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By David Conover

The El Boleo Copper Project is currently in the final design stages for development of a 3-MM-tonne/yr underground copper mine located in Baja California, Mexico. The nearly horizontal mineralized zones are amenable to exploitation by conventional mechanized coal mining technology using continuous miners, shuttle cars, and belt haulage. The mine design resembles a typical full-extraction coal mining operation utilizing a sequence of mains, sub-mains and production panels. Due to numerous faults, mining will be conducted as several small adjacent mines accessed through adits from large arroyos cutting through the mine area. Up to four seams may be mined in some areas with a maximum overburden depth of about 250 m. The ore zone is relatively weak and plastic, subject to extensive creep over time. The mine workings will pass through areas of historical shortwall mining panels where the ground has flowed into old entries and gob areas, and then reconsolidated. A small test mine was developed to evaluate mechanical cutting performance, roof-bolt anchorage capacities, roof and pillar stability and caving behavior. In-mine measurements were combined with two- and three-dimensional FLAC models to evaluate alternative development and production pillar designs. The paper will discuss the various factors influencing ground stability at the El Boleo project and the strategies employed in developing a suitable ground control design.

Jan 1, 2009

By Alan J. Zeni

Drainage of water from abandoned underground mines has become important in recent years because of safety concerns when mining near abandoned works or reentering abandoned mines for further development. Seepage from inundated mines causes environmental damage and may threaten homes and communities. Where topography permits, horizontal drilling can provide a quick and cost effective method for solving trapped water problems. The mechanics of the horizontal drilling operation as applied to water drainage are discussed in this paper.

Jan 1, 1990

By Peter Cain

The Phalen Colliery in the Sydney Coalfield is extracting the 2.6 m thick Phalen Seam by the panel and pillar longwall retreat method. Abandoned workings occur in the Harbour Seam 140 m above and overlie the Phalen Colliery. Parts of these workings are flooded, and pose a number of questions relating to the safety of operations in the Phalen Colliery. In order to answer some of these questions, the Cape Breton Development Corporation re-entered an abandoned non-flooded roadway in the Harbour Seam directly above a retreat panel in the Phalen Seam to allow the deployment of instrumentation to monitor interaction effects. Fifteen monitoring sites, each 4.5 m apart, were installed in the 5 East Top Level after it had been re-entered and made safe. Each monitoring station included a vibrating wire strain gauge piezometer and a potentiometric extensometer. The piezometers were attached to rock bolts anchored into the floor and were connected by a flexible standpipe to a constant head apparatus. Variations in hydraulic head due to subsidence were monitored to determine subsidence. The extensometer units were mounted on rock bolts anchored into the floor of the roadway beneath the ribside and monitored ground strains. The instrumentation was capable of remote reading in the event that access to the site was restricted after installation. This paper describes the instrumentation, the installation programme, and some preliminary results.

Jan 1, 1993

By S. P. Singh

Drifts are an integral component of underground mining. They provide access for men and material, means for transporting ore and rock and serve as air passageways. In view of their importance on the overall safety, economy and productivity of mines, empirical guidelines for controlled blasting design in drifts have been developed in this study. The application of the proposed concept was described by generating blast hole patterns for a mine with the help of a computer program. The mechanism of blast damage and the need for controlled blasting to alleviate ground control problems in underground mines have been outlined in this paper. The economic analysis between normal-and controlled blasting was performed based on the information from an operating mine. In addition, the review of drift blasting practices and problems in Canadian mines was also carried out in this study.

Jan 1, 1990

By Swapan Bhattacharya

United States federal and state regulatory authorities require underground mine operators to adopt adequate measures to minimize material damage to the surface caused by nine subsidence. This paper presents an approach to define and determine the extent of material damage due to subsidence from underground coal mining. The basic steps involved in the development of adequate criteria have been enumerated together with the approaches and methodologies used.

Jan 1, 1984

By David H. Tang

Massive pillar failures were observed at two underground coal mines. The results of stability analysis using traditional pillar design formulae did not agree with the underground observations. Finite element models were used to analyze the causes and mechanisms of the pillar failures. The results were confirmed by the underground observations. Finally, the improved mine plan for each case was derived to ensure the stability of the underground structure.

Jan 1, 1990

By Jeffrey M. Listak

This report describes a study, conducted jointly by BethEnergy Mines Inc. and the Bureau of Mines, to assess the effects of longwall front abutment loading on various supplemental support materials utilized in a predriven recovery room. The purpose of the predriven recovery room is to reduce longwall equipment transfer time by eliminating the premove preparation associated with conventional recovery methods. In addition, the room provides a large area in which face salvage equipment can maneuver. Results of four recovery-room study areas show the progression and influence of the front abutment on the longwall panel and supports and their subsequent behavior. The best performance (i. e. the support that most facilitated recovery) of support material was achieved through the use of a concrete mixture which had a sand content of 35 percent by volume. The longwall transfer time was reduced by 30 percent which translates to a production advantage of 37,000 raw tons of coal per panel.

Jan 1, 1989

By Dakota Faulkner

Unexpected roof falls often occur in the entries or intersections of active mining sections in underground mines. For large roof falls (greater than 20 ft in height), it becomes dangerous and impractical to clean up the rock debris and re-bolt the newly exposed roof strata. To help mine operators rehabilitate the roof fall areas in a quick, safe, and economic manner, Jennmar Corporation and Keystone Mining Services, LLC (KMS) designed, tested, and developed various impact-resistant (IR) steel set designs, as initially detailed in the proceedings of the 30th International Conference on Ground Control in Mining (ICGCM). Since then, the IR steel sets have been successfully installed in more than 100 roof falls in 43 different coal mines. Significant data has been obtained from these installations, enabling further refinement to and improvement on the design. This paper (1) updates drop test results of the IR lagging panel, (2) presents a case study of the performance of IR arch sets installed 56 months ago at a roof fall rehabilitation site, (3) demonstrates capacity evaluation of the IR steel set, and (4) outlines a preliminary applicability evaluation guideline of the IR steel set for a given roof fall condition. Field evaluation and structural numerical analysis indicate that impact capacity of the system is significantly higher than that of the IR lagging panel, as originally determined. It is concluded that, when evaluating the applicability of an IR steel set, ground control engineers should consider the IR lagging and steel set as an entire system and make a reasonable engineering decision based on actual roof fall geotechnical conditions.

Jan 1, 2014

By Yingxin Zhou

Virtually every coal seam in Appalachia will at some time be subject to multi-seam interaction (Wu et al, 1987). Many such problems result from seams which lie in close proximity or have split and lie within thirty feet vertically of one another. Existing techniques for multi- seam design have concentrated on conditions where the entire inner burden is not the failing member and are unsuitable for ultra-close multi-seam design. Structural integrity of the inner burden must be maintained if two superimposed seams are to be mined separately and under- standing possible failure mechanisms of the inner burden is an essential first step in the design process.

Jan 1, 1989

By Takashi Sasaoka

Indonesia is the second largest coal exporter to Japan, accounting for about 30 M tons annually. They produced about 150 M tons in 2005, over 99% of which being from open-cut mines [1]. However, the conditions of surface mining are becoming worse each year: the stripping ratio is increasing, approaching the economic ratio and the infrastructure for coal transportation from inland mining areas is insufficient for such intense mining operations. To meet the demand for coal in Indonesia and the rest of the world, underground mines have to be developed. At present, there are only five small underground mines, three of which are old and the other two have only recently begun mining operations [2]. However, severe ground control problems have been occurring regularly, roof falls in particular. At a new mine developed from the highwall, a large bolted roof fall occurred at the heading face, killing two miners. Unfortunately, mining engineers and/or miners in this mine do not have a lot of experiences, expertise and know-how concerning the operations of underground coal mines. Since 2001, Japan has started a ?five-year plan for coal technology transfer? to fill Japan?s moral obligation as the largest coal importer in the world. The research team for this accident was organized and the on-site investigation was conducted in order to find the cause of this accident and make the solution. This paper describes the roof fall accident at the mine, discusses its causes and mechanism and suggests the introduction of some techniques for improving the current support system considering the strata and stress conditions by means of field observation and finite element modeling.

Jan 1, 2007

By Thomas M. Barczak

The resultant load vector is the representation of the forces applied to a longwall roof support element by caving strata into a single, quantifiable measure of support resistance. The relatively complex kinematics of the shield support prohibit a determination of support resistance simply by summation of leg forces. A method is being investigated by the Bureau of Nines to determine the resultant load vector by instrumenting supports with pressure transducers and strain gages to measure leg, canopy capsule, and lemnisoate link forces. This concept has been laboratory tested in the Bureau's Nine Roof Simulator. Functional relationships among variables have been assessed, and confidence intervals have been established for prediction of the resultant load vector parameters.

Jan 1, 1984

By Gang Chen

This paper explores the possibility of using short-term time-dependent plate loading tests to estimate the elastic and viscoelastic parameters of the weak floor strata typically associated with coal seams in Illinois. Plate loading tests with incremental loads, similar to incremental creep experiments, were conducted until the floor failure occurred. For each increment, the load was held constant for a period ranging from 1-4 hours until a constant deformation rate was achieved. The deformation-time data were analyzed for viscoelastic parameters of weak floor strata assuming its behavior to be adequately represented by the standard Burgers model. The analysis required development of mathematical equations for the time-dependent deformation of the standard Burgers material under a three- dimensional state of stress. Time-dependent pillar settlement data at one mine were also analyzed for elastic and viscoelastic parameters of the weak floor strata using the developed equations. These parameters were compared with similar parameters estimated from plate loading tests.

Jan 1, 1990

By Russell Frith

For many years, underground rock mechanics and in particular, roadway/tunnel roof stability has been underpinned by the often unchallenged assumption that roof strength (as defined by the UCS) and stiffness (E) are key stability controls. This has logically led to the proliferation of laboratory testing of rock specimens and the development of indirect geophysical methods to gain estimates of these two rock parameters. Furthermore, many design methods are significantly focussed on replicating rock mass behaviour through either intact or failed constitutive models. Demonstrably the strength and stiffness of the host rock material is commonly used as one of the key indicators of excavation roof stability and it finds either direct or indirect use in just about every rock mass rating system in use today. In more recent times there has been a common move to consider and apply (even if only conceptually at the current time) structural engineering type principles (e.g. buckling) to coal mine roadway roof (and rib) stability. Similarly our knowledge of the in situ stress environment and its likely origins has improved significantly, largely through stress measurements and subsequent analysis. This paper combines knowledge in both of these fundamental areas through a deterministic model for roadway roof stability and in combination with field examples, reaches the almost certainly controversial conclusion that UCS and E are commonly irrelevant, albeit that the former may provide an indication of other relevant geotechnical parameters (e.g. bedding cohesion). As with all hypotheses or rules, there are naturally exceptions and in this case, the most obvious is the tailgate of the longwall panel (with adjacent goaf). Due to the significant change in the strata loading environment of a longwall tailgate as compared to first workings for example, the stability equation materially changes so that UCS and E become critical controls. The point of the paper is to present a different perspective on a traditional mining problem and to challenge geotechnical professionals to keep thinking ?outside of the square? in the never-ending endeavour to improve our understanding of the engineering problems we regularly face. Such an understanding impacts upon such issues as geotechnical data collection from borecore, support hardware requirements and design capabilities. Therefore making the assumption that our understanding is always fundamentally correct could in fact be limiting the development of new and improved engineering in the future.

Jan 1, 2006

By Stephen C. Tadolini

PC-Strand tendons, commonly referred to as cable bolts, have become a major rock reinforcement device for underground mining and civil applications. The most common configuration is a 1+6 strand, which designates a center king-wire, with six outer wires wound around it to form a 0.6-in (15-mm) diameter cable. The capacity of this tendon approaches 30 tons, but the performance is largely dependent on the anchorage medium and the ability of the system to transfer stresses back into the rock mass while reinforcing and suspending the immediate roof. Recent developments to improve the transfer mechanisms of the PCstrand via the anchorage medium by impregnating the individual wires with uniquely designed deformations have resulted in improved anchorage and subsequent cable bolt performance. This paper describes a series of laboratory tests used to develop the initial indentation patterns and numerical modeling simulations that were undertaken to refine and optimize the final designs. The new, indented PC-Strands, offered in both bright and properly galvanized, have been tested in the field and are being used effectively in two new cable bolt products. The results of the laboratory, computer modeling, field testing and in-situ installations provide a glance at the next generation of cable bolts. This suite of testing shows how they will improve the safety and serviceability of openings under adverse ground conditions.

Jan 1, 2012

By Xinzhi Du

Coal strength is essential to analyze the stability of excavation in coal. It is well known that the strength of coal tested in the laboratory is size-dependent, and different size specimens will produce different strength. Many researchers have studied the uniaxial compressive strength of coal and developed a number of empirical formulae to describe the strength variation with specimen size. According to a comprehensive data base that includes most of the laboratory testing results in the last century in U.S. and South Africa, the size effect and shape effect were reviewed and analyzed. The results show that different groups of coal specimens have different size effect on the compressive strength. The critical size for the size effect from the data analysis is about 40 in. The shape (W/H) of the specimens has a large effect on the compressive strength. The pillar strength formulae obtained from the data regression have a larger strength than all other existing formulae. Most pillar strength formulae have their own place in coal pillar design field. In order to analyze the difference of those formulae, twelve design formulae have been selected to compare using the Pittsburgh coal seam. The intention is not to determine the preferred formulae, but only to compare them, and see how do the W/H ratio, width, length, angle, cross-section area and effective width affect different pillar strength formulae?

Jan 1, 2008

By Michael J. Castner

"INTRODUCTIONMultiple-seam mining is an ever growing concern for engineers and mine management in every portion of the mining industry and is especially true for coal mining operations. The goal of this report is to identify the location and severity of multiple-seam interactions, provide AMSS calculations performed on the worst of these locations, and follow up with a visual examination of the underground physical effects on the roof and ribs in the locations identified for analysis. Multiple-seam mining is increasingly being studied because:1. Multiple-seam mining can create a multitude of problems such as roof falls, pillar crushing, pillar failing, rib spalling, floor heave, and inundation of water, gas, or oxygen-deficient air that can disrupt mining operations and threaten the safety of the miners.2. Multiple-seam mining is becoming more prevalent due to the depletion of virgin coal reserves.Currently, coal mining in the United States has progressed to the point that a growing number of mining companies are operating in coal seams located above, below, and/or adjacent to previously mined out coal seams. As a result, the state and federal governments are enacting higher safety standards on mining operations. For example, in years past, pillars may have been properly designed to handle single seam interactions for a particular mine or mines; however, today, where mining is now being considered above or below a previously mined area, these loading conditions may not be adequate to handle the removal of additional seams above or below the previously mined reserve. Studies from 1981 estimated that two-thirds of the mineable coal reserves in the United States would be impacted by multiple-seam implications. Today, over three decades later, it is obvious that most of the remaining mineable coal reserve will be influenced by previously extracted seams. Thus, thefocus on multiple-seam mining interactions on current and future mining operations. In 2012, underground mining in the United States produced 342,287 thousand short tons of coal. Northern Appalachia accounted for over 30% (103,301 thousand short tons) of this total (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2013). Rosebud Mining Company and Western Allegheny Energy (RMC and WAE) have a combined total of 23 actively producing underground mining operations and at least four new mines under or ready for development. All of these mines are located in coal seams (Upper and Lower Freeport; Upper, Middle, and Lower Kittanning) of northern Appalachia (Pennsylvania and Ohio). Currently, more than half of the RMC and WAE mines are dealing with multiple-seam interactions. Seven mines are undermining previously mined out coal seams, and five mines are overmining previously mined out coal seams. Also, between these companies, five mines have inner-seam sloping possibilities (2 completed, 3 planned), most of which will result in mining over or under previously mined areas."

Jan 1, 2015

By Ebrahim Ghasemi

Problem statement: One of the most challenging safety problems in room-and-pillar coalmines is controlling roof falls during retreat mining. Roof falls not only cause both fatal and non-fatal injuries to miners, stoppages in mining operations, and equipment breakdowns, but also results in the inefficient recovery of coal reserves. Approach: Sufficient awareness of effective parameters related to roof falls is an important factor in roof control. In this study, the major contributing parameters on roof falls during retreat mining are introduced based upon experience and judgment acquired from extensive retreat mining case histories and a review of relevant literature. Key findings: The main roof fall parameters in retreat mining can be divided into three categories: geological, design, and operational. Key conclusions: The design and operational parameters can be controlled by the engineer and/or operator. By the appropriate selection of these parameters in the design and implementation stages of retreat mining, the roof fall risk can be decreased to an acceptable extent.

Jan 1, 2012

By Christopher C. Woomer

Cyprus Shoshone Mine uses the longwall method to extract a deep, thick, pitching coal seam in the Hanna Basin of South Central Wyoming. The immediate, and main roof rock consists of weak, thinly-bedded, silty mudstones with weak, interbedded fine-to medium-grained sandstone. Tailgate ground control has been a critical factor impacting productivity at the mine. A gateroad condition mapping program for the 11 left longwall gateroads indicated potentially severe ground control problems for the tailgate. It was predicted that the existing, secondary support pattern of wood cribs would not provide adequate support capacity. As predicted, severe deterioration of the tailgate occurred in the form of a roof cutter, sloughing ribs, and failing wood cribs. Productivity was affected and additional support was required. Shoshone personnel evaluated several options for providing the additional support needed in the tailgate. The additional support system and placement method had to satisfy several requirements with respect to access, materials handling, placement method, set-up time and support capacity. Approximately 6,000-ft. of deteriorating tailgate had to be supported. The initial wood crib support system left a 6-ft. walkway for access and construction of the additional support. This access was further reduced as the roof loaded the wood cribs. This eliminated the possibility of mechanized material handling to the construction locations. All materials would have to be transported by hand. The additional support system had to be placed quickly to stay ahead of, and keep pace with, the required longwall advance rate. It had to incorporate the existing wood cribs and provide at least 500 tons of extra support capacity. And most critically, the system could not affect longwall ventilation. Longwall coordinators and engineers made the decision to use a low density, pumpable cement known to the industry as TeksealTM, to provide the system required. A 200 psi ultimate strength mix was decided on to provide the required load capacity. The existing cribs were formed with 1-in. by 6-in. boards and brattice cloth to provide the containment. To overcome the access limitations, three boreholes were drilled from the surface to the tailgate on 2,000-ft centers. A mobile pumping station was established on the surface and the TeksealTM was pumped 900-ft. down the boreholes through a 1.5-in. steel pipe, then as much as 1,800- ft. along the tailgate entry through 1.25-in. miner spray hose. The materials required for the TeksealTM supports could all be carried into the construction locations by hand. As a direct result of incorporating relatively new methods of pumping high yield, low density, cementitious grouts, the Shoshone Mine reduced downtime due to tailgate ground control problems by approximately 70% in comparison with previous Longwall panels. The longwall set three monthly production records while mining the 11 left longwall under the deepest cover, steepest pitch, and most extreme ground control conditions ever encountered at the mine.

Jan 1, 1995

By Morgan M. Sears, lhsan B. Tulu, Ted M. Klemetti

"Why do some room and pillar retreat panels encounter abnormal conditions? What factors deserve the most consideration during the planning and execution phases of mining and what can be done to mitigate those abnormal conditions when they are encountered? To help answer these questions, and to determine some of the relevant factors influencing the conditions of room and pillar (R&P) retreat mining entries, four consecutive R&P retreat panels were evaluated. This evaluation was intended to reinforce the influence of topographic changes, depth of cover, multiple-seam interactions, geological conditions, and mining geometry.This paper details observations made in four consecutive R&P retreat panels and the data collected from an instrumentation site during retreat mining. The primary focus was on the differences observed among the four panels and within the panels themselves. The instrumentation study was initially planned to evaluate the interactions between primary and secondary support, but produced rather interesting results relating to the loading encountered under the current mining conditions. In addition to the observation and instrumentation, numerical modeling was performed to evaluate the stress conditions. Both the LaModel 3.0 and Rocscience Phase2 programs were used to evaluate these four panels. The results of both models indicated a drastic reduction in the vertical stresses experienced in these panels due to the full extraction mining in overlying seams when compared to the full overburden load. Both models showed a higher level of stress associated with the outside entries of the panels. These results agree quite well with the observations and instrumentation studies performed at the mine.These efforts provided two overarching conclusions concerning R&P retreat mine planning and execution. The first was that there are four areas that should not be overlooked during R&P retreat mining: topographic relief, multiple-seam stress relief, stress concentrations near the gob edge, and geologic changes in the immediate roof. The second is that in order to successfully retreat an R&P panel, a three-phased approach to the design and analysis of the panel should be conducted: the planning phase, evaluation phase, and monitoring phase."

Jan 1, 2016

By Holger Witthaus

There is more than a century of experience in multiple seam mining in Germany. In several mines up to 20 seams had been excavated within the last decades. Due to the nature of the deposit and the history of technical development the older panels cause a complex stress distribution for the lower seams and the current longwalls in descending order of mining. The depth of the longwalls reaches up to 4000 ft. This causes a maximum vertical stress that reaches between 30 and appr. 60 MPa. To handle these conditions several support systems are applied for roadway heading. A central knowledge management system for ground control is used for design and dimensioning of support within the DSK. This paper gives an overview to the nature of German multiple seam mining and the solutions in matters of panel layout and support design. It describes the full lifecycle for roadways in the seam starting with the geological and geotechnical evaluation, the basics of roadway deformation in great depth, the development of planning tools and standards for German coal mines, the range of alternative of support systems and roadheading techniques, as well as the reinforcement measures and the processing of support at the T-junction of the face entry. This paper uses exemplary descriptions that are consolidated in a specialized reference book ?Gebirgsbeherrschung von Flözstrecken? ? ?Ground Control in Roadways? which summarizes the standards of ground control based on the development of the past 25 years in German coal mines.

Jan 1, 2007