Murray & Roberts Cementation is celebrating 21 years of growth and transformation since the merger of Murray & Roberts RUC and The Cementation Company (Africa) in July 2004. Over the past 21 years, the company has evolved into a global leader in contract mining services expanding beyond traditional contracting to a high-tech value-driven provider of mining solutions.

New Business Director, Graham Chamberlain, reflects on the company’s bold direction highlighting its commitment to adopting cutting-edge technologies, enhancing safety and continuing to expand its footprint across Africa. Today, Murray & Roberts Cementation operates in Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Ghana, ensuring a robust presence to serve the continent’s growing mining sector.

“As a leader in the contract mining sector and in particular in shaft sinking operations, we have a strong safety record,” Chamberlain says. As an indication of its safety commitment, in December 2024 Murray & Roberts Cementation achieved 8 million fatality free shafts – spanning a dozen years.

Further since 2001, Chamberlain says that the company has sunk 21 shafts—15 of them since 2012—totalling an impressive 15,000 metres of vertical sinking. Additionally, it has completed 72,000 metres of raise drilling, averaging 300 metres per month. 

A key component of this success is the Rotary Vertical Drilling System (RVDS), which has been deployed on 93 projects. This advanced drilling technology achieved 99.95% accuracy on a 950 metre ventilation shaft at Ivanplats’ Platreef project in Limpopo, with only a 500 cm deviation.

Pioneering New Mining Technologies

With the decline in mining sector R&D investment over the past two decades, Murray & Roberts Cementation has proactively partnered with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to test and apply the latest safety and efficiency technologies. A standout collaboration is with Herrenknecht, a global leader in mechanised tunnelling, to develop caisson shaft sinking methods with a roadheader. This approach enables pre-sinking or shallow shaft sinking up to 300 metres deep and 20 metres wide – without human presence in the shaft.

The company is also advancing mechanised tabular reef extraction and blind boring, focusing on rapid deployment and minimising worker exposure. Training methodologies have been modernised through the use of simulation, virtual reality and underground mock-up facilities to enhance skills development at the Murray & Roberts Training Academy at Bentley Park, near Carletonville. 

Training the Next Generation of Miners

“A core element of our success is the company’s commitment and dedication to training, through our world class training academy. This facility plays a crucial role in bridging skills gaps in the mining sector, offering artisanal, supervisory and management training including the courses necessary for the blasting ticket and other government tickets of competency,” Chamberlain says. 

This world class facility also hosts official blasting ticket examinations conducted by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE).

Delivering Sustainable Mining Solutions

Beyond its technical and operational excellence, Murray & Roberts Cementation remains committed to social initiatives with various education-focused initiatives conducted over the years – from hardware in schools to supporting sanitary pads campaigns in poor communities, so that girls do not miss any schooling. Investments have been made in borehole drilling for groundwater and even a mobile science and mathematics laboratory for schools – made available through the whole Murray & Roberts group.

“As Murray & Roberts Cementation continues to expand its African footprint, we remain dedicated to innovation, safety and skills development. With fully incorporated structures in key mining regions, we are well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of the mining sector and drive sustainable growth in the years to come, Chamberlain concludes. 

At the end of the raiseboring – or reaming – stage for Shaft 2 of Ivanplats’ Platreef project in South Africa’s Limpopo province, an innovative solution was called for to promptly remove the reaming head and avoid costly standing time. 

Fred Durand, Senior Project Manager at Murray & Roberts Cementation, explains that an acceleration of the build plan at Shaft 2 had seen construction underway on the shaft’s headgear in 2024 – before the completion of raiseboring. 

“When a reaming head reaches the surface at the end of a raiseboring process, we normally use a mobile crane from surface to help us dismantle the machine and to load it onto trucks for removal from site,” says Durand. “With the acceleration of the mine’s plan for Shaft 2 readiness, however, the construction of the headgear had been brought forward – so it was no longer feasible to position a crane in that area to remove the raisebore machine.”

“The kibble winder was not installed yet, so we had to engineer our way out of this situation to reduce raisebore standing time costs,” he says. 

The solution began with a visit from one of Murray & Roberts Cementation’s rigging specialists from the company’s Bentley Park training and technical facility near Carletonville. His concept was to make use of a reeve block – or pulley block – system and winch which could be secured with limited steel work at the bank elevation.

“We prepared a proposal which described how reeve blocks could be secured to the sinking sheave wheel floor steel work by means of slings and beam clamps,” Durand continues. “We would then use an eight tonne electrical winch, secured to the bank, to operate the reeve block system.”

After the Murray & Roberts Cementation team were satisfied that the methodology would work, they conducted a rigorous risk assessment and prepared the necessary mitigation measures. The plan was then ready for the client’s consideration – leading to a green light to proceed. Personnel and equipment were soon mobilised, and the necessary medicals and inductions completed in preparation for the reamer coming to surface at the end of its 950 m journey from underground.

“Our solution worked perfectly, allowing us to strip the raisebore machine and hoist it to the bank area – to be placed onto the support bridge and moved out of the shaft headgear,” he says. “A mobile crane then lifted the machine onto the laydown area, ready for removal.”

Durand concludes that Murray & Roberts Cementation’s uncompromising approach to safe working practices ensured that this engineering solution was applied safely and efficiently within the tight timeframe. The company’s core safety values recently earned it the landmark achievement of 8 million fatality free shifts. 

With many open pit mines in Southern Africa reaching maturity, the scope for underground mining promises to create new opportunities for shaft sinking and underground mining specialists.

As a leader in this field for many years, Murray & Roberts Cementation has been busy with complex and long term projects, reinforcing its safety performance and honing its innovative practices and technologies. According to Japie du Plessis, Managing Director of Murray & Roberts Cementation, the current market looks full of potential.

“Among our differentiators has always been our depth of expertise and experience, with many of our people having served up to 35 to 40 years with us,” says du Plessis. “But what makes us most proud in recent years is how we have continued to pioneer safe execution in a field which is known for its risks and hazards.”

The company, recognised in 2024 by the Association of Mine Managers South Africa (AMMSA) with a safety award for achieving seven million fatality free shifts, reached another benchmark milestone in January 2025 when it achieved eight million fatality free shifts over a period during which it sunk numerous shafts for mining companies in Southern Africa. Underpinning this safety record is a substantial and ongoing investment in skills, he notes, driven by the Murray & Roberts Training Academy at Bentley Park near Carletonville. 

“Safety is at the core of our extensive range of training interventions in shaft sinking and trackless mining,” he explains. “Our blended learning methodologies – and particularly our mock-up facilities – are recognised as benchmarks for the industry; many mines visit Bentley Park to learn from what we have developed.”

He highlights the way the company has engineered safety into all its processes, systems and equipment – based on a thorough analysis of past incidents. This has allowed the safe deployment of innovative shaft sinking methods and spurs on continuous improvement in designs and methodologies. 

“Each project brings its own challenges and working conditions, so we apply our tailored approach to the specific needs of the customer,” says du Plessis. “This could include solving construction challenges underground, developing appropriate mining methods for underground crusher chambers or finding solutions for hoisting.”

Among its recent projects was the innovative adaptation of a ventilation shaft to include hoisting infrastructure that would operate where air is required to move at high velocities. There have also been shaft sinking contracts – including a recent 1,200 metre shaft – where conventional methods failed to deliver results due to the poor quality of ground conditions. 

“We applied accepted sinking methodologies in creative ways to deal with those difficult ground conditions,” he says. “In the same way, we tailor solutions in trackless mining, pumping, hoisting, high pressure plug construction, dewatering, ore pass rehabilitation and drilling and blasting practice.”

The skills development capabilities in Murray & Roberts Cementation adds a vital sustainability element to its contract mining work which has recently included numerous projects in platinum and coal. The training and knowledge sharing with customers’ people lays the necessary groundwork for in-house mining to continue productively after handover. 

Leading underground mining contractor, Murray & Roberts Cementation has reached an extraordinary milestone by achieving 8 Million Fatality Free Shifts in early January 2025. This remarkable achievement, spanning more than a decade without a single fatality, sets an enviable benchmark in the mining sector, particularly in the inherently high-risk areas of shaft sinking and mine development.

The milestone is a testament to the company’s unwavering commitment to safety and its determination to embed a culture where safety is not just a policy but a way of life. Over the years, Murray & Roberts Cementation has invested heavily in safety training, advanced technologies and fostering a shared responsibility among its workforce.

“This major achievement would not be possible without each and every one of our people being committed and focused on safety as an integral part of everyday work,” says Japie du Plessis, Managing Director of Murray & Roberts Cementation. “Our teams operate in some of the most challenging environments, and it is their dedication to identifying and mitigating risks, following protocols and supporting one another that has made this accomplishment a reality.”

A Culture of Safety Excellence

Achieving 8 Million Fatality Free Shifts in such a hazardous industry is no small feat. It reflects a deeply embedded safety culture that extends across all levels of the organisation, from senior management to workers on the ground. Every employee is empowered to take ownership of safety, ensuring that proactive measures are taken to avoid potential risks.

Key to this success is Murray & Roberts Cementation’s Health, Safety and Environment framework which focuses on continuous improvement in safety management and operational performance. The company has also embraced cutting-edge technologies which allows people to be removed from the ‘contact area’ where most safety hazards are found. 

Training and Development

Murray & Roberts Cementation has long recognised that safety begins with knowledge. The company runs comprehensive training programmes at its world class training academy, equipping employees with the skills and awareness to handle the challenges of working in underground mining environments. Apart from ensuring operational competencies, these initiatives also emphasise hazard identification, risk management and emergency response preparedness.

“Safety is not something we achieve overnight – it requires consistent effort, vigilance and a shared vision across the organisation,” adds Du Plessis. “Our training programmes, combined with the adoption of global best practices and the latest technologies, have been instrumental in maintaining our safety record.”

A Benchmark for the Industry

The achievement of 8 Million Fatality Free Shifts places Murray & Roberts Cementation among the global leaders in mine safety. It not only demonstrates the company’s operational excellence but also serves as an example for the broader mining industry, proving that safety and productivity can go hand in hand.

As the company continues to grow and expand its operations, safety will remain the cornerstone of its success. This milestone underscores Murray & Roberts Cementation’s unwavering dedication to ensuring that every worker goes home safely at the end of each shift.

“While the 8 Million Fatality Free Shifts is a proud moment for Murray & Roberts Cementation, we remain focused on maintaining and exceeding this standard through our commitment to continuous improvement, innovation and fostering a resilient safety culture to protect its most valuable asset – our people,” Du Plessis concludes. 

In the mining sector’s ongoing quest for zero harm, Murray & Roberts Cementation has shown that a culture of safety is critical to meeting this target – over and above the progress made in safety systems and technologies. 

In its own safety journey, the company has made great strides, according to Trevor Schultz, Risk Executive at Murray & Roberts Cementation. Among the key indicators of its success is that it has been fatality-free for almost a decade, a real accolade in the traditionally high-risk field of shaft sinking and mine development.

“It has been a journey that started long before 2015, when we reviewed the systems and processes, customising them to suit our business needs,” says Schultz. “Working closely with our Training Academy at Bentley Park, we also developed a new approach that would foster a culture of safety among our people – from their very first days in training.”

The Training Academy prepares employees to perform their work in the most efficient and safe manner, he says, including tailor-made programmes for mining and engineering supervisors. 

“We believe that to create the right business culture, we need to give employees the means and ability to do their work – and after that you can hold them accountable to do the work right,” he explains. “Our programmes include License to Supervise, as well as Risk Management, to ensure alignment of our safety principles across the business.”

This approach has also achieved a steady decrease in the company’s Lost Time Injury rate. Graham Chamberlain, Murray & Roberts Cementation’s New Business Executive, concurs that the safety culture has been critical to these gains. 

“An important shift in the mining sector has been to appreciate employees not only for their hands (to work) and their ears (to listen), but for their minds and hearts – which really drive safe behaviour,” says Chamberlain. “Systems and rules are important, but they don’t provide the vocabulary to show that management really cares about the safety of every employee.”

A caring culture is reinforced every day by the interaction between management and staff, he argues. This forms part of the company’s Visible Felt Leadership initiative, which ensures managers engage with their teams on a regular basis.

Underpinning the safety culture are the standards and systems, which remain an important foundation for safety at Murray & Roberts Cementation, says Schultz. 

“We have a robust health, safety and environment (HSE) framework which covers key points such as systems, standards and internal and external audits,” he says. “We also have formalised strategies to learn from incidents on site – both within the company and externally – and we share best practice and learning across our regions.”

Comprehensive checks and balances are in place, including self-assessments for supervisors and managers, which help to determine the effectiveness of training in the workplace. Benchmarking against the highest standards, Murray & Roberts Cementation is certified in terms of ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and ISO 45000 in its internal systems and corporate governance.

Technology also has a role to play in supporting the safety culture, explains Chamberlain, especially in removing people from the ‘contact area’ where most safety hazards are found. 

“We work to engineer the risk out of every working situation, which usually involves the use of equipment instead of manual labour,” he explains. “Equally, the solution may be to revise the methodology or the working cycle – as this affects the way the employee behaves.”

He notes that operating under excessive pressure, or experiencing undue frustration in their work, will have an impact on an individual’s safety performance. Part of the safety effort, therefore, is to alleviate these factors and improve the working environment – which in turn leads to the right behaviours.

Schultz points to a range of engineering technologies that Murray & Roberts Cementation has adapted and applied to improve safety. Lasers have been employed to continuously monitor clearances in some vertical shaft projects, so that winder speeds can be reduced where the clearance reaches limitations.

“We have extended the pre-sink automated tipping hook and kibble auto alignment to the main sink which removes the human interaction during tipping,” he continues. “The monitoring of our stage zone kibble winder slack rope has also been updated, by allowing continued monitoring during crosshead arresting. Electrical actuators are now being used where possible, instead of the noisier air and hydraulic system.” 

Murray & Roberts Cementation is also an early adopter of technology that can improve safety, such as Proximity Detection Systems (PDS). In the early 2000s, the company saw the value of this emerging field of electronics, and was one of the first local companies to trial it on its trackless mining machinery. 

“We were able to prove the efficacy of this technology, and quickly progressed to standardise PDS as a minimum requirement on our machines,” he says. “This was years before it was made mandatory, which required all qualifying mines to install this equipment.”

The safety approach has even affected the kinds of projects and tasks that Murray & Roberts Cementation will take on, he explains. 

“By reviewing our projects’ safety performance, we identified certain categories of work as being very high-risk,” he says. “The decision was made that if the risk of harm cannot be reduced to an acceptable level – through mechanising, automation or safer methods – then we would simply not undertake such work.”

While contractors are employed primarily to execute projects on behalf of mining companies and project houses, experienced underground mining specialists like Murray & Roberts Cementation also offer invaluable insights from earlier stages of development.

“Over the decades, we have found that our early engagement with clients provides many vital opportunities to optimise their ideas and plans,” says Graham Chamberlain, New Business Director at Murray & Roberts Cementation. “Especially in the shaft sinking phase – which is highly capital intensive – the devil is in the detail, and there are many aspects to consider when working to achieve a streamlined and cost effective process.”

Chamberlain highlights how the company is often engaged in the very early days of a project, to work with the client right from the concept and design phases. Often, third party consultants even use Murray & Roberts Cementation to conduct project designs, he says, as this creates a more seamless flow into the execution stage.

“Our approach is to work with the client on developing a range of options for each aspect of the project,” he explains. “This provides a broader scope of what is possible, with each option being discussed in the light of the client’s goals; these alternatives can be steadily whittled down to the two or three best, so that an intensive comparison can be conducted to make a final selection.”

A shaft design, for example, is a central factor in the successful performance of a mining operation – not just at its start but over its entire lifecycle. Whereas it may be considered feasible to reduce the diameter of shaft in the planning stage to reduce capital costs, a more farsighted view will expose the limitations that such a decision will create for the mine’s future.

“Technology in crushing, milling and processing is always evolving, and many mines can upgrade this infrastructure to generate more revenue,” he says. “However, such changes will be limited to 10 to 15% improvements if shaft capacity is at its limit. The shaft design therefore needs to accommodate the longer term goals of the mine – where market demand could allow throughput to grow in orders of magnitude.”

He emphasises the importance of understanding local conditions – both regulatory and physical – in managing risk on shaft sinking, development and contract mining projects. Where there are requirements for local procurement and hiring, for instance, the company has aligned its policies and developed extensive experience putting these into practice. These social and labour regulations, which are well established in South Africa, are also being applied across Africa and even in some South American countries.

Every project should be regarded as a ‘monument’ to the efforts of the developer, he explains, and therefore needs to leave a strong and positive legacy. This extends beyond the structural elements to the livelihoods, skills and prosperity of local communities. Murray & Roberts Cementation actively contributes to these developmental aspects, not least through its well-resourced training academy.

“Cost and productivity are key elements of success in our line of work, so risk needs to be carefully managed to produce the best outcome,” he says. “Many contractors operating globally in our field are not familiar with the unique requirements of the African market, and consequently, they often struggle to optimise cost and productivity factors in this region.”

Innovation also underpins the input that Murray & Roberts Cementation makes in planning for projects, Chamberlain continues. This is as much about developing new methodologies as it is about leaving others behind. Bold steps have been taken to find safer alternatives in equipment use; the cactus grab – historically a staple item on any shaft sinking site – is no longer employed, for instance.

“We adapted Canadian practices into a Murray & Roberts method of shaft sinking – using an understage-mounted excavator arm – to clean after blasts,” he says. “This is all part of a no-compromise approach to safety on our sites, which we share with clients as part of our initial discussions on scheduling, costs and productivity.”

A critical value-add from the company’s early engagement with clients is its extensive library or database of lessons learnt and technologies applied. This institutional knowledge, which dates back decades, can then be suitably ‘packaged’ by experienced practitioners who are experts in their field. He notes that one idea on its own is not going solve the various challenges that each project faces.

“Our work in the mining environment is complex, and must address matters from hoisting and logistics to safety factors and ground conditions,” he says. “The value of experience cannot be overstated, and requires careful consideration of all the options.”

There are few mining-related operations that have operated for two decades without a lost time injury – but Murray & Roberts Cementation has achieved just that at its grout injection plant between Northam and Thabazimbi in South Africa’s Limpopo province.

The 36 strong team at this grout plant oversees the logistics of mixing on surface, managing over 5 km of pipeline to underground destinations, and injecting grout at the workface to prevent inundation where water is intersected during mine development. Andre van Buuren, Murray & Roberts Cementation Project Manager, highlights the depth of experience that underpins the facility’s safety culture.

“Achieving 20 years without an injury is a real testament to the collective effort of our team, applying our corporate strategies and taking personal accountability for everything that happens on site,” says van Buuren. “It is no coincidence that there is very low staff turnover at this plant – where it is not unusual for our people to have up to 25 years of service.”

The average term of current staff is 10 to 15 years, with Northam injection plant site supervisor Hendry Collins having been with the operation for over 20 years. This has allowed a culture of safety to mature, and to be passed down from the more experienced staff to the newer entrants. Without overloading people with systems and procedures, he explains, everyone is imbued with a commitment to uncompromising safety principles that emphasise personal responsibility. This is expressed in key messages such as “If you see it, you own it” – which hold everyone to an exacting safety standard.

“Everyone is also steeped in the discipline of identifying the highest safety risk in every task they undertake and to ensure that it is mitigated,” he says.

As in any mining environment, this work certainly includes its fair share of risks. The Northam grout injection plant regularly pumps specialised grout mixtures at pressures of up to 10 MPa to underground workings. Over 20 tonnes of cementitious material are commonly injected into designated areas over a three to four day period, according to Murray & Roberts Cementation Senior Project Manager Pieter Oosthuysen. A recent water intersection incident required as much as 56 tonnes to be injected at high pressure to stem the flow of groundwater at a single point.

“A compact surface team oversees the running of the plant, which includes two 100 tonne silos among a range of equipment and backup units,” says Oosthuysen. “Most are part of the underground teams, working in day shifts and night shifts. They follow the mining teams as the mine deepens, extending the grout range to allow injection to be conducted whenever necessary.”

Safety is also a key aspect of the training that injection plant staff receive at the Murray & Roberts Training Academy at Bentley Park near Carletonville. This dedicated training facility includes a mock-up of a grout plant, where the experiential value of the training is enhanced.

Van Buuren highlights the importance of engaging every member of the team in the safety strategies employed, right down to the selection and adoption of protective equipment. In line with regulations and best practice, there is considerable time invested in deciding on even the most appropriate PPE such as boots or glasses to ensure these serve the purpose – before these are rolled out for use.

“This is part of visible leadership, a corporate strategic imperative that provides an example to our younger people,” he explains. “It prevents the ‘old worker’ syndrome where experienced personnel are tempted to take short cuts despite knowing better. Constant reinforcement – including positive recognition – is vital to ensure that complacency never creeps in.”

Louis Neethling, Foreman at the grout plant, emphasises the culture of care which is nurtured within each team – where every member is expected to look after not only themselves but those around them.

“We recognise that promoting safety is rather like sweeping water uphill,” says Neethling. “If you stop sweeping, the water will run back again; it is an ongoing task to ensure safe behaviour, and to find ways of improving safety performance.”

A hard-won culture of safety has earned Murray & Roberts Cementation the accolade of seven million fatality free shifts from the Association of Mine Managers of South Africa (AMMSA).

The award was made to Kethu Mokgatlha, Project Executive at Murray & Roberts Cementation by AMMSA President Mosala Letebele at a ceremony in Johannesburg in June this year to recognise the company’s outstanding achievement. The seven million shifts were undertaken over a period of almost nine years, and spanned five different shaft sinking projects in South Africa. The work undertaken also covers specialist interventions such as ore pass rehabilitation, grout sealing and underground support systems.

According to Trevor Schultz, Risk Executive at Murray & Roberts Cementation, the award is particularly heartening in a working environment that carries a range of technical risk factors. Schultz points to the culture of safety, developed over decades of intense focus and commitment, as the foundation for this safety landmark. 

“It also requires that everyone in the business – from those at the rockface right through to the executive management – is focused on the same goal,” he says. “It starts with carefully structured training at entry level, and a continuous emphasis on our corporate values which prioritise safe working practices and a constructive mindset that must be developed over time.”

He highlights that the company’s safety systems and protocols have always been in place to support and complement this culture. Its successful Major Accident Prevention Programme (MAPP), for instance, has evolved into a Critical Controls Management process to continue raising the safety bar. These frameworks align with the requirements of customers in the mining sector, serving to enhance and reinforce both parties’ safety efforts. 

“Working safely is also a highly collaborative effort that extends beyond our company and our customers,” he points out. “It includes the constructive involvement of local communities and suppliers – for example, we employ most of our general workers from the areas around our project sites which makes it vital that even our novice training is highly impactful and safety focused.”

All training is carried out to the highest standards at the Murray & Roberts Training Academy near Carletonville. Schultz paid tribute to the late Tony Pretorius, the company’s Education and Training Executive, for formulating innovative training modules to foster its safety culture. 

A household name for shaft sinking in Africa’s mining sector, Murray & Roberts Cementation has over the decades developed a wide portfolio of mining services – some better known than others.

“Through our constant innovation across a range of fields, built on the expertise of our highly experienced staff, we keep developing very interesting responses to customer’s challenges,” says Pieter Oosthuysen, Senior Project Manager at Murray & Roberts Cementation.

Among the sector’s growing challenges has been the criminality associated with illegal mining activities. The company has developed solutions to prevent cable theft – including the encasing of cables in grout-filled pipes – and to seal off old areas using grout packs that create permanent barriers.

“Water management has also become a key issue for mines, especially in the mature deep-level gold mining sector,” says Oosthuysen. “Here, their issues are about ensuring responsible water management as well as reducing pumping costs from dormant or mined-out mining areas. This often requires that old underground areas be sealed off to contain the massive water pressures at depth.”

This is by no means a new issue, of course, but Murray & Roberts Cementation has been in this field for so long that they literally ‘wrote the book’, he notes. The company was part of the team that developed the Code of Practice for designing and constructing high pressure bulkhead plugs, and has a track record dating back decades with plugs and water doors.

“Our team collaborates with plug designers to guarantee that the plug’s design and placement are constructable,” he explains. “The successful construction and pumping of these plugs relies on the use of our mobile grout plants to overcome logistical obstacles.”

It demonstrated this capacity many years ago, when the company’s intervention saved the West Driefontein gold mine from flooding back in 1968. Since then, it has pushed the boundaries of technology to achieve a successful plug at over 2,800 m deep at ERPM’s 68 Level – where it also placed its longest plug segment at an impressive 24 m.

Managing water in the underground environment is not the only place where the company has excelled. As the public spotlight has focused on the safety of tailings dams, Murray & Roberts Cementation helps mines with the crucial task of draining water from these facilities.

“If drainage pipes from the penstocks are damaged over time, these need to be replaced to ensure proper drainage to support the stability of the dam,” he says. “While the mine installs new penstocks and drainage, we wash out these old pipes, install intrusion pipes and seal them off to ensure no leakage.”

Behind these achievements is Murray & Roberts Cementation’s pioneering role in the field of grout plants. It was the first to design and implement a high pressure pumping system that could convey grout from a surface plant to workings underground; the distances regularly covered by these systems have been between three and seven kilometres.

With further capability in aspects including raise drilling, silo and settler construction, blind hole boring, vent passes and ore and shaft rehabilitation, the company presents an unmatched portfolio, according to Dirk Visser, who is also a Senior Project Manager at Murray & Roberts Cementation.

“It is these additional support services that make us really unique in the market,” argues Visser. “Most other players will specialise in one or other aspect of this work, but we give customers the advantage of an integrated solution – allowing us to assume more project risk and relieving customers of significant coordination responsibility.”

For this reason, the company can manage projects that demand drilling and cementation, for instance, while also providing the raiseboring and remote shotcreting functions. The capacity to deliver these offerings, he emphasises, demands skills and experience which requires considerable investment.

“The core talent in our division has an average length of service between 12 and 18 years – with many employees reaching 30 to 40 years within the business,” he says. “We also continuously replenish our skills pipeline with up-to-date, relevant training which includes state-of-the-art training facilities including mock-ups for a grout plant, drop raise and raise drilling.”

The necessary hardware is also an important part of any successful project, and the investment by Murray & Roberts Cementation has also been significant. There is an extensive fleet of machines for the raiseboring part of the business, with more than 8 km of drill pipe available. “All that we do is underpinned by our comprehensive Murray & Roberts Cementation safety system, which has been developed by taking best practice and enhancing our own CRM systems,” he concludes. “The effectiveness is our safety commitment is demonstrated by our track record – with over seven million fatality-free shifts.”

Known for its extensive mine training offerings and innovative learning approaches, Murray & Roberts Cementation has further raised the bar with a ‘mock-up’ facility for underground mechanised mining. 

Tony Pretorius, Education, Training and Development Executive at Murray & Roberts Cementation, says the new installation is a quantum leap for mining-related training in Africa. Located at the Murray & Roberts Training Academy at the company’s Bentley Park complex near Carletonville in Gauteng, the new facility will give a fully immersive learning experience across the underground mining value chain.

“Our new mock-up facility is as close to a real mine as you can get,” Pretorius says. “Learners experience not only the look and feel of an underground bord-and-pillar mine, but even have the smells and sounds of such an operation.”

He emphasises that this experience is a valuable next step to complement the simulated and virtual reality platforms already provided to learners at the MRTA facility. To build skills, operators need to put their theoretical learning into practice – but the pressurised production environment of a real mine is often not the ideal location.

“Rather, our new facility provides a safe and low-cost learning environment, where learners can practice their skills without hindering production or compromising safety,” he says. “At the same time, they still get the sensory experience for developing the muscle memory they require for the real-life workplace.”

Equipped with essential first-line equipment such as drill rigs and bolters, the facility also has its own machinery for loading, hauling and dumping blasted rock. The realistic environment includes ventilation systems, support structures and blasting systems.

“Learners are taken through the full value chain of mechanised mining activities, from the waiting places, entry exam and safe declaration to the installation of support and cleaning of blasted rock,” says Pretorius. “They conduct marking, drilling and indexing of the face wall, charging up with inert explosives and simulating the blast with a centralised blasting system.”

He explains that MRTA’s extended reality framework follows the situational leadership model, which places considerable value on learner participation in activities – to entrench their applied competence. Built over recent years, the facility is housed in a large covered structure 3,5 metres high and covering some 1,125 m². Together with its dedicated equipment, it represents an investment of over R35 million, he says.