Investigation on Adhesion Strength of Thin Spray-On Liners in an Underground Coal Mine

A Thin Spray-on Liner (TSL) is defined as a chemically based layer or coating (3-5 mm) that is sprayed onto the rock surface to support mining excavations (Saydam and Docrat, 2007). Since the introduction, TSLs have received success in some applications in hard rock mines; however, their use has been slow in coal mining. The adhesion strength between a TSL and a rock surface is an important parameter controlling the design and performance of liner support systems. The in situ adhesion tests have been conducted to study the bonding between a TSL material and the coal substrate in an underground coal mine in NSW. A direct pull-off adhesion tester was adopted to conduct adhesion tests on the ribs of the roadway. In this paper, the in situ adhesion test results on coal substrate are analysed and presented

Bringing the Entrepreneurial Mindset into Mining Engineering Education

There has been an ongoing debate on how to transform engineering education to better prepare students for today`s professional world that is characterized by increasingly complex problems and challenges that engineers are tasked with upon entering the industry. Within the conceive–design–implement–operate (CDIO) framework, entrepreneurship education presents a valuable pedagogical approach to foster the necessary skills of the students through integrated, hands-on, active learning experiences. While numerous publications have addressed possibilities of how experiential, problem-based, project-based and active learning can be integrated into engineering curriculum, there has been hardly any attention on mining engineering with respect to adopting this approach. This paper will address the possibilities of integrating entrepreneurship education into mining engineering programs in particular. This paper will enhance and foster discussion among academics from mining engineering on how to integrate elements of entrepreneurship education on a course, program and departmental level to infuse value creation experiences across the curriculum

Review of Horizontal Surface Movements Due to Longwall Coal Mining Using Numerical Modelling

Strain is an important parameter for assessing the potential for impacts on surface features due to longwall mine subsidence, but it is also one of the most difficult parameters to predict. Whilst profiles of strain can be highly variable and irregular, zones of net compression and net tension generally develop above longwalls. By considering the relative horizontal surface movements over longer bay lengths, they become more regular and, hence, more predictable. Numerical modelling has been undertaken using universal distinct element code (udec) to assist with the development of predictive methods for the relative horizontal movements over the various zones above an active longwall. The numerical modelling was used to assess the effects of varying surface topography on the horizontal movements, including slopes, scarps, hills and small valleys. Predictive equations have been developed for the net compression within the sagging curvature zone and the net openings within the hogging curvature zones. These equations are consistent with the findings from reviews of ground monitoring data in nsw coalfields

A review of cavability evaluation in longwall top coal caving

Longwall Top Coal Caving has been considered as one of the most effective technologies for the extraction of underground thick coal seams. A large number of studies on the applicability of Longwall Top Coal Caving into new mine sites have linked the success of its application to the geomechanical understanding of the cavability of the top coal. The paper aims to improve the knowledge of the top coal cavability evaluation. A range of parameters that affect the top coal cavability were first identified. Afterward, a number of cavability assessment methods and classifications were reviewed. The result is important in that it assists researchers in developing an advanced and reliable tool for the top coal cavability evaluation. Keywords: Longwall top coal caving, Cavability, Numerical modelling, Caving mechanism, Caving classificatio