A view down into Platreef’s Shaft #3 reveals Cementation Africa’s detailed equipping process underway.
has been conducted,” he says. “The installation methodology for the steel infrastructure, for instance, has been designed with the slight shaft deviations in mind, to accommodate some movement during installation.” The sinking of the shaft using specialised drilling equipment – rather than conventional blasting – has also meant that more precise information on the ground and wall conditions needed to be gathered from cameras. With no personnel having been physically present in the shaft, this camera work was vital to better understand conditions so that the most suitable support options could be applied. Kethusitswe Mokgatlha, Project Executive at Cementation Africa, highlights the important role of a rock engineer in the company’s team, to provide the necessary insights into the support design. This facilitated the identification of areas in the shaft barrel where shotcreting was necessary to strengthen poor ground conditions including shear zones. In most areas, the appropriate solution was mesh and resin bolting, Mokgatlha explains, with the rock engineer specifying where long anchors would be required. Structurally weak areas would also be specified for the application of wetcrete. Shotcrete was applied as a routine support measure where the station levels were holed into the shaft at levels 750, 850 and 922. Cementation Africa used core samples from the surrounding areas of the shaft to inform its understanding of the prevailing ground conditions, Chamberlain notes. “In collaboration with the client, we then conducted a Stacey and McCracken test to assess ground stability and risk – to establish how long an excavation will stay open,” he continues. “The competency of the ground needs to be well understood if your support strategies are to be effective.” Mokgatlha highlights that a key success factor in these projects is invariably the close collaboration that is developed with clients. “Given how technical and complex this project is, we hold weekly progress meetings with the client
An aerial view captures Cementation Africa’s progress on the equipping of Platreef’s Shaft #3 head with both the stage and kibble winders in place.
Platreef’s Shaft #3 headgear, constructed by Cementation Africa, is shown alongside the permanent winder house on the left.
team to overcome any obstacles and keep activities on track,” he says. This cooperation includes finding ways to streamline processes to maintain the programme schedule. By the fourth quarter of 2025, Cementation Africa was able to complete pre-erection of the permanent headgear and construct the foundations for the permanent headgear raker legs. “At the shaft bottom, we worked with the client to slipe the shaft to the required size for the loading box at 922 m, and conducted the necessary civil engineering works,” he explains. “Working concurrently to make the most of the time available, we also assisted the client in slinging down conveyor infrastructure and the components for the loading box – for completion in December 2025.”
DECEMBER 2025 - JANUARY 2026 | www.modernminingmagazine.co.za MODERN MINING 37
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