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By V. K. Chandaliya

N-Methyl-2-pyrollidone (NMP) has already been proven a good solvent for extraction of coal. It is believed that organic components of coal are likely to be dissolved with the solvolytic power of NMP. During dissolution process, original coal also gets disintegrated and thus helps in further extraction. Coal extraction highly depends on temperature, coal to solvent ratio, N-Methyl-2-pyrollidone (NMP) to Ethylenediamine (EDA) ratio and the size of coal particles. The process has been established in the laboratory. There is no reference available beyond lab scale. In present study, we are running a bench scale plant with 40 kg/batch capacity. Design of experiment was done in such a way that the optimum zone of the process gets evaluated for clean coal having low ash with high yield. Bench scale plant trial was conducted based on optimum zone developed during design of experiments (DOE). From the DOE analysis it was observed that feed size and coal to solvent ratio are important parameters for this process. Total 27 experiments (four factors with 3 level of variation) were designed through Box-Behnken model. It was observed that -0.5 mm feed size of coal, 150 °C extraction temperature, 17:1 NMP to EDA ratio, 1:9 coal to solvent ratio was optimum conditions. The results obtained at optimum conditions are 50% clean coal yield with 5% ash.

Sep 1, 2012

By Mark K. Larson

Panel-scale modeling of stress changes induced by longwall coal mining is a challenging problem, particularly in deep mines of the western United States. Two common approaches to this problem are the empirical and boundary element modeling methods. One boundary element method, LaModel, was recently calibrated to field measurements at a mine in Colorado (Larson and Whyatt, 2012). However, the calibrated overburden properties were extreme, resulting in very low estimates of gob loading. Next, the empirical method was calibrated to field measurements and applied to the problem, but this approach clearly extrapolated this method well beyond the characteristics of underlying cases. This paper examines a third option, the elastic continuum boundary element program Mulsim. The program was expanded to handle LaModel-size meshes in a version dubbed Mulsim/ Large. Properties for the elastic, homogeneous overburden model in Mulsim were estimated as a thickness-weighted average of typical published elastic properties for each major stratum. These properties, along with a commonly used pillar strength equation and coal properties, produced the measured load transfer distance and reasonable gob loading without further calibration. Given the number of input parameters required for all of these methods, it is not surprising that LaModel and the empirical approach could be adjusted further to incorporate similar gob loads. However, these extraordinary measures failed to bring gate road pillar loading in line with Mulsim results. Differences in pillar load estimates continued to be significant (as large as 65% in this study). These results demonstrate that, for this particular case, the choice of analysis method impacts results in ways that cannot be removed by calibration of input parameters. Finally, the natural fit between the Mulsim model and mine conditions suggests that approximating overburden at the particular site used for this research as an elastic continuum is superior to the alternatives examined.

Jan 1, 2013

By Wilson Blake

A mathematical model based on the finite element method of stress analysis has been used to describe the behavior of the western wall of the Kimbley Pit as its slope was steepened from 45° to 57°. Theoretical stress changes because of slope modification are slight except at the toe of the modified slope. Magnitudes of stress created are small when compared with the strength of a competent rock. Resulting displacement patterns point out the need for determining the in-situ state of stress at a site prior to excavation or modification. A comparison of model results with field measurements shows that, in general, the model has described the measured behavior of the west wall of the Kimbley Pit remarkably well. The Bureau of Mines and the Kennecott Copper Corp. began joint research on open-pit slope stability at the Kimbley Pit, Ely, Nev., in 1961. The initial or planning phase of this research dealt with a detailed geologic study of the Kimbley Pit, determination of in-situ stresses in the district, laboratory and field tests to determine rock properties, and the design of a full-scale experiment to study the behavior of this pit as its western wall was steepened from 45° to 57°. Fig. 1 shows a cross-section of the original pit outline, the steepened pit outline, major geologic features, and the two instrumentation adits. After the final or slope modification phase of the research began, a laboratory research program was initiated to develop a mathematical model that would analytically describe the behavior of the pit as its western slope was steepened. This theoretical model study of the slope modification at the Kimbley Pit was conducted with the finite element method of stress analysis. The results are described in this report.

Jan 1, 1969

By A. Ghirian

Once cemented paste backfill (CPB) is transferred and placed into a mine stope, various coupled mechanisms will take place in the CPB material or structure. It will be subjected to strong coupled thermal (T), hydraulic (H), mechanical (M), and chemical (C) processes. Field studies have shown that the in-situ properties and performance of CPB differ from those obtained in the laboratory. This is mainly due to effects of the aforementioned coupled THMC mechanisms or processes. For a reliable and cost-effective design of a CPB structure and barricade, it is crucial to have a proper understanding of the THMC behaviour and evolution of CPB. Also, it is important to consider the effect of coupled THMC factors (e.g., self-weight pressure, drained/undrained and thermal conditions, pore pressure) while curing the CPB specimens. For this purpose, a laboratory setup is developed to investigate the properties of CPB materials. The setup is capable of curing CPB specimens (10 cm in diameter and 20 cm in height) under controlled vertical pressure (curing under stress) and various coupled THMC conditions, while continuously monitoring the evolution of total stress, pore pressure, suction, temperature, water drainage, chemical composition of the pore water and vertical deformation. Once the required curing time is achieved, the specimen can be extracted and then subjected to experimental tests of interest, such as those that determine the Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS), shear strength parameters, saturated hydraulic conductivity and thermal properties. In this paper, we describe the developed experimental setup and present some results of the THMC behaviour of CPB under various curing stresses and rates of backfilling. The obtained results show that the THMC properties of CPB are strongly coupled due to several mechanisms, such as self-weight pressure, heat of hydration and suction development as a result of self-desiccation. The findings can assist researchers and practitioners to better understand THMC behaviour and thus design more cost-effective CPB structures.

Aug 1, 2013

By A. A. Steel

(Spokane Meeting, September, 1909.) DURING. the summer of 1905 I was employed by the U. S. Geological Survey to investigate the geology, Mining, and preparation of barite in most. of the fields of the United States. The Eastern districts have been more or less completely described ; the Virginia field in detail by Thomas L. Watson, in his paper, Geology of the Virginia Barite-Deposits,' and other fields in abstract., including statistics of production and references to current literature, by various authors .2 There have also been published a few details of the occurrence of barite in the lead-mines of Washington county, Mo.3 The other accounts of this district are erroneous and meager, and since this field is the most important one in the United States at the present time, a detailed description of the local geology seems doubly desirable. Barite-deposits are scattered over nearly the whole of Washington and adjoining counties, but. the product, is all mined from the areas indicated upon the sketch-map, Fig. 1, and is shipped from the stations of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain &. Southern railway, between Blackwell and Potosi, from 45 to 60 miles SW. of St.. Louis. The topography is for the most part gently rolling, with slightly graded streams, usually less than 200 ft. below the higher hill-tops. Along Mineral fork and Indian creek are :some steep bluffs and cliffs, affording good exposures of the

Feb 1, 1910

By Anthony T. C. Goh, Zhiye Zhao, Laddu B. Jayasinghe, Hongyuan Zhou, Yilin Gui

"Ground vibrations from blasting are undesirable and they are very short in duration with high principal frequencies and high amplitude. Structural response to that kind of excitations may differ significantly from that generated by lower-frequency earthquake vibrations. In practice, the damage to nearby structures to generated ground vibrations has been controlled by various codes and regulations available. However, the existing vibrations limits are not always applicable, as they depend on the geological conditions of the site and the dynamic characteristics of the structure. This paper investigated the influence of the rock-soil interface on the response of pile foundation to ground-borne vibration from rock blasting, through numerical simulations using finite element software LS-DYNA. It is found that the slope of the rock-soil interface greatly influences the location of damage and the extent of damage on the pile. The bottom of the pile is subjected to a larger blast pressure and stresses are highly concentrated at the pile bottom. Thus, the pile bottom can fail in shear before it reaches its plastic moment capacity.INTRODUCTIONDrilling and blasting is the widely accepted method to large-scale rock breaking activities in civil engineering constructions due to its cost effectiveness, higher efficiency and ability to break hard rock. However, ground vibrations from blasting are undesirable and it can cause damage to nearby structures. In practice, the damage to nearby structures to generated ground vibrations has been controlled by various codes and regulations available. The existing vibration limits are not always applicable, as they depend on the geological conditions of the site and dynamic characteristics of the structure.Pile foundations are commonly used as foundations of high-rise buildings and bridges to transfer the heavy loads from the superstructure above through weak compressible soil strata into deeper, competent soil layers which have adequate capacity to carry these loads. In engineering practice, many piles are normally designed to carry mainly vertical loads and very little lateral loads, as typically the vertical loads (the gravity) are significantly larger than the horizontal loads such as wind loading. However, in recent years, there have been a number of reported case studies of translational soil movements that have induced stresses and bending moments that have damaged pile foundations and in some cases resulted in collapse of the superstructure. Typical lateral load include nearby construction activities such as an excavation for a basement or slope, the construction of a road embankment or a tunnel, as well as earthquakes (Abdoun 1997; Goh et al. 1997; 2003; Chen et al. 1999; Dobry et al. 2003; Boulanger et al. 2007; Black et al. 2007)."

Jan 1, 1900

By W. R. Hibbard, Ming-Kao Yen

Various rationalizations of preferred orientations in cold worked polycrystalline metals have been based on the operation of at least two three2 five, an indefinite number, and all,6 slip systems of the type occurring in single crystals. Pickus and Mathewson3 suggested that the cold rolling texture in face-centered cubic metals could be rationalized on the basis of two or more operating slip directions symmetrically disposed about the direction of flow in such a manner that the resolved shear stress factor is equal for all operating slip systems and lattice rotations cancel each other. The importance of the direction of flow, the necessity for the operation of slip systems capable of producing the required changes in external dimensions, the maintenance of a common surface between adjacent grains and a symmetrical arrangement of the operating slip systems in order to produce an end orientation which is stable under additional deformation lead to the following rationalization of textures based on the type of slip systems operative in single crystals. The rationalization is intended to explain why certain orientations are suitable for deformational flow without a change in orientation and thus are stable end orientations or ideal texture orientations. It does not attempt to explain how the grains of a randomly oriented polycrystalline aggregate will reach this orientation. The rationalization is based on the following four postulates: 1. The ideal textures for polycrystalline aggregates are the result of reorientations of individual crystals toward the same stable end orientation at which no further reorientation will occur even during additional deformation. Since, in simple slip, the relative orientations of the stress axis and the active slip system determine the change in orientation during slip, it is considered that the orientation of the stress axis with respect to the ideal texture determines what slip systems must be active to retain the stable end orientation. Therefore the stable end orientation should be a symmetrical one around the stress axis with respect to the active slip systems such that lattice rotations resulting from slip will cancel each other and prevent a resultant change in orientation. (Rotational symmetry only—not translation, inversion, nor others—is considered here.) Thus a metal under a pure stress should develop a texture consisting of one or more of the crystallographically symmetrical directions, <100>, <110> or <111> for cubic metals or <0001>, <1010> or <1120> for hexagonal close-packed metals, parallel to the stress axis. 2. Since the active slip direction is the direction of glide during simple slip and thus the direction of maximum shear movement, in the ideal texture the active slip

Jan 1, 1949

By Ming-Kao Yen, W. R. Hibbard

Various rationalizations of preferred orientations in cold worked polycrystalline metals have been based on the operation of at least two three2 five, an indefinite number, and all,6 slip systems of the type occurring in single crystals. Pickus and Mathewson3 suggested that the cold rolling texture in face-centered cubic metals could be rationalized on the basis of two or more operating slip directions symmetrically disposed about the direction of flow in such a manner that the resolved shear stress factor is equal for all operating slip systems and lattice rotations cancel each other. The importance of the direction of flow, the necessity for the operation of slip systems capable of producing the required changes in external dimensions, the maintenance of a common surface between adjacent grains and a symmetrical arrangement of the operating slip systems in order to produce an end orientation which is stable under additional deformation lead to the following rationalization of textures based on the type of slip systems operative in single crystals. The rationalization is intended to explain why certain orientations are suitable for deformational flow without a change in orientation and thus are stable end orientations or ideal texture orientations. It does not attempt to explain how the grains of a randomly oriented polycrystalline aggregate will reach this orientation. The rationalization is based on the following four postulates: 1. The ideal textures for polycrystalline aggregates are the result of reorientations of individual crystals toward the same stable end orientation at which no further reorientation will occur even during additional deformation. Since, in simple slip, the relative orientations of the stress axis and the active slip system determine the change in orientation during slip, it is considered that the orientation of the stress axis with respect to the ideal texture determines what slip systems must be active to retain the stable end orientation. Therefore the stable end orientation should be a symmetrical one around the stress axis with respect to the active slip systems such that lattice rotations resulting from slip will cancel each other and prevent a resultant change in orientation. (Rotational symmetry only—not translation, inversion, nor others—is considered here.) Thus a metal under a pure stress should develop a texture consisting of one or more of the crystallographically symmetrical directions, <100>, <110> or <111> for cubic metals or <0001>, <1010> or <1120> for hexagonal close-packed metals, parallel to the stress axis. 2. Since the active slip direction is the direction of glide during simple slip and thus the direction of maximum shear movement, in the ideal texture the active slip

Jan 1, 1949

By Shengqi Chen

The reduction smelting of nickel laterites produces slag, consisting principally of the chemical components MgO, "FeO", SiO2, and A12O3, and ferro-nickel alloy. Despite the fact that the phase equilibria for the ternary MgO-"FeO"-SiO2 up to 1500°C is well established limited experimental data are available in the MgO-"FeO"-SiO2-Al2O3 system, which is relevant to commercial operation of the process. A methodology has been developed for the experimental investigation of the liquidus temperatures for the multi-component system MgO-"FeO"-SiO2-Al2O3-Cr2O3 in equilibrium with metallic iron. Experiments have been carried out using high temperature equilibration, quenching, followed by electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPMA). Liquidus temperatures have been determined in the silica primary phase field in the composition ranges directly relevant to the Cerro Matoso S.A. ferro-nickel smelting slag. Liquidus isotherms have been determined for temperatures between 1450 to 1600°C. The study enables the liquidus to be described for a range of MgO/FeO ratios. It was found that liquidus temperatures in the silica primary phase field decrease significantly with the addition of AI2O3. Keywords: Liquidus temperature, ferro-nickel, pyrometallurgy, smelting

Jan 1, 2004

By Rogers F. Davis

This publication has been prepared to supply manufacturers and industrial users a listing of mobile diesel-powered equipment and subassemblies approved and certified by the Bureau of Mines for use in noncoal mines. Testing of diesel-powered equipment is one phase of the Bureau&apos;s program of health and safety that concerns approval of electrical and diesel equipment designed to prevent explosions, fires, shocks, or toxic hazards in underground mines, when such equipment is used and maintained properly. Manufacturers submit machinery and component parts to the Bureau for study of their design, safety features, and use. Equipment must pass exacting tests and must meet strict requirements established through research and experience and listed in the Bureau&apos;s permissible schedules before the Bureau approves it as permissible for safe use in mines.

Jan 1, 1963

By D. F. Malan, R. P. Els

The limit equilibrium model, used in displacement discontinuity codes, is a popular method to simulate pillar failure. This paper investigates the use of physical modelling to calibrate this model. For the experiments, an artificial pillar material was prepared and cubes were poured using the standard 100 mm × 100 mm civil engineering concrete moulds. The friction angle between the cubes and the platens of the testing machine was varied by using soap and sandpaper. Different modes of failure were observed depending on the friction angle. Of interest is that significant loadshedding was recorded for some specimens which visually remained mostly intact. This highlights the difficulty of classifying pillars as failed or intact in underground stopes where spalling is observed. The laboratory models enabled a more precise calibration of the limit equilibrium model compared to previous attempts. Guidelines to assist with calibration of the model are given in the paper. The limit equilibrium model appears to be a useful approximation of the pillar failure as it could simulate the stress-strain behaviour of the laboratory models.

May 3, 2023

This paper will first discuss the fundamental requirements for reliable discharge of backfill by gravity alone at high per cent solids. This discussion will include brief mention of the underlying principles of saturated solids flow contrasted to that of stirred tank or dilute discharge systems. Here the need to possess full knowledge of the flow properties of the stored material will be highlighted. In addition proper account must be made of the silo overflow weir and settling capacity to match plant throughput. Here opportunity will be taken to highlight the complexity of this multi-phase flow situation as well as the general yet paramount requirements for reliable solids flow. It will be shown that by proper attention to the multi-phase considerations gravity discharge of slurries as a consolidated bed with minimal water content is possible. Such high solids discharge results in greatly reduced demand for process water. In addition pumping costs are reduced as is the delay time associated with the mine drainage operation. Confirmation of successful applications will be highlighted by reference to several recent case studies. In the concluding phase mention will be made of the key yet very simple and effective operation techniques which enhance reliable discharge. The simplicity and reliability of properly designed gravity discharge backfill tank systems suggests increased application of this technology by the mining industry.

Jan 1, 1998

By R. H. Merrill, D. W. Wisecarver

The paper "Design of Surface and Near-Surface Construction in Rock" by Deere, Hendron, Jr., Patton, and Cording discloses a principal difference between civil and mining engineering as applied to openings in rock. Generally, the civil engineer considers an opening as an asset, where a mining engineer finds that most of his openings are a liability. The openings, or rock surfaces, treated in the paper by Deere and coauthors are designed for lasting stability and the foundations for dams, the diversion tunnels, abutments, and surface excavations are expected to be stable for long periods or provide continuous access and other useful purposes. Except for those openings used for the transportation of men, materials, ore, and for ventilation, the mining engineer finds that his underground openings serve no useful purpose once the mineralized rock has been removed. Usually, these openings create problems such as reduced ventilation efficiency, added requirements for scaling, sealing, and other tasks necessary to maintain or isolate the openings. The surface openings and mine plants present another liability to the mining engineer. After the product has been removed from the earth, the abandoned pits or strips, tailing ponds, dumps, and buildings sometimes become hazardous, unsightly, or occupy surface areas that could be used for other purposes. As a general rule, the various disciplines involved in rock mechanics have different objectives and uses for openings; however, the basic concepts regarding the design or control of openings in rock are similar for each discipline. The review by Deere and his coauthors contains examples of the duplications in this technology, and, in particular, the common approaches used by civil and mining engineers. Therefore, both the review paper and this report consider the problems that are common to most of

Jan 1, 1967

By A. E. Gorum, J. Washburn, E. R. Parker

Experimental evidence was obtained in support of the idea that cleavage fracture can be initiated by dislocation pile-up. The high ductility of MgO crystals when tested in bending comPared to their relative brittleness in tension was explained on the basis that large pile-ups are more likely in a tension specimen. CLEAVAGE fractures have been a problem of major concern for many years. A number of large steel structures have failed in a brittle manner, usually suddenly and without warning; often the failures occurred for no obvious reason and at nominal stress levels well within the generally accepted range. A great deal of data have been collected about factors that contribute to failures,1 but the physics of the fracture process has never been revealed. cottrel12 has recently developed a theory of brittle fracture in ductile materials which was based upon the concept that dislocations moving on two intersecting planes can unite to form a crack nucleus. This theory accounts for the known effect of grain size and for the effect of testing temperature. There has, as yet, been no experimental evidence published that would substantiate this or the earlier theories based on stress concentrations due to piled-up dislocations. The study reported herein was conducted to obtain information that would either substantiate or disprove the

Jan 1, 1960

By I. R. Kramer

The stress associated with the surface layer was deter-minedfor iron and molybdcnum. These measurements show that the surface layer plays a very important role in the plastic deformation of bcc metals. From the relationship between strain arui the surface layer stress and the back stress imposed by the internal obstacles, it is Proposed that the term of of the Hall-Petch equation is related only THE large number of studies on plastic flow of bcc metals have failed to delineate clearly the nature of the obstacles influencing dislocation movement. Since there have been numerous articles which have reviewed the mechanisms proposed to explain various aspects of plastic flow of bcc metals (for example, conrad1 and Keh and weissmann2), no attempt will be made here to discuss their conclusions. However, it should be to the surface stress while the term Kfd is the stress required to move dislocations through internal obstacles. Further, it was possible to derive the well-known empirical equation C = , and it is shown that the terprz a is comprised of two terms: a term Cs associated with the surface layer stress and Ci related to internal dislocation obstacles. pointed out that in all of these publications it has been tacitly assumed that plastic flow occurred uniformly throughout the cross section of the specimen (except, of course, for the Luders band region), It has generally been further assumed that the nature and distribution of the obstacles opposing the motion of dislocations are of the same type throughout. The role of the surface layer in bcc metals has not, as yet, been considered even though its role in fcc metals has been shown clearly to be of primary importance.3-5 Investigations on fcc metals have shown that at the onset of plastic deformation a surface layer acts to

Jan 1, 1968

By Fengnian Shi

In the current energy-sensitive world, sustainable development in the mineral industry will require new, better and more efficient processes. Novel comminution methods, which offer the prospect of achieving the required outcomes of size reduction and mineral liberation at lower energy consumption, are continually being sought. In the past five years, extensive research using high voltage pulse electrical comminution technology has been carried out at the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC), in collaboration with selFrag AG. The major outcome of this research is the development of the concept of pre-weakening ore particles by electrical comminution procedures to reduce the energy consumption in the downstream grinding circuit. The research has also verified the preferential liberation of valuable minerals by electrical comminution. Given the advantages, several potential applications of electrical comminution in the mineral industry are proposed, including AG/SAG mill feed pre-weakening, pebble treatment, ball mill feed pre-weakening, early recovery of the liberated valuable minerals, crack/micro crack generation for improved leaching, and smelter slag treatment. For the mineral industry to utilize electrical comminution, two emerging issues identified from the research need to be address. They are the energy consumption by electrical comminution in the locked cycle treatment and the facilities scale up necessary to move this technology from the laboratory to the plant. Keywords: high voltage pulses, electrical comminution, energy efficiency, mineral liberation

Sep 1, 2012

By Bawden WF, Paynter JT

This investigation involves laboratory testing and stability analysis of paste fill at the Golden Giant Mine. Site-cast samples are tested in unconfined, confined, and consolidated-undrained triaxial compression. Pore pressures during shear and consolidation characteristics are measured to determine both drained and undrained shear strength parameters and assess the potential for undrained loading. Liquefaction potential is also considered. A limit equilibrium solution is used to obtain factors of safety against failure of the fill during mining of adjacent stopcs

Jan 1, 1998

By Lars Osen

The Bureau of Mines investigated (1) the effect of torsion on yield and ultimate strengths of bolts when the torsion is applied first and tensile load is applied independently of torsion and (2) various methods of increasing the tension-torque ratio and/or narrowing the data spread of the tension-torque relationship. A special torsional attachment was fabricated to attach to a universal testing machine to independently subject rock bolts to combined tensile and torsional loads. It was found that initially installed torsion is nullified during tensile loading and the tensile yield and ultimate strengths are not significantly reduced. Lubricating various components of a bolt assembly or using hardened washers will improve the tension-torque relationship during conventional installation; however, the torsional load is not nullified during this type of loading. Hence, a bolt is subjected to a combined stress throughout the loading cycle; the yield point will thus be lowered compared with the pure tensile yield if care is not taken during installation to stay below the torsional yield.

Jan 1, 1966

By Zhiwei Jiao, Ziqing Guo, Mushen Wang, Yueda Fang, Qiuming Tang

In order to achieve anti-terrorism, production safety, better explosive performance, lower cost, and environment protection, we developed HMS (emulsification in borehole).Long-process PM (plant-mixed) and SM (site-mixed) emulsion trucks are reviewed and compared to a new type of short-process HM (hole-mixed) truck for onsite emulsion manufacturing. The short-process HM truck has demonstrated many advantages over its PM and SM counterparts in areas such as process safety and security, energy efficiency and environmental impacts: 1) No emulsion matrix is manufactured in the plant, transported on public roads, or even present on the surfaces of blasting job sites. Such characteristics are certainly beneficial in eliminating risks of the product being diverted and used by unlawful players; 2) This short-process involves "micro-fluid control to form super oil phase-rich" in tubular emulsification process, making it intrinsically safe; 3) There is basically no residual matrix left in the truck or on the job site to clean up, which greatly reduces environmental impact of the process; 4) Comparing with typical PM and SM trucks, the HM truck has eliminated the needs of many power equipment and critical pump pressure for turbulent flow forming a static emulsification with super oil phase -rich is only 0.2Mpa. These is therefore quite energy efficient.

Feb 1, 2020

By Liane L. M. Kadnuck

This report summarizes the results of a hydrologic research study conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) in cooperation with Energy West Mining Co. at the Deer Creek and Cottonwood Mines, near Orangeville, UT. The USBM evaluated hydrologic and overburden failure data to assess the response of local ground water to underground coal mining in single-and multiple-seam conditions. Fourteen springs located over the two mines were investigated in the study along with overburden failure response caused by longwall panel extraction. Spring discharge was compared to climatic variation and time of undermining to quantify response to undermining. Spring discharge had been reduced owing to below-normal precipitation during the period evaluated. The response of springs to mining in the vicinity was influenced in part by the thick overburden present at the study site the presence of hydrophilic clays and mudstones in the overburden stratigraphy, and elevation of the springs above mine level, which buffered the effects of undermining.

Jan 1, 1994