Coal Pillar Strength Based On The Ground Reaction Curve – A New Approach

Citation

Oraee K, Hosseini N & Gholinejad M (2009) Coal Pillar Strength Based On The Ground Reaction Curve – A New Approach. In: Peng SS, Mark C, Finfinger G, Tadolini S, Khair AW, Heasley K, Luo Y & Barczak T (eds.) Proceedings: 28th International Conference on Ground Control in Mining (ICGCM). 28th International Conference on Ground Control in Mining (ICGCM), Morgantown, West Virginia, USA, 28.07.2009-30.07.2009. Morgantown, West Virginia USA: Department of Mining Engineering, College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, West Virginia University. http://www.onemine.org/search/summary.cfm/Coal-Pillar-Strength-Based-On-The-Ground-Reaction-Curve--A-New-Approach?d=547B0D74C60F80719A0AE785E3364A530D57CFD8743BFA3B43EF9338C3A3A059150329&fullText=%22Coal%20Pillar%20Strength%20Based%20On%20The%20Ground%20Re

Abstract
In underground coal mining, particularly room-and-pillar methods, the coal pillars play a significant role in roof stability. If the pillar dimensions are increased, the pillar bearing capacity also increases, but more coal remains in the pillar and therefore the recovery of mining operation decreases. Therefore, determining the optimum pillar dimension based on technical, economical and performance parameters is important. In this paper, the coal pillar is designed by using the concept of ground reaction curve (GRC). For this purpose, the GRC for coal pillars is drawn and then the elastic and plastic zone of coal pillar behavior is determined. Based on elastic and plastic zone, different equations are presented to draw a pillar reaction curve and the process of coal pillar design based on GRC is explained. As a case study, this new technique is applied to study the coal pillar state in Tabas coal mine of Iran. The results show that the presented new approach is successfully used in the design of the optimum coal pillar dimensions, and also determines the elastic and plastic behavior limit, which is important especially for the logical design of yield pillars.

Keywords
Ground Reaction Curve; Coal Pillar Strength; Coal mines and mining; Strength of materials