Mining Publication: Performance Characteristics for Welded Wire Screen Used for Surface Control in Underground Coal Mines
Original creation date: February 2009
The fall of small pieces of rock between roof bolts causes over 80 pct of the ground fall injuries in underground coal mines. Roof screen, if installed on the bolting cycle, can significantly reduce the number of these injuries. As the surface of the roof fails, the screen will have to retain the broken rock without failing or excessive deformation. Welded wire screen is the most common type of screen material used for roof surface control in underground coal mines. The load-deformation characteristics and the load capacity of welded wire screen were evaluated in the laboratory in a specially built test frame. In the frame, the square screen sections were held in place by bolts and bearing plates at the four corners while a center load was applied to the screen. The parameters evaluated included the wire gauge and configuration, the bearing plate loads and bolt spacing. The wire gauge of the tested screen was 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10. Maximum screen capacities for both load and displacement were developed for each of the wire gauge sizes along with the screen stiffness. This information can be used for screen selection and for the evaluation and determination of screen performance.
Authors: DR Dolinar
Conference Paper - February 2009
NIOSHTIC2 Number: 20035151
2009 SME Annual Meeting and Exhibit, February 22-25, Denver, Colorado, preprint 09-104. Littleton, CO: Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc., 2009; :1-8
See Also
- Development and Application of the Coal Mine Roof Rating (CMRR)
- Diagnosing and Controlling Moisture-Sensitive Roof in Coal Mines
- Ground Failures in Coal Mines with Weak Roof
- Horizontal Stress
- The Introduction of Roof Bolting to U.S. Underground Coal Mines (1948-1960): A Cautionary Tale
- Mistakes, Misconceptions, and Key Points Regarding Secondary Roof Support Systems
- Optimizing Secondary Roof Support with the NIOSH Support Technology Optimization Program (STOP)
- Potential of Roof Screening to Reduce Workers’ Compensation Cost
- Preventing Injuries Caused by Unrecognized Stone Mine Roof Beam Failures With a Pro-Active Roof Control Plan
- Roof Screening: Best Practices and Roof Bolting Machines
- Page last reviewed: 9/21/2012
- Page last updated: 9/21/2012
- Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Mining Program