Mining Publication: Development of Stress Measurements and Instrument Placement Techniques for Longwall Coal
Original creation date: July 2001
Western coal mines are operating under increasingly challenging ground conditions. Researchers at the Spokane Research Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health are cooperating with mines to evaluate how these conditions affect mine operating stability and related miner safety. A system was developed to monitor rock and coal stresses during mining of an entire longwall panel. The system was designed to generate data in near real time to evaluate rock behavior in roof strata and the onset of hazardous conditions as overburden stress was redistributed over working entries during gob formation. Computer simulations and in-mine evaluations were used to optimize instrument placement. A prototype packer assembly was designed and tested for installing sensitive instruments in a mine roof. This paper provides background information on the stress monitoring concept and focuses on the development of instrument placement techniques and the prototype packer assembly.
Authors: EG Zahl, JP Dunford, DR Tesarik, MK Larson, J Chen
Conference Paper - July 2001
NIOSHTIC2 Number: 20021492
In: D. Elsworth, J.P. Tinnucci, and K.A. Heasley, eds., Rock Mechanics in the Public Interest. Proceedings of the 38th U.S. Rock Mechanics Symposium, DC Rocks, Vol 1, (July 7-10, 2001; Washington, DC), A. A. Balkema, 2001 Jul; :305-327
See Also
- Analysis of Multiple Seam Stability
- Degasification System Selection for U.S. Longwall Mines Using an Expert Classification System
- Ground Control Research: Considering Local Geology to Improve Longwall Pillar Stability
- Large-Scale Strata Response to Longwall Mining: A Case Study
- Local Earthquake Tomography for Imaging Mining-Induced Changes Within the Overburden above a Longwall Mine
- MCP - Methane Control and Prediction - 2.0
- Modeling and Prediction of Ventilation Methane Emissions of U.S. Longwall Mines Using Supervised Artificial Neural Networks
- Overview of Coal Mine Ground Control Issues in the Illinois Basin
- Pillar Stability Issues Based on a Survey of Pillar Performance in Underground Limestone Mines
- Pillar Strength and Design Methodology for Stone Mines
- Page last reviewed: 9/21/2012
- Page last updated: 9/21/2012
- Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Mining Program