The Role of Thick Competent Strata in Face Bursting in Underground Longwall Mines

Details

• Personal Author:
  Boltz, M. Shawn ; Chambers D ; Khademian Z ; Shragge J ; Walton G
• Description:
  Coal bursts are violent dynamic failures that occur in underground coal mines and can injure workers and disrupt mining operations. The coal bursting phenomenon is complex and many factors contribute to a mine's propensity to experience bursting. Among these is the presence of thick competent strata (TCS) in the immediate roof or floor, but how the TCS contribute to bursting is not fully understood. In this work, we created a suite of simple 2D models of a longwall cross section whose stratigraphy is dominated by sandstone. We used these models to explore which TCS parameters influence burst severity and to define a likely failure mechanism. We found that the undermined length of un-caved TCS and properties of the coal-sandstone interface have the greatest effects on a model's burst severity. Interface slip initiated by coal yielding and driven by stored strain energy is the primary failure mechanism. Although real coal bursts are certainly more complex, this work provides insight into a plausible burst mechanism and contributing TCS factors that can guide future research [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Mining Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Coal Mines Longwall Mining Rock Bursts Rock Mechanics Underground Mines
• Series:
  Mining Publications
• ISBN:
  9780979497599
• Publisher:
  American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  SMRD - Spokane Mining Research Division ; PMRD - Pittsburgh Mining Research Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070429
• Citation:
  58th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, June 23-26, 2024, Golden, Colorado. Alexandria, VA: American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA), 2024 Jun; :ARMA-24-0154
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• NORA Priority Area:
  Mining
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  58th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, June 23-26, 2024, Golden, Colorado
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:72b0b15c4334f505488b6afc2baf4d8aca6a805dbb56b49cf0beead052ea0d49392c4011aeda34044f0674587f4f4070ea8ee31f8fa9d89e67d61d0451d6f68a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/215710/cdc_215710_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.34 MB ]