Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    AllGeotechnicalMiningInfrastructureMaterialsHazardsEnvironmentalSoftwarePolicy
    Research
    Projects
    Product

    Sika paste backfill admixtures: cost and strength insights for mine engineers

    May 1, 2026|

    Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

    Sika paste backfill admixtures: cost and strength insights for mine engineers

    First reported on Australian Centre for Geomechanics – News

    30 Second Briefing

    Optimising cemented paste backfill with admixture technology, Teresa Bellver-Baca and Ignacio Aguilar-Sánchez of Sika report that water-reducing and viscosity-modifying agents can cut yield stress while increasing solids content, improving pumpability over long underground pipelines. Field trials in an underground gold mine showed fresh paste yield stress falling even as solids content rose from typical 67–80%, and uniaxial compressive strength gains at 3, 7 and 28 days for mixes with 12% cement and 0–3% admixture by cement weight. The approach targets lower binder consumption in CPB, which can account for up to three quarters of backfill cost.

    Technical Brief

    • CPB rheology is controlled within typical targets: 50–300 Pa yield stress, 0.1–1.0 Pa·s plastic viscosity.
    • Operational windows also specify 180–250 mm slump flow, 67–80% solids, <3% bleed water, 0.5–5 MPa UCS.
    • Field work used industrial-scale tests in an operating underground gold mine, not only laboratory mixes.
    • Uniaxial compressive strength was measured at 3, 7 and 28 days on mixes with 12% cement.
    • Admixture dosages in the strength programme were stepped at 0%, 2% and 3% of cement mass.
    • Rheological monitoring tracked yield stress changes against incremental solids content increases during live plant operation.
    • Geological setting and ore-forming environment are linked to tailings mineralogy and chemistry, constraining admixture selection and dosage.

    Our Take

    With cementitious binder accounting for up to three-quarters of backfill expenses and CPB representing 10–20% of mine operating costs, Sika’s paste optimisation work is likely to be most attractive to high-cost underground gold operations such as Alamos Gold’s Island Gold Mine, where incremental OPEX reductions materially affect cut-off grades.

    In our database of 1228 mining stories, only a subset of gold-tagged items focus on backfill and binder chemistry, so this Sika piece sits in a relatively specialised niche compared with more common coverage of Australian gold exploration and corporate moves such as the Barrick Mining restructuring or Lion One Metals’ financing issues.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Mining
    about 16 hours ago

    Fortescue Real Zero: 690 MW solar and 650 MWh BESS implications for mine power design

    Construction has commenced on Fortescue’s 690 MW Turner River solar farm in the Pilbara and a 650 MWh BYD-based BESS at Cloudbreak, the final major assets in its Real Zero decarbonisation plan for iron ore operations. The utility-scale PV and storage will feed Fortescue’s integrated Pilbara Energy Connect network, designed to displace large diesel and gas loads across multiple mines. For mine planners and electrical engineers, the build-out signals rapid scaling of high-penetration renewables and grid-forming storage in remote, weak-grid conditions.

    Meiteng’s full-size coal dry separation plant in Mongolia: design notes for mine engineers
    Mining
    about 16 hours ago

    Meiteng’s full-size coal dry separation plant in Mongolia: design notes for mine engineers

    Meiteng Technology’s full-size intelligent coal dry separation plant in Mongolia has run stably since October 2025, using its proprietary DCP Full-Size Coal Dry Separation Dream Plant system under harsh continental climate conditions. The installation applies fully dry, sensor-based coal separation without process water, reducing reliance on traditional dense medium circuits and associated tailings dams. For mine operators in arid or freezing regions, the project signals growing viability of large-scale dry beneficiation where water supply, freezing pipelines and slurry management constrain conventional plants.

    Forrestania–Newington gold acquisition: district-scale planning notes for mine teams
    Mining
    about 22 hours ago

    Forrestania–Newington gold acquisition: district-scale planning notes for mine teams

    Forrestania Resources has agreed to acquire 100 per cent of Midas Minerals’ Newington gold project in Western Australia, securing a package of granted mining and exploration tenements in a historically high-yield gold district. The transaction consolidates Forrestania’s Western Australian gold footprint around Newington, giving it full control over both existing mining leases and surrounding exploration ground. For geologists and mine planners, the deal creates a larger, contiguous tenure position that can support district-scale resource definition and staged development drilling.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    Tunnelling

    Specialised solutions for tunnelling projects including grout mix design, hydrogeological analysis, and quality control.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.