Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Improved design of room and pillar coal mining. Final technical report, October 1, 1978-March 31, 1982

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7050532
The objective of this research grant was to improve upon the design of roof spans and coal pillars in a coal mining technique known as room-and-pillar mining. Essentially, the project consisted of three aspects: determination of stable roof spans; determination of the strength of coal pillars; and determination of safety factors for room-and-pillar coal mining conditions in the United States. The study included a critical review of the available pillar design formulas as well as the design methods for selecting stable roof spans. Three novel approaches were utilized: (1) the petite sismique technique was assessed for possible determination of coal pillar deformability; this was the first use of this technique in the United States since its development in France; (2) the Geomechanics Classification was extended for determination of safe roof spans in room-and-pillar coal mining; and (3) a national survey of the current design practice as well as of the stable and failed coal pillars and roof spans was performed with the aim of determining factors of safety in room-and-pillar coal mining. Research investigations included field studies, laboratory testing and analytical computer simulations. The final outcome of the project is a proposal for a design code for room-and-pillar coal mining in the United States. In the course of this research, seven publications were prepared and three M.S. theses were completed. Practical applications of this research are discussed.
Research Organization:
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA). Dept. of Mineral Engineering
DOE Contract Number:
FG01-78ET11428
OSTI ID:
7050532
Report Number(s):
DOE/ET/11428-T1; ON: DE82019767
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English