn

Scope

Dramatic increase of minerals resources has been witnessed in the past decades, resulting in the continuous expansion of the mining industry. Unsurprisingly, huge amount of solid waste, such as mine tailings and waste rock, has been generated. In China, it is estimated that around 1.8 billion tons of mine tailings and waste rock were produced and the total amount of surface-disposed solid waste was more than 22 billion tons. Solid waste recycling becomes a key aspect when developing future technologies in the mining industry, which will have important potential benefits for the society in the future terms.

Cemented paste backfill (CPB) technology is one of the most important technologies that has environmental, technological, and economical benefits. Recently, the CPB technology is rapidly progressing in several major fields that are important for its wide application such as efficient CPB design, intelligent backfilling, cost reduction, sustainable cementitious materials, and fiber-reinforced CPB materials. Development of the CPB technology is simultaneously followed by intense upgrade of software and hardware solutions or applications. For example, real-time monitoring of pipe flow process can be achieved using the advanced capsule sensors. Finally, various engineering disciplines are called upon to ensure the linkage between fundamental studies and engineering application.

This Special Issue is open to all engineering disciplines and a wide range of research topics addressing the CPB technology. The main emphasis would be directed to the progress in the CPB technology and how to evaluate and reduce potential harmful impacts to the environment. Review papers are also accepted with the main focus being on advancements in the CPB technology with a strong line to practical applications in all sectors.

The International Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials (IJMMM) has been publishing articles related to the CPB technology of mining. More and more scholars from both academia and industry have chosen to publish their results and findings about CPB in IJMMM. Since CPB is an important direction for IJMMM, a special issue on CPB in IJMMM is also necessary. This special issue will bring the journal to the attention of the scholars in this area and encourage more of them to publish their research in IJMMM.

Contributions could include (but are not limited to) the following:

● The advancement of CPB equipment that helps the wide application of CPB.

● Novel backfill aggregates or the innovative utilization of backfill aggregates.

● Sustainable cementitious materials in CPB.

● Other backfill additives that improves the mechanical and rheological properties of CPB.

● Novel CPB design that decreases CPB cost or improves CPB efficiency significantly.

● Intelligent backfilling includes both intelligent CPB design and intelligent backfill equipment.

● Safe CPB design includes the strength requirement of CPB, the interaction of CPB with rock mass, environmentally friendly CPB, etc.

● Case studies of successful CPB practices.

● Systematic explanation of disciplines or guidelines related to CPB.