Mining Publication: Deep Cover Pillar Recovery in the US
Original creation date: July 2009
In the wake of the Crandall Canyon mine disaster, the U.S. Congress asked the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) to study the safety of deep cover pillar recovery operations in the US. The legislation defined "deep cover" to be greater than 1,500 ft, but NIOSH is also evaluating mines at depths greater than 1,000 ft when multiple seam interactions are encountered. By these definitions, there about 35 active mines that engage in deep cover pillar recovery, in the states of UT, CO, VA, WV, and KY. To date, NIOSH has documented ground conditions and ground control experience at nearly all of them. This paper provides an overview of current deep cover pillar recovery practice. Specific ground control issues that are discussed include: Pillar recovery sequences, Pillar and barrier pillar design, Coal bumps, Thick seam pillar extraction, and Multiple seam interactions.
Authors: C Mark
Conference Paper - July 2009
NIOSHTIC2 Number: 20035812
Proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Ground Control in Mining, July 28-30, 2009, Morgantown, West Virginia. Peng SS, Barczak T, Mark C, Tadolini S, Finfinger G, Heasley K, Luo Y, eds., Morgantown, WV: West Virginia University, 2009 Jul; :1-9
See Also
- ARMPS - Analysis of Retreat Mining Pillar Stability - 6.2.02
- Coal Mine Bumps: Five Case Studies in the Eastern United States
- Deep Cover Pillar Extraction in the U.S. Coalfields
- Optimum Mine Designs to Minimize Coal Bumps: A Review of Past and Present U.S. Practices
- Pillar Design and Strategies for Retreat Mining
- Proceedings: New Technology for Ground Control in Retreat Mining
- Research Report on the Coal Pillar Recovery Under Deep Cover
- The State-of-the-Art in Coal Pillar Design
- Technology News 464 - Analysis of Retreat Mining Pillar Stability (ARMPS): Version 4.0 for Windows
- Technology News 516 - ARMPS-HWM: New Software for Sizing Pillars for Highwall Mining
- Page last reviewed: 9/21/2012
- Page last updated: 9/21/2012
- Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Mining Program