Logo image
Tomographic imaging of coal pillar conditions: Observations and implications
Journal article

Tomographic imaging of coal pillar conditions: Observations and implications

M.J. Friedel, M.J. Jackson, E.M. Williams, M.S. Olson and E. Westman
International journal of rock mechanics and mining sciences & geomechanics abstracts, v 33(3)
1996

Abstract

The U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) investigated the use of seismic refraction tomography (SRT) for identifying changes in pillar loading at the Foidel Creek coal mine near Steamboat Springs, Colo. The inherent three-dimensional problem of directly imaging coal pillar conditions is reduced to a single plane by considering only the load transmitted from the pillar to the adjacent floor rock. Floor strata velocity tomograms (at two pillar locations) illustrate that loading conditions are nonuniform and nonunique. Also, time sequence monitoring, as the longwall face advanced, demonstrated that SRT can be used to image spatial changes in loading conditions. SRT offers the mining engineer a simple and flexible technique for evaluating pillar conditions and, thus, both present and alternative mine designs.

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Web of Science research areas
Engineering, Geological
Mining & Mineral Processing
Logo image