The exploitation of essential mineral resources is crucial to human progress and the development of modern civilization. As surface and shallow-depth mineral reserves have been extracted or depleted, the mining industry has been increasingly moving to deep and ultra-deep operations, facing unprecedented geological and engineering challenges. This study provides a detailed evaluation of the key challenges associated with deep mining, including high water pressure, rockbursts, squeezing ground, heat, transportation, and the in-situ stress field. The combination of these risks not only undermines the stability of the structures in depth and increases the likelihood of accidents, but also creates a necessary demand for the use of more adaptable, advanced mining methods and ground support systems for risk management in deep mining operations. This paper also reviewed innovative operational solutions, including smart technologies and automation, ventilation and cooling systems, as well as alternative rock-cutting methods and tools. Furthermore, the paper summarizes various mining and design strategies, and it is emphasized that conventional theories of rock mechanics are inadequate for explaining the intricate behaviors of rock masses at depth, requiring new adaptive strategies for deep and ultra-deep mining. Ultimately, this paper advocates for a multidisciplinary and innovation-driven approach to enhance safety, sustainability, and efficiency in deep mining operations by examining several global case studies and their corresponding specifications.
Shakeri et al. (Sun,) studied this question.