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By Joseph C. Zelanko

Cable bolt support techniques. including hardware and anchorage systems, continue to evolve to meet U.S. mining requirements. For cable support systems to be successfully implemented into new ground control areas, the mechanics of this support and the potential range of performance need to be better understood. To contribute to this understanding, a series of 36 pull tests were performed on 10 ft long cable bolts using various combinations of hole diameters, resin formulations, anchor types, and with and without resin dams. These tests provided insight as to the influence of these four parameters on cable system performance. Performance was assessed in terms of support capacity (maximum load attained in a pull test), system stiffness (assessed from two intervals of load-deformation), and from the general load-deformation response. Three characteristic load-deformation responses were observed. An Analysis of Variance identified a number of main effects and interactions of significance to support capacity and stiffness. The factorial experiment performed in this study provides insight to the effects of several design parameters associated with resin-anchored cable bolts.

Jan 1, 1995

By Darin Cotton, Tim Burgess, Tim Martin

"As the leading US supplier of roof control drills, J. H. Fletcher and Company® has encountered an extensive set of roof strata challenges and has overcome various drilling issues by varying machine parameters and working with customers and tool manufacturers to develop solutions. Every mine wants to drill and install roof bolts as fast as possible with maximum safety at the lowest possible installation cost for their conditions. In most circumstances, the intuitive method of higher speeds and pressures can actually have a detrimental effect on the roof drill safety and performance.This paper will outline recent tests carried out at several different coal mines in the Eastern United States. The tests focused on optimizing the drilling parameters of feed pressure, feed rate, rotation speed, and drill torque.The drill feed, rotation speed, and rotation torque, as well as the type of bit selected, have a definite impact on the performance of the roof drill including drilling speed, safety, and tool life. The drilling process can be improved while also improving operator safety and reducing bolt installation costs by maintaining the appropriate roof drill settings for the specific strata conditions.The advantages of improving the drilling process includes increased bit life, increased drill steel life, reduced hanging drill steels, reduced clogging of the vacuum system, decreased whipping drill steel potential, reduced noise generation, and increased cutting size which reduces fine dust generation and dust collection system servicing.INTRODUCTIONIn recent times, the economic pressures that coal producers are facing have created an increased emphasis on controlling operating costs. Several coal operators have pointed out their dissatisfaction with low bit life, and there is a renewed interest in improving tool life and machine performance as part of an overall cost control strategy. Operators are looking for ways to reduce tooling cost, maintenance costs, and drill downtime without decreasing drill performance. This renewed interest in reducing operating costs, along with the ongoing desire to improve safety, created a perfect environment to take a fresh look at the existing fleet of machines to see what could be accomplished. The goal was to take a practical approach to reviewing machine parameters to determine what changes could be made. The emphasis was on changes that would be feasible to roll out to an entire fleet of machines in a short period of time with minimal capital expenditure. The thought process was that significant improvements could be made by simply tuning up the machine parameters to provide a more efficient and safer bolting process."

Jan 1, 2015

By Morgan M. Sears, Mark Van Dyke, Gamal Rashed, John Rusnak, Khaled Mohamed

"In 2016, room-and-pillar mining provided nearly 40% of underground coal production in the United States. Over the past decade, rib falls have resulted in 12 fatalities, representing 28% of the ground-fall fatalities in U.S. underground coal mines. Nine of these 12 fatalities (75%) have occurred in room-and-pillar mines. The objective of this research is to study the geomechanics of bench room-and-pillar mining and the associated response of high pillar ribs at overburden depths greater than 1,000 ft. This paper provides a definition of the bench technique, the pillar response due to loading, observational data for a case history, a calibrated numerical model of the observed rib response, and application of this calibrated model to a second site. INTRODUCTION Bench mining is a an underground mining technique typically applied to room-and-pillar mines where full seam extraction on development presents an unacceptably high risk of injury from high pillar ribs or where the mining equipment is not designed to extract the full seam thickness. To mitigate the increased risk associated with high ribs and slender pillars, a more modest thickness is extracted from the top of the seam on development. This is followed by grading the floor and recovering the bottom of the seam with or without extraction of the pillars during retreat mining. A mine located in Eastern Kentucky extracts two seams at depths ranging from outcrop to 2,000 ft. In some areas of the mine, Seam A and Seam B are close enough together to be mined simultaneously. Seam A (top) is mined on development 7 to 9 ft. high for the entire length of the panel. On retreat, as each pillar is extracted, the continuous miner is ramped down into the floor (Seam B), two pairs of Mobile Roof Support (MRS) units are set, and the pillars are extracted at the full mining height of 14+ ft. During the pillar recovery process, the floor is extracted in each entry, from a ramp initiated outby the retreat line, sequentially just prior to extracting the lifts from the pillars (see Figure 1)."

Jan 1, 2017

Large-scale shear apparatus is designed to investigate the shear hehaviour of simulated soft rock joints under constant normal stifmess condition. Regular saw-teeth profiles having inclinations between 9.5" and 26.5" have been tested. The strength envelope based on these test results indicates that predictions made by Panon (1966) are accurate for the lower asperity angles. However, for higher asperity angles, Patton's model overestimates the shear strength especially in the low to medium normal stress range. In contrast, while Barton's model (1973) is realistic for Constant Normal Load (CNL) condition, it seems to be inappropriate for modelling the shear behaviour of soft joints under Constant Normal Stiffness (CNS) condition. An empirical strength envelope for the prediction of peak shear strength of joints is proposed in this study to account for the change in normal stress and surface degradation during CNS shearing.

Jan 1, 1997

By Keith A. Heasley, Christopher R. Newman

"Originally developed in 1993, LaModel has aided mining engineers and researchers alike in improving the design and safety of underground single- and multiple-seam mining operations (Heasley, 1998). Through the years (Heasley, 2011), the use and capabilities of the LaModel program have grown immensely while adapting to ground control concerns and problems within the mining industry. Presently, MSHA specifically mentions the use of LaModel for the analysis of, “complex non-typical roof control plans,” defined as either room-and-pillar retreat mining greater than 1000 feet, bump- or bounce-prone mines, or other criteria considered unusual by the District Manager (Stricklin, 2013).With an ever increasing number of users and an increase in available solution options and complex analyses, there is now a significant demand for better education and training in the practical application and detailed analysis using LaModel. This paper presents the development of an electronic user’s manual and comprehensive online training course created in an open online learning environment in order to better inform and train industry professionals as well as engineering students and new users. The development of both the user’s manual and online training course will ultimately increase the ground control design effectiveness of mining engineers, leading to safer and more productive mine designs.INTRODUCTIONOver the past 20 years, mining engineers and researchers have used the LaModel program for improving the design and safety of single- and multiple-seam mining operations. LaModel uses a laminated, displacement-discontinuity, boundary-element method which simplifies the overburden into a stack of frictionless homogeneous laminations and limits the detailed analysis to the seam itself. This approach is fundamentally simpler than either finite-element, finite-difference, or discrete-element approaches; and, therefore, the program provides a significant reduction in computational time and efficiently calculates the displacements, stresses, pillar safety factors, multiple-seam interactions, subsidence, etc. for thin-bedded deposits such as coal, salt, potash, limestone, etc. (Heasley and Salamon, 1996; Heasley and Agioutantis, 2001). The laminated overburden model in LaModel is different than previous homogeneous elastic formulations and more realistically represents the natural flexibilities of the stratified sedimentary overburden typically associated with coal seams (Heasley, 2008)."

Jan 1, 2015

By Lewis A. Martin

Instrumented cable bolts developed at the Spokane Research Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health were used in conjunction with existing ground control systems to monitor rock mass loads at Tg Soda Ash's trona mine, Granger, WY. Axial and shear loads were determined to levels of strain gauge accuracy of ±5 N or ±5 microstrain. These gauges were embedded in a remanufactured king wire that replaced the conventional king wire. Cable bolt performance, quality of grout, and installation techniques were also assessed. By using instrumented cables, a mine operator can determine axial load along the cable at predefined gauge locations. These data provide necessary input for an operator to design a safer working environment for miners.

Jan 1, 2001

By Khaled M. Mohamed, Michael M. Murphy, Ted M. Klemetti, Heather E. Lawson

"The design of rib support systems in U.S. coal mines is based primarily on local practices and experience. A better understanding of current rib support practices in U.S. coal mines is crucial for developing a sound engineering rib support design tool.The objective of this paper is to analyze the current practices of rib control in US coal mines. Twenty (20) underground coal mines were studied representing various coal basins, coal seams, geology, loading conditions, and rib control strategies.The key findings are: (1) any rib design guideline or tool should take into account external rib support as well as internal bolting; (2) rib bolts on their own cannot contain rib spall, especially in soft ribs subjected to significant load—external rib control devices such as mesh are required in such cases to contain rib sloughing; (3) the majority of the studied mines follow the overburden depth and entry height thresholds recommended by the Program Information Bulletin (PIB) 11-29; (4) potential rib instability occurred when certain geological features prevailed—these include draw slate and/or bone coal near the rib/roof line, claystone partings, and soft coal bench overlain by rock strata; (5) 47% of the studied rib spall was classified as blocky—this could indicate a high potential of rib hazards; and (6) rib injury rates of the studied mines for the last three years emphasize the need for more rib control management for mines operating at overburden depths between 500 ft and 1,000 ft.IntroductionEfforts to improve the stability of underground mine ribs have continued for decades. These efforts by mining professionals around the world persisted throughout the 1990s and 2000s as well, though much of this work focused on rib support methodology and selection of proper support for a specific location. Despite these efforts, it is unfortunate that there has been a continual occurrence of rib-related fatalities in underground coal mines. While overall improvements in rib safety have been achieved, the average fatality rate is still about 1.3 fatalities per year over the last 18 years (Jones, 2014).To manage and control the rib hazard, rib support is used in U.S. coal mines. The current rib support methods for U.S. mines fall into two main categories: rib control based on intrinsic support systems and those based on external support systems. Intrinsic or rib-bolt support requires a roof bolting machine that can install a bolt fixture into the rib. Furthermore, the appropriate level of support needed to control the ribs with an intrinsic-based support system as well as the design parameters for those support systems for various mine conditions have not been established in U.S. coal mines. Furthermore, surface control systems are often an integral part of these support systems and must be considered in the system design."

Jan 1, 2015

By Danny J. Van Roosendaal

An investigation was undertaken to determine hydrogeological effects of subsidence over a longwall coal mine in the Illinois Basin. At this mine, approximately 200 ft of bedrock overburden is overlain by up to 150 ft of glacial till and localized water-bearing glacial sediments within a buried bedrock valley that overlies the longwall panel. A finite-element mechanical model of the subsided longwall panel shows sufficient strain to enhance permeability throughout the bedrock portion of the overburden. However, examination of the actual surface subsidence profile indicates that the overburden deformation is localized in narrow zones at the panel edges. The aquifer units at the base of the glacial sediments are confined by glacial clays (above) and weathered shales (below). Elevated water levels were observed in the glacial aquifers during subsidence, which indicates that the clays and shales maintained confinement as the overburden subsided and deformed. A three-dimensional ground-water flow model was used to simulate the effects of subsidence on the hydrogeologic system and to estimate inflows into the mine. Longwall retreat was simulated by several model runs, each representing a new longwall face position. Simulated heads and mine inflows were calibrated with recorded water levels and observed inflow conditions by modifying the hydraulic conductivity of particular model layers. Model calibration indicates that the permeability of certain lithologies, such as plastic underclays and weathered shales, is not significantly enhanced by subsidence. A worst-case scenario was simulated by inserting a deeply incised, sandfilled valley into the model, which had only minimal impact on the simulated mine inflows.

Jan 1, 1995

By Ismet Canbulat, John Naylor, Jason Emery, Peter Craig, Andy Sykes

"Longwall mining is by far the most common method of underground coal extraction in Australia. The industry trends and expectations are placing increasing emphasis on the reliability and productivity of these operations. The longwalls are becoming wider and longer while retreat rates are continuously increasing due to significant improvements achieved in longwall equipment reliability and automation. This increased longwall productivity is placing significant emphasis on the reliability of longwall panel development.Although there have been significant improvements in the reliability of continuous miners and hydraulic drill rigs, the traditional resin encapsulated bolt installation is still the principal method used in all major coal-producing countries around the world. Anglo American realised an opportunity existed to introduce an alternative roof bolt installation technique called “spin to stall” in Australia. Spin to stall was first introduced in Anglo American Coal in South Africa where it has been successfully used for over a decade, though implementation of South African spin to stall resin in Australia has proven to be near impossible due to a significant difference in geotechnical conditions, mining method, and, subsequently, roof bolting equipment. Therefore, a new spin to stall development project was initiated between Anglo American Coal and Jennmar Australia (SPIN2STALL®). This paper summarises the journey of this project, the results, and the successful implementation of spin to stall achieved at Grasstree Mine.INTRODUCTIONThe Anglo American Coal business unit operates Grasstree and Moranbah North underground longwall mines in the Bowen Basin of Central Queensland, with a third longwall mine, Grosvenor, currently being developed, and two more (Aquila and Moranbah South) in the project pipeline. The vision for Anglo American is to achieve “Zero Harm” through the effective management of safety at all operations, while for the coal business unit, at the same time to achieve industry-leading operational performance. Currently, both Grasstree and Moranbah North longwalls are operating at industry best practice rates. This is placing increased pressure on the development process to allow such high productivity levels to be sustainable."

Jan 1, 2015

By K. Y. Haramy

This report describes the development of an equation for predicting the crushing strength of 2-inch (5.08-cm) cubes of coal from point load tests made on irregular lumps. The equation was developed from point load and cube crushing strength tests performed on coal samples from six Western U.S. coal seams. For the six coals tested, the means of the point loads [(P)] in kg at failure were approximately proportional to the deans it the distances [(V)], in cm between the platen points for lumps in the 2 to 10-cm size ramie. This finding is at variance with results of tests on other rock types reported in the literature, which tend to show that P is proportional to D2 , as is normally assumed (in theoretical grounds. [The average crushing strength of a 2-inch (5.08 cu) cane for each type of coal was plotted against the log 10 of the slope of the P vs D plots, AP/AID . A straight line was fitted to these plots. The equation of the fitted line is cr = 1.72 x 10 4 10gK -2.10 x 10 4, where Cr is re estimated 2-inch (5. 08-cu,) cube crushing strength of the coal in psi and K is the scope of the straight line fitted to a plat of P v D for the same coal.]

Jan 1, 1982

By Johann van Wjk

Mandatory Codes of Practice to Combat Rock Fall Accidents came into force on South African Collieries in 1997. These were drawn up in accordance with guidelines issued by the Chief Inspector of Mines, The Codes of Practice (CoP's) are legal documents in terms of the South African Mine Health and Safety Act 1996. One of the main results Of the introduction of the COP'S from a practitioner's point of view is that they formalized much of what would have constituted a typical visit to an underground section previously. Other important requirements were as Billows: Support rules and Strata Control Standard Procedures were to be drawn tip. Identification of Special Areas (areas requiring a higher level of rock engineering input and with, typically, higher order of support and restrictions on mining geometries), Changing conditions underground to he identified timeously. Implementation of the CoP to he monitored. To comply with these requirements on Ingwe Collieries (a division of BHPO Billiton Energy Coal) it was decided to produce too separate forms to be used in conjunction with each other. The first of these, the "Underground Section Physical Risk Rating" measures the physical conditions in each section whereas the second form, the "Section Perfomance Rating" determines how well the section personnel are Coping with the conditions. This form also pleasures compliance with the Support Rules and Strata Control Standards. Both forms are essentially risk matrices but with various scenarios described, each with a certain weighting. The "Risk and Performance Form" system for bord and pillar operations has by now been used for five years in the Ingwe and Eyesizwe Mining Collieries and has achieved a great deal of acceptance. This system has enabled the quantification of previously subjective observations and has improved the strata control awareness and management of underground mining sections. Amongst other initiatives it has assisted ill reducing the severity and frequency of fall of-ground accidents.

Jan 1, 2002

By Kirk W. McCabe

RokLok binder is a two-component polyurethane system consisting of a polymeric isocyanate (Component A) and a polyol resin (Component B). The two chemicals are mixed and injected into the mine rock under pressure. The initial low viscosity enables the RokLok material to permeate many of the smallest fractures. About 3-5 minutes after injection, the reacting material begins to expand in the fractures; the reaction is completed after 1-2 hours, and the material sets to a mechanically strong binder which adheres tightly to the rock. The consolidated rack provides resistance to any further f movement w thin the strata. The RokLok binder injection system is fast becoming an important engineering tool for coping with adverse underground geological conditions. Two case histories discussed in this paper, a longwall mining problem and an entry-roof problem, demonstrate the effectiveness of using the RokLok binder system to help solve complex ground-control problems in a cost-effective manner.

Jan 1, 1981

By Y. Luo

This paper presents a number of mathematical models for predicting the different phases of the complete surface subsidence process associated with underground longwall mining. A computer program developed based on the mathematical models is briefly introduced.

Jan 1, 1992

By S. Paul Singh

"The long-term viability of seismically active and/or deep mining operations hinges upon the industry's ability to maintain profitability in a climate of increasingly difficult conditions, escalating operating costs and fluctuating metal prices. Within this context, it is prudent to explore mining techniques that could provide means for safer and more profitable extraction of seismically active and/or deep seated deposits that are vital to the long term survival of the industry.The first step was to examine Penetrating Cone Fracture (PCF) and other relevant concepts with the objective of semi-continuous mining in deep underground hard rock mines. This was followed by an assessment of the current conventional drilling and blasting practice. Thirteen blasts were monitored in five different seismically active workings of an operating deep mine. The main concerns during the current drill and blast practice were identified.On the basis of the literature review, three short round blasting techniques were short listed for further review. These techniques were evaluated based upon the available literature and discussions with the persons associated with their applications. Justification, requirements and major challenges for the application of short round blasting have been discussed in this paper. Suggestions for improving the current drilling and blasting practice have also been outlined.INTRODUCTIONRock fragmentation is the key to mineral excavation and production. Increasing working depths, environmental concerns and trends towards continuous mining necessitate the development of new and improved rock breakage methods.The excavation of hard rocks is still dominated by the sequential routine of face preparation, drilling, charging explosives, blasting, ventilating for fume and dust removal, mucking and roof support. Worse still, drilling and mucking require specialized equipment that fills the end of the heading so that no other operation can be performed and the equipment must be removed from the face to protect it from fly rock."

Jan 1, 2010

By B. Singh

The use of wire ropes has already been tried in a few countries for roof support In mines. But the use of scrap wire ropes, as a method of support on extensive scale has not been reported from anywhere except India. Extensive trials using freshly discarded wire ropes for roof support were undertaken both in the laboratory and field. In laboratory, model beams supported with different reinforcing techniques were tested to evaluate their comparative load bearing capacity vis-a-vis reinforcing factor. Among all the tests, the model supported with wire rope system at 60° angle in combination with two supplementary vertical bolts offered the best result 1.e. about 95% reinforcement. It also accepted post fracture loading of the beam. In statical analysis too, the best result could be obtained with the rope installed across the gallery at 60° angle. All these findings are in conformity with the field observations obtained during roof stitching practices in coal mines. Of late, roof stitching, an effective and economical method of roof support developed at CMRS, India in 1972, found wide application in over 200 coal mines. In this method, a freshly discarded wire rope is grouted across a gallery in two inclined drill holes supplemented with two middle vertical roof bolts at every 1.0 to 1.2 m interval along the gallery. It is tensioned against the roof using wooden sleepers and thus, the whole system functions like a roof truss.

Jan 1, 1990

By Weijia Guo

With the exploitation of coal resources, a large area of land had been affected by surface subsidence, causing conflicts between man and land to become more conspicuous by the day, affecting the life of general public, and constraining further development of the land. This paper predicts the subsidence areas according to the 10-year mining plan of the Jibei mining district as an example. A plan of environmental management was developed based on sciences and practical economics.

Jan 1, 2006

One of the most important parameters in rock/resin/bolt load transfer mechanism is the surface property of the bolt. Although there are various bolt surface configurations available in the market, very little work is reported on the bolt/resin interface failure mechanism. This paper examines the behaviour of bolt surface roughness under constant normal stiffness conditions which is considered as being a realistic way of evaluating bolt surface roughness. A series of shear tests have been conducted on the flattened bolt surface to study the shear behaviour of bolt/resin interface. Based on the experimental results, a mathematical model has been developed to predict the shear resistance of the bolt/resin interface at various normal stress levels for the bolt types used in the study.

Jan 1, 1999

By Zhanjing Yu

Longwall ground behavior in the Illinois Coal Basin was studied in the past (1, 2, 3). Most of the past studies, however, were concentrated on either surface subsidence or underground structural behavior. In this study, both surface and in-mine ground behaviors are considered, which include: 1) stress and deformation characteristics in the chain pillars; 2) roof and floor deformations; 3) surface subsidence characteristics, including time effect; 4) relationship between the surface subsidence and underground strata behavior; and 5) the ultimate hearing capacity underneath the chain pillars. Field measurements and tests were conducted and the data were analyzed using both analytical and statistical methods. The findings in this study can he used by mine operators in the Illinois Coal Basin for longwall ground control planning and design.

Jan 1, 1994

By G. Herget

To improve quality control of roof conditions, a program was carried out at Elliot Lake uranium nines in Ontario, Canada to test a portable TV camera system. This camera has a 29 mm diameter probe and is capable of identifying crock locations, crack width and approximate dip direction. The extent of fractures to the roof was checked with the aid of a vacuum system by placing packers in various boreholes and checking for communication. The removal of some rock bolts indicated an increase in fracture extent.

Jan 1, 1982

By I. Sedat Buyuksagis, Jamal Rostami, Ali Naeimipour

"Improving the safety of underground openings and optimizing ground support systems requires reliable ground characterization. This includes understanding the joints, discontinuities, and rock strength. Joint information can be obtained from borehole cameras, but measuring in-situ rock strength is very difficult. Use of borehole probes can be an ideal and efficient way to meet this requirement. This paper discusses the development of the Rock Strength Borehole Probe (RSBP) and presents the preliminary laboratory/field test. This device can be an accurate, flexible, quick, non-disruptive, and cost-effective alternative to estimate the rock strength inside boreholes in underground mines and tunnels. In addition, the scratch testing procedure in the laboratory by means of a newly developed miniature linear cutting machine is explained. Based on the results of these tests, two equations are developed to estimate the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and Brazilian tensile strength (BTS) of the sedimentary/metamorphic rocks. These equations, are based on testing 27 different sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks by full-scale scratch tests, including the cutting tests by a miniature disc. The results show a good correlation between the normal force and the compressive strength of sedimentary rock if the depth of the scratch is known. No significant correlation was observed for igneous rocks, due to the impacts of grain size.INTRODUCTIONEstimated rock mass properties are essential input for geomechanical studies and stability analysis for any structure constructed in or with rock. The availability of geological information is the crucial component of rock mass classification. One of the important parameters in evaluating rock mass properties is the intact rock strength. This parameter is usually measured by testing the core samples, obtained from exploration boreholes. These samples are subsequently tested in geomechanics laboratories. The test results offer limited information about the rock at the few boring locations despite all the efforts and costs. In addition, these results may not necessarily be representative of the behavior of the rock in the field as the test cannot provide the insitu condition of the ground."

Jan 1, 2016