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A rock mass classification model for caving roofs

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Summary

Evaluation of the caving behaviour of longwall roof rocks has thus far been based on a pot-pourri of classification systems, which ignore basic caving criteria. The paper outlines a new classification model of roof strata namely cavability using fuzzy set methodology and linguistic variables to assign ratings for individual roof beds. A microcomputer program has been developed to evaluate the decision ratings for cavability and the model applied to ten longwall case-histories from Indian coalfields. The classification model has excellent potential for being used as a standard tool for the evaluation of caving behaviour of longwall roof rocks.

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Ghose, A.K., Dutta, D. A rock mass classification model for caving roofs. International Journal of Mining and Geological Engineering 5, 257–271 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01560777

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