American Mine Services has been providing safe, quality mining and civil project services for over 50 years. Since 1967, AMS has set the gold standard for all manner of mining and excavation services, including underground development. Underground space development is a labor-intensive, carefully planned type of mining used to create safe and functional mines under the earth’s surface. To perform this type of mining operation, you want a company that will do it right the first time, and AMS can help.
Our personnel at AMS have extensive experience in the planning and excavation of tunnels, drifts, declines, and shafts for traditional mining operations, especially for the extraction of metal ore, coal, and salt. We operate locally in the state of Colorado and internationally. Some of our past project locations have included isolated mines in the Arctic and the Altiplano plateau in South America.
We’ve worked in remote and isolated mining operations as well as active worksites, including airport AOA’s. In each instance, the conditions inside and outside the mining project or civil service worksite are carefully evaluated for the best execution strategy that ensures the safety of personnel and surrounding traffic.
Let’s take a closer look at the types of services we offer in underground mine development:
Decline Tunnels
Decline tunnels are a crucial component of mining. These carefully crafted tunnels allow mining vehicles and equipment to travel from the surface down into the depths of the mine. Depending on the type, location and size of the project, AMS can plan and create a well-structured decline tunnel, or ramp, allowing easy access to the mining operation for equipment, vehicles, and personnel.
Mining Shafts
In mining operations where decline tunnels and access ramps aren’t feasible, AMS plans and executes safe mining shaft operations to allow workers, equipment, and vehicles access to subterranean levels via a well-ventilated lift. AMS also creates secondary shafts to transfer excavated materials to the surface with ease.
Drift Tunnel Planning
AMS has extensive experience planning drift excavation tunnels to maximize the amount of material extracted from the mine. AMS will create tunnels into the rock following the natural seam, allowing personnel to maximize retrieval along a horizontal vein of ore at your mining operation site.
NATM/ SEM Techniques
American Mine Services prides itself on using state-of-the-art modern mining philosophy and convention when planning and executing a project. Our personnel has first-hand experience with the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM), or Sequential Excavation Method (SEM), on most soft ground and running ground sites. This means our tunnels are sequentially excavated and then the rock reinforced and supported based on the type of rock conditions occurring as the mine excavations continued.
We use ground support tools like shotcrete, fiber fabric, steel girders, and more to reinforce the rock and ground in excavated tunnels. This ensures the safety and efficiency of mining operations while reducing the risk of tunnel collapse. On competent ground mining conditions, our personnel employs controlled drill and blast techniques.
American Mine Services Project Staffing for Underground Development Mining
The degree of planning and involvement with your project depends on your unique mining operation needs. AMS has contracted with partners to supervise and manage entire projects, including sourcing all equipment, personnel, and building the mining operation from the ground up – literally.
We’ve also completed contracts where only the staffing of an existing mining operation and supervision were provided. Reach out to us to let us know what your unique project needs are, and AMS can craft the perfect arrangement to execute your mining operation goals safely and effectively.
