The company’s PEAK resin bolting system is expected to deliver efficiency and productivity gains and move the industry away from excessive bolting practices towards higher quality, lower total cost solutions.

DSI said the bolting system was not so much a change in direction but an optimisation of long-term industry experience and industry feedback from site and lab testing.

“The system captures the various advantages of both point-anchored and fully encapsulated bolts, while eliminating disadvantages that have crept into current industry practice,” DSI said.

The system would also make for easier ground control through less strata damage during bolting, deliver “tangible” cost savings around primary support through reductions in bolting length, resin length and bolting patterns and reduce the need for secondary support.

The PEAK system was designed to remove a number of hidden technical flaws associated with current strata control practices that in fact constrain the mining process.

It should achieve optimum capacity and performance of strata control products while minimising the fracture of strata during the bolting process.

“The new system challenges current primary bolting practices – which, through their industry evolution, are potentially causing strata damage – and will bring significant change to the sector,” the company said.

Based around a new high-impact “AK” advanced steel grade, the system features a unique bar profile to optimise localised micro-mixing and reduce longitudinal pressures during the mixing sequence.

The new bolt is shorter compared to similar 30-tonne bolts and uses a larger hole size to reduce back pressure on bolt thrust.

The system’s 2:1 resin gives effective mixing in up to 30mm bore holes, reliable top anchoring and the potential to reduce bolt length.

“Greater load bearing capacity at the hole collar and plate, along with improved pre-tensioning, are achieved through increased nut length,” DSI said.

“Greater load bearing area into the strata comes about via a larger surface area plate and the correct tightening sequence and bolt tensioning provide an effective 0.5m beam.”