The Australian longwall mining industry spends millions of dollars per year on both proactive and reactive ground consolidation methods from time to time across most of the underground operations currently in production. The design and effectiveness of the applications and products used are often variable and based on past experience at each site or what was considered successful at other sites in similar situations.
This paper discusses the current product testing data and proposes an industry-standard testing regime that will provide mine site-based geotechnical engineers with a standardised set of data for product selection and geotechnical design.
In addition, the preliminary results of an underground in situ testing program designed to provide quantitative data relating to the improvement in rock mass condition as a result of polymeric ground consolidation are presented and discussed. The results provide a measurement of changes in permeability, the material strength of the coal seam, and the migration of the injected material
