Ground Support refers to the physical reinforcement and support systems installed in underground mine excavations — including tunnels, stopes, shafts, and decline accesses — to stabilise the surrounding rock mass, prevent rockfalls, control rock mass deformation, and maintain safe working conditions for miners and equipment. It is a critical safety discipline in underground hard rock mining, including underground gold mines and diamond mines such as the Venetia underground project in South Africa.
Ground support systems can be classified into three main categories: reinforcement elements, which act within the rock mass to improve its inherent strength and load-bearing capacity; surface support, which prevents the detachment and fall of individual rock fragments from excavation surfaces; and holding or retaining systems, which connect reinforcement to surface support to form an integrated support system.
Common reinforcement elements include grouted rock bolts (fully encapsulated with cement or resin), friction anchors (Split Sets), cable bolts for long-range support, and wooden or steel props. Surface support includes wire mesh, chain-link mesh, fibrecrete (steel fibre reinforced shotcrete), and weld mesh straps. Ground support requirements vary enormously depending on rock mass quality (characterised using systems such as the Rock Mass Rating or Q-system), excavation size, depth below surface, proximity to geological structures, and the mining method employed.
Ground support standards are developed by geotechnical engineers based on mapping, monitoring data, and design guidelines, and are subject to regular review as mining conditions evolve.