Zimbabwe’s mining industry will explore how advances in rock engineering, digital modelling and ground-support technology can improve underground safety when the Zimbabwe National Institute of Rock Engineering (ZINIRE) holds its 13th Annual General Meeting and Symposium in Victoria Falls from 22 to 24 October 2026, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
The symposium, scheduled for Friday, 23 October, at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, will run under the theme, “Leveraging Technology for Next Generation Fall of Ground Management.”
ZINIRE Vice President and Organising Chairman Freddy Chikwiri said the industry needed to move towards a more proactive approach to ground control, using technology to inform mine design, extraction sequences and decisions on ground support.
He said the approach was relevant across Zimbabwe’s diverse mining operations, from open-pit mines and small-scale underground workings to platinum operations along the Great Dyke and deeper, high-stress gold and base-metal mines.
The technologies to be discussed include numerical modelling, advanced surveying, geotechnical monitoring, improved support materials and mechanised installation systems.
“Proactive ground control begins with extensive data gathering and predicting how the rock mass will respond before a single round is blasted,” Chikwiri said.
Modelling and Monitoring Ground Conditions
Numerical modelling will feature prominently in the programme, with Open House Management Solutions (OHMS) scheduled to conduct a Map3D training session and software demonstration on Thursday, 22 October.
The software allows engineers to model stress and displacement around mine excavations, helping them assess potential ground-control risks and examine the implications of different mining sequences before implementing them underground.
Chikwiri said the session would give rock engineers and technicians practical exposure to three-dimensional modelling and its application to their own mine layouts.
Rocscience specialists will also be available during the symposium for technical consultations on two-dimensional and three-dimensional numerical and kinematic modelling tools.
Such technologies can support decisions involving pillar extraction, multiple-reef mining and excavations affected by complex geological structures. Their usefulness, however, depends on the quality of geological information, appropriate modelling assumptions and the interpretation of results alongside actual underground conditions.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
ZINIRE has also invited the Association of Mine Surveyors of Zimbabwe (AMSZ) and the Association of Mine Managers Zimbabwe (AMMZ) to strengthen cross-disciplinary cooperation between mining, surveying and rock engineering.
Chikwiri said modern surveying tools, including three-dimensional laser scanning and photogrammetry, could provide spatial information to support ground-control assessments, deformation monitoring and hazard identification.
He also identified microseismic monitoring, instrumented ground-support units, blast-vibration measurements and underground telemetry as technologies that could improve the information available to engineers managing ground conditions.
The integration of these systems is intended to strengthen the relationship between mine design, monitoring and operational decisions rather than treating ground control as a separate compliance function.
Chikwiri emphasised that aligning rock engineers with General Managers and Mine Managers directly boosts productivity and profitability, urging executives to treat ground control as a guardrail for safe production rather than an operational bottleneck. By integrating geotechnical engineering early into capital budgeting and mine planning, operations can eliminate costly rehabilitation delays, reduce ore dilution and prevent catastrophic stope failures.
Ground-Support Technologies Take Centre Stage
The symposium will also examine developments in surface liners, chemical consolidation and support systems designed for fractured rock and demanding stress conditions.
Among the participating suppliers, Altecrete is expected to present its MineCrete S3 hybrid shotcrete and TunnelGuard thin spray-on liners. Minova Africa will discuss chemical ground-control products used in appropriate applications, from ground support to the consolidation of unstable or water-bearing ground. Tre-Altamira will present its millimetre-scale accurate satellite-based monitoring for proactive slope stability and ground subsidence monitoring.
RSC Ekusasa will showcase integrated steel and resin support systems, including RocLoc resin capsules, friction bolts and dynamic, energy-absorbing tendons.
Other suppliers are expected to demonstrate various rock-support and rock-reinforcement products and other engineered rockfall barriers designed for different ground-support requirements.
These technologies serve different purposes, from reinforcing fractured rock and consolidating weak ground to supporting excavations exposed to dynamic loading. Their selection must be guided by site-specific geological conditions, engineering design, installation quality and verified performance.
Chikwiri’s statement also highlighted product developments intended to improve early support installation and provide better indications of support loading. However, claims concerning specific performance levels and installation outcomes require technical evidence and independent assessment before they can be treated as established results.
Mechanisation and Supply Reliability
Mechanised scaling and bolting will form another part of the discussions, particularly their potential to reduce workers’ exposure to unsupported ground during critical underground operations.
Chikwiri identified automated scaling equipment and mechanised bolting rigs, including systems with remote operation and digital monitoring, as technologies that can support safer installation practices and improve quality control.
Mechanisation does not remove all ground-control risks, but appropriate equipment, operating procedures and monitoring can reduce the need for workers to undertake certain tasks directly beneath potentially unstable rock.
The availability of support materials and equipment will also be addressed. Equipment Services (Pvt) Ltd and Boltgas Industrial & Mining Supplies are expected to discuss local procurement, engineering support, rock-drilling components and the supply of ground-support consumables to mining operations.
Reliable access to these materials is important because delays or shortages can affect the implementation of ground-support plans. Technology adoption therefore involves not only acquiring equipment but also ensuring that mines have the technical expertise, consumables and maintenance support needed to use it effectively.
Zimbabwe School of Mines Laboratory Revival Proposed
Beyond the technical sessions, ZINIRE intends to use the symposium to strengthen skills development and encourage greater cooperation between mining companies, suppliers and training institutions.
The organisation has invited academic staff and students from Midlands State University, Gwanda State University and the Zimbabwe School of Mines, with free registration being offered to participating students.
Chikwiri said the event would also provide an opportunity to connect mining houses, technical specialists and equipment suppliers around the proposed resuscitation of the Zimbabwe School of Mines’ Rock Engineering laboratory in Bulawayo.
The proposed initiative could strengthen practical training and help build local capacity to assess rock properties and evaluate ground-support technologies.
However, details concerning the laboratory’s current condition, the equipment required, potential funding and the implementation timeline have not yet been outlined.
Developing local rock-engineering expertise is important for an industry operating across varied geological settings and mining methods. Better access to testing facilities and technical training could support mine design, ground-support selection and the development of skills required to manage increasingly complex underground operations.
The symposium is also expected to bring together general managers, mine managers, rock engineers, geologists, surveyors, mine planners, safety practitioners and representatives of the Mining Inspectorate to encourage a more coordinated approach to ground-control management.
For mining companies, the objective extends beyond preventing injuries and fatalities. Ground instability can disrupt production, damage equipment, increase rehabilitation costs and compromise the long-term stability of underground workings.
The challenge will be translating the technologies and engineering practices discussed at the symposium into consistent application across operations with different levels of technical capacity and financial resources.
