Summary
The influence of discontinuities on coal measures is manifested in the form of roof and side falls, caving of the roof and sometimes in subsidence of the ground surface. This review paper is confined to roof falls due to major geological discontinuities (such as faults, joints, cleats and bedding planes) and to possible ways and means to prevent these falls. Faults with an increased frequency of joints and cleats around them, slips and slickensides play a major role in coal-mine-roof instability. Joints and cleats running parallel to roadways and thinly bedded strata in the immediate roof area also contribute to strata-instability problems. A roof-fall index has been developed relating roof instability to the presence of geological discontinuities. Significant control of such instabilities is possible by orienting roadways across the geological discontinuities and by increasing the quality and density of the supports.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anon. (1977) Petrofabric, McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, McGraw-Hill, Vol. 10, p. 58.
Anon. (1987) Geomechanical classification of coal measure roof rocks vis-a-vis roof supports, Central Mining Research Station, Published Report, 125 pp.
Aggson, J.R. (1980) Design of room and pillar mining systems, Proceedings of the First Conference on Ground Control Problems in the Illinois, Illinois, 1979 (edited by Y.P. Chugh and A.V. Besien), pp. 44–52.
Barton, N., Lien, J. and Lunde, J. (1974) Engineering classification of rock masses for the design of tunnel supports, Rock Mech., 6, 189–236.
Bauer, E.R., Listak, J.M. and Krupa, E.D. (1992) Longwall gate road roof instability and methods of control in the Lower Kittanning coalbed of Central Pennsylvania, Bull. Mines IC, 9331, p. 4.
Bieniawski, Z.T. (1973) Engineering classification of jointed rock masses, Trans. S. Afr. Instn. Civil Engrs., 15, 335–42.
Brekke, T.L. and Howard, T.R. (1972) Stability problems caused by seams and faults, Proceedings of the North American Rapid Excavation and Tunnelling Conference, Chicago, Vol. 1, 1972 (edited by K.S. Lane and L.A. Garfield), pp. 25–41.
Camilli, F.A., Maynard, D.P., Mangolds, A. and Harris, J. (1981) Geologic Considerations in Underground Coal Mining System design, JPL Pub. 81-74, 5-1 pp.
Chan, Lap-yan and Goodman, R.E. (1987) Predicting the number of dimensions of key blocks of an excavation using block theory and joint statistics, Proceedings of the Twenty-eighth US Symposium on Rock Mechanics, University of Arizona, 29 June to 1 July 1987 (edited by I.W. Farmer, J.J.K. Daemen, C.S. Desai, C.E. Glass and S.P. Newman), pp. 81–7.
Connelly, M.A. (1970) A geological structural assessment at Appin Colliery with reference to roof failure and directional mining, Proc. Australas. Inst. Min. Metall., 234, 17–26.
Dey, H.K., Bhattacharya, M.M. and Prasad, C.B. (1991) Prospect of longwall mining in India in the light of experience at Moonidih Project, National Seminar on Mechanised Longwall Working, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, India, pp. 1–17.
Dix, E. (1941) Some minor structures in the anthracite coal seams of South Wales, Proc. Geol. Ass., 52, 227–44.
Fawcett, D.H. (1974) Roof support of a longwall system — a brief review of more recent experience at South Bulli Colliery, Proceedings of a Colloquium on Support in Pillar Extraction, Illawarra Branch, Australas Inst. Min. Metall. Paper No. 6, 16 pp.
Goodman, R.E. and Shi, Gen-hua (1985) Block theory and its Application to Rock Engineering, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Harris, J.F., Taylor, G.L. and Walper, J.L. (1960) Relation of deformational features in sedimentary rock to regional and local structure, Amer. Ass. Petrol. Geol. Bull., 44, 1853–73.
Holmes, P. (1982) Relations between geology and the stability of faces and roadways in the Barnsley seam: strata mechanics, Proceedings of a Symposium on Strata Mechanics, Newcastle Upon Tyne, pp. 118–22.
Hopkins, M.E. (1980) Coal geology and underground mining, Illinois coal basin, Proceedings of the First Conference on Ground Control Problems in the Illinois Coal Basin, Illinois, 22–24 August 1979 (edited by Y.P. Chugh and A.V. Besien), pp. 1–13.
Hylbert, D.K. (1977) Developing geological structural criteria for predicting unstable mine roof rocks, Bu. Mines OFR 9–78, pp. 119, 145–6.
Iannacchione, A.T., Ulery, J.P., Hyman, D.M. and Chase, F.E. (1981) Geologic factors in predicting coal mine roof-rock stability in the Upper Kittanning Coalbed, Somerset County, PA, Bull. Mines RI 8575, 41 pp.
Jeffrey Jr, R.G. and Daemen, J.J.K. (1983) Analysis of rockbolt reinforcement of layered rock using beam equations, Proceeding of the International Symposium on Rock Bolting, pp. 173–85.
Jeremic, M. L. (1981) Elements of rock weakening of coal-bearing strata of the Canadian plains regions, Proceedings of an International Symposium on Weak Rock, Tokyo, Vol. 1, pp. 43–8.
Kidybinski, A. (1962) Effect of coal cleats on rock pressure phenomena (in Polish), Przeglad Gorniczy, 78, 16–20.
Krausse, H.F., Damberger, H.H., Nelson, W.J., Hunt, S.R., Ledvina, C.T., Treworgy, C.G. and White, W.A. (1979) Roof strata of the Herrin (No. 6) coal and associated rock in Illinois — A summary report, Illinois State Geol. Surv., Illinois Mineral Notes, 72.
McCulloch, C.M., Jeran, P.W. and Sullivan, C.D. (1975) Geologic investigations of underground coal mining problems, Bull. Mines RI 8022, 30 pp.
Maksimovic, S. and Mowrey, G.L. (1993) Basic geological and analytical properties of selected coal seams for coal interface detection, Bu. Mines IC 9296, pp. 20–1.
Moebs, N.N. (1983) Geologic studies in ground control, Bureau of Mines Technology Transfer Seminars, Pittsburgh, PA, Bu. Mines IC 8973, 1984, pp. 4–14.
Moebs, N.N. and Curth, E.A. (1976) Geologic and ground control aspects of an experimental shortwall operation in the Upper Ohio Valley, Bu. Mines RI 8112, 30 pp.
Moebs, N.N. and Ellenberger, J.L. (1982) Geologic structures in coal mine roof, Bu. Mines RI 8629, 16 pp.
Moebs, N.N. and Stateham, R.M. (1986) Coal mine roof instability: Categories and causes, The New Sketch, 17, 24 November and 1 December, pp. 19–22 (in each issue).
Molinda, G.M. (1992) Recognition and control of roof falls caused by faults, Proceedings of Preventing Coal Mine Ground Fall Accidents: How to Identify and Respond to Geologic Hazards and Prevent Unsafe Worker Behaviour, Bu. Mines IC 9332, pp. 57–68.
Nelson, W.J. (1981) Faults and their effect on coal mining in Illinois, Illinois State Geol. Surv., Circular 523, 38 pp.
Price, N.J. (1966) Fault and Joint Development in Brittle and Semi-brittle Rock, Pergamon Press, 176 pp.
Rozier, I. (1986) Prediction of ground control problems for underground coal mining in southern Alberta, CIM Bull., 79 (885), pp. 61–6.
Sames, G.P. and Moebs, N.N. (1992) Roof control of stress-relief jointing near outcrop in Central Appalachian drift coal mines, Bu. Mines IC 9313, 11 pp.
Sanyal, K. (1980) Geologic causes of roof and side fall in underground coal mines with special reference to the Jharia coalfield, PhD thesis, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, 154 pp.
Sharma, D.N. (1986) Geological factors of roof falls in underground coal mines of Venkatesh Khani 7 Incline, Kothagudem in Khamman district of Godavary Valley coalfield, PhD thesis, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, p. 176.
Sharma, D.N. (1988) Anticipating coal mine roof conditions with reference to geological factors in the Venkatesh Khani 7 Incline of the Godavari coalfield, The Min. Eng., 147 (321), pp. 553–5.
Shepherd, J. and Fisher, N.I. (1978) Faults and their effect on coal mine roof failure and mining rate: A case study in a New South Wales Colliery, Min. Engng (NY), 30, 1325–34.
Shepherd, J. and Gale, W. (1982) Colliery roof stability and the role of geology: A review, The Austral. J. Coal Min. Technology and Research, 1, 46–67.
Shepherd, J., Huntingdon, J.F. and Creasey, J.W. (1981) Surface and underground geological prediction of bad roof conditions in collieries of the Western coalfield, New South Wales, Australia, Trans. Instn Min. Metall. B, 90, 1–14.
Shepherd, J., Rixon, L.K., Walton, K.P., Humphreys, D.R. and O'Beirne, T. (1987) Geotechnical methods for the evaluation of underground roadway conditions and support requirements, ACIRL Pub. Report 87-2, 96 pp.
Sinha, A. (1986) Influence of geological parameters on strata control problems of coal measure rocks, PhD thesis, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, 213 pp.
Singh, K.B. (1991) Influence of petrofabric of coal measure formations on strata movement due to mining, PhD thesis, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 175 pp.
Singh, K.B. and Singh, T.N. (1986) Petrofabric study for effective roof control, ISRM Symposium Role of Rock Mech. in Excavation for Mining and Civil Works, Mexico, 2–5 September, 1985 (edited by R.S. Trejo and R. de la Llata), pp. 223–8.
Singh, K.B. and Singh, T.N. (1990) Strata control problems in and around fault planes of central India coal basins, Journal of Mines, Metals and Fuels, October–November, 280–9.
Warburton, P.M. (1980) A stereological interpretation of joint trace data, International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences and Geomechanics Abstracts, 17, 181–90.
Wilson, R.G. (1970) Geologic setting of the main coal provinces, Symp: Longwall Min., Australia, Illawarra Branch, Australas. Inst. Min. Metall., Paper No. 1, 13 pp.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Singh, K.B., Singh, T.N., Singh, D.P. et al. Effect of discontinuities on strata-movement problems in collieries: a review. Geotech Geol Eng 12, 43–62 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00425936
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00425936