A robust approach to identify roof bolts in 3D point cloud data captured from a mobile laser scanner

Roof bolts such as rock bolts and cable bolts provide structural support in underground mines. Frequent assessment of these support structures is critical to maintain roof stability and minimise safety risks in underground environments. This study proposes a robust workflow to classify roof bolts in 3 D point cloud data and to generate maps of roof bolt density and spacing. The workflow was evaluated for identifying roof bolts in an underground coal mine with suboptimal lighting and global navigation satellite system(GNSS) signals not available. The approach is based on supervised classification using the multi-scale Canupo classifier coupled with a random sample consensus(RANSAC) shape detection algorithm to provide robust roof bolt identification. The issue of sparseness in point cloud data has been addressed through upsampling by using a moving least squares method. The accuracy of roof bolt identification was measured by correct identification of roof bolts(true positives), unidentified roof bolts(false negatives), and falsely identified roof bolts(false positives) using correctness, completeness, and quality metrics. The proposed workflow achieved correct identification of 89.27% of the roof bolts present in the test area. However, considering the false positives and false negatives, the overall quality metric was reduced to 78.54%.     

Development of a six drillhead roof bolting machine

In underground mining, machine design is predominantly dictated by mine conditions and individual customer desires. In partnership with Foresight Energy, J. H. Fletcher Company was tasked to design and manufacture a new roof bolting machine with six independent drilling apparatus on board capable of drilling and bolting the roof and ribs with material handling. The objective was to produce a machine capable of drilling and installing six bolts simultaneously with a limited number of operators. The goal of the mine is to decrease the time to bolt a cut to improve the safety level of the current roof bolting method, improve efficiency and to improve the bottom line cost of entry development. The customer wanted four drills at the front of the machine dedicated to installing roof bolts and then another two drills behind them dedicated to rib bolts. This dictated the requirement of latched controls, which would allow the operator to start drilling one hole and then latch the controls to be able to move on to the next.The result of the design is a machine with a single platform and six independent masts with drillheads:four masts strictly for drilling and installing roof bolts on the front of the platform and two masts on the back of the platform for rib bolts. The controls at each operator's station include a latch control for drilling. The six-head roof bolter allows fewer operators to drill and install roof and rib bolts, which in turn lowers the miners' roof exposure per cut. This design reduces the operator's exposure from the inherent pinch points and rotary hazards once he has engaged the latch drilling. Therefore, the machine will help to decrease the time to bolt a cut, improving productivity while enhancing the ability to operate the machine safely.     

Fundamental principles of an effective reinforcing roof bolting strategy in horizontally layered roof strata and areas of potential improvement

It is arguable that the development of reinforcing roof bolting systems has largely stagnated in recent times, primarily due to the prevailing industry view that few, if any, further improvements can be made to what currently exists.However, this paper contends that reinforcing roof bolting systems can be further refined by considering both the specific manner by which horizontally bedded roof strata loses its natural self-supporting ability and the specific means by which reinforcing roof bolts act to promote or retain this natural self-supporting ability.The Australian coal industry has insisted on minimising bolt-hole diameter to maximise load transfer and on targeting full-encapsulation by any means necessary for many years.This has led to a significant, albeit unintended, consequence in terms of overall roof bolting effectiveness, namely increased resin pressures during bolt installation and the associated potential for opening bedding planes that may have, otherwise, remained closed during the bolt installation process.Given that the natural self-supporting ability of roof strata is strongly linked to whether bedding planes are open or closed, logically, minimising resin pressures should be a significant benefit.This paper focuses primarily on three key issues that relate directly to the function of the roof bolting system itself:(1) the importance of proper resin mixing in the context of maximising load transfer strength and stiffness,(2) the importance of minimising resin pressures developed during bolt installation, and(3) the importance of maximising the effectiveness of the available bolt pre-tension.All mine operators should be invested in improving the individual effectiveness of each installed roof bolt, even by relatively small incremental amounts, so this is an important topic for discussion within the mining community.     

Application of coal mine roof rating in Chinese coal mines

The coal mine roof rating(CMRR) is a measure of roof quality or structure competency for bedded roof types typically of underground coal mines. The CMRR has been used widely in the US, South Africa,Canada and Australia. In order to investigate the application of the CMRR system in Chinese coal mines,two coal mines in China located in Panjiang Coal Field in Guizhou Province were investigated. Field data were collected which is required to calculate the CMRR value based on underground exposure. The CMRR values of 11 locations in two coal mines were calculated. The investigations demonstrated that the chance of mine roof failure is very low if the CMRR value is more than 50, given adequate support is installed in mine. It was found that the CMRR guideline are useful to preliminarily investigate stability in Panjiang Coal Field mines.     

Ground pressure and overlying strata structure for a repeated mining face of residual coal after room and pillar mining

To investigate the abnormal ground pressures and roof control problem in fully mechanized repeated mining of residual coal after room and pillar mining,the roof fracture structural model and mechanical model were developed using numerical simulation and theoretical analysis.The roof fracture characteristics of a repeated mining face were revealed and the ground pressure law and roof supporting conditions of the repeated mining face were obtained.The results indicate that when the repeated mining face passes the residual pillars,the sudden instability causes fracturing in the main roof above the old goaf and forms an extra-large rock block above the mining face.A relatively stable ‘‘Voussoir beam" structure is formed after the advance fracturing of the main roof.When the repeated mining face passes the old goaf,as the large rock block revolves and touches gangue,the rock block will break secondarily under overburden rock loads.An example calculation was performed involving an integrated mine in Shanxi province,results showed that minimum working resistance values of support determined to be reasonable were respectively 11,412 kN and 10,743 kN when repeated mining face passed through residual pillar and goaf.On-site ground pressure monitoring results indicated that the mechanical model and support resistance calculation were reasonable.     

Ground response to high horizontal stresses during longwall retreat and its implications for longwall headgate support

Roof falls in longwall headgate can occur when weak roof and high horizontal stress are present. To prevent roof falls in the headgate under high horizontal stress, it is important to understand the ground response to high horizontal stress in the longwall headgate and the requirements for supplemental roof support. In this study, a longwall headgate under high horizontal stress was instrumented to monitor stress change in the pillars, deformations in the roof, and load in the cable bolts. The conditions in the headgate were monitored for about six months as the longwall face passed by the instrumented site.The roof behavior in the headgate near the face was carefully observed during longwall retreat.Numerical modeling was performed to correlate the modeling results with underground observation and instrumentation data and to quantify the effect of high horizontal stress on roof stability in the longwall headgate. This paper discusses roof support requirements in the longwall headgate under high horizontal stress in regard to the pattern of supplemental cable bolts and the critical locations where additional supplemental support is necessary.     

Numerical modeling of entry position design: A field case

In coal mining, roof collapse and support body failure during entry excavation are a common problem.During excavation, entry positions may be subjected to separation, shear-slip, support body failure,and roof collapse. Weak coal-rock interfaces allow for shear-slip between layers, causing anchor bolts and cables to fail. Six entry position models are created to evaluate the failure process and determine the best entry position. Results indicate that roof rocks experience bending and shear-slip along the coal-rock interface. Nearby mining activity causes asymmetric deformation of the entry and shear-slip at the roof corners. When anchor cables and bolts in the roof are insufficient to limit separation and shear-slip, support bodies are subjected to tension, shear, and bending. Once the support body fractures,the entry roof experiences progressive deformation resulting in collapse. We determine the optimal entry position in which shear-slip and residual coal are minimized.     

Numerical analysis of the effects of rock bolts on stress redistribution around a roadway

Besides opening geometry, in situ stress and material properties, opening support also has significant effects on stress redistribution around a roadway. To investigate these effects of rock bolts on the stress redistribution around a roadway, a series of numerical studies were carried out using the finite difference method. Since the stress changes around a roadway caused by rock bolting is small relative to the in situ stress, they cannot obviously be observed in stress contour plots. To overcome this difficulty, a new result processing methodology was developed using the contouring program Surfer. With this methodology, the effects of rock bolts on stress redistribution can obviously be analyzed. Numerical results show that in the three patterns of rock bolts installed in the roof, in the roof and the two lateral sides, and in all the four sides of the rectangular roadway, the maximum stress magnitude of the increase is 0.931 MPa, 2.46 MPa,and 6.5 MPa, respectively; the bolt number of 5 can form an integrated ground arch; the appropriate length and pre-tensioned force of the rock bolt is 2.0 m and 60 k N, respectively. What is more, the ground arch action under the function of rock bolting is able to be effectively examined. The rock bolts dramatically increase the minor principal stress around a roadway which results in significant increase in material strength. Consequently, the major principal stress that the material can carry will greatly increase.With adequate supports, an integrated ground arch which is critical for the stability of roadway will be formed around the roadway.     

Numerical simulation and analysis of drill rods vibration during roof bolt hole drilling in underground mines

Structural deterioration in the roof in an underground mine can easily cause roof fall, and deterioration is difficult to detect. When drilling holes for roof bolts, there is a relationship between the vibration of the drill rod and the properties of the rock being drilled. This paper analyzes transverse, longitudinal, and torsional vibrations in the drill rod by using vibration theory. Characteristic indexes for three kinds of vibration are determined. Using the finite element analysis software ABAQUS, a model for drill rod vibration during the drilling of roof bolt holes was established based on the geological and mining conditions in the Guyuan Coal Mine, northern China. Results from the model determined that the transverse and the longitudinal vibration decrease as the rock hardness decreases. In descending order, sandstone,sandy mudstone, mudstone, and weak interbeds cause progressively less vibration when being drilled.The ranking for strata that cause decreasing torsional vibration is slightly different, being, in descending order, mudstone, sandstone, sandy mudstone, and weak interbeds. These results provide a theoretical basis for predicting dangerous roof conditions and the presence of weak interbeds to allow for adjusting bolt support schemes.     

Evaluation of load transfer mechanism under axial loads in a novel coupler of dual height rock bolts

The effective reinforcement of two or more overlying layers of mine openings in a single installation is usually done by coupling of two standard rock bolts mainly during the extraction of medium-thick coal seams. However, field observations show that the couplers of multiple bolts often degrade or break mostly at their connections. These types of failures can be avoided by strengthening the couplers of such multi-bolts assemblies. To achieve this, a novel threaded coupler system with an expansion shell was suggested in this paper. The newly designed coupler consists of a threaded tapered-plug-cumconnector with an expansion shell for connecting and tightening two standard rock bolts. An analytical model for evaluating the load distribution along the coupler subject to axial load was derived. Numerical analysis was performed to analyse the load transfer, deformation, and strains across the coupler including the factor of safety for the bolt-coupler-resin and bolt-coupler-expansion shell. The results validated the analytical model of the proposed coupler design, which provides better anchorage near the interface of the host rock mass. Thus, the developed coupler design would reduce the failures of the proposed coupler and stabilize laminated roof strata above the medium-thick coal seams in underground mines.     

Case study and design of steel set support for aged belt entry rehabilitation

In order to access remote reserve areas, some U.S.coal mines have to maintain aged underground entries for a great distance.However, high humidity, warm temperature, and time dependent deterioration can cause progressive roof deterioration and unexpected roof falls, and pose a great challenge to ground control engineers.With an active belt structure in place and limited space, re-bolting becomes very costly, less effective,and, sometimes, impractical and unfeasible.To gain long-term entry stability and serviceability, operators typically rehabilitate the aged belt entries by installing standing steel set supports.In the last several years,Keystone Mining Services, LLC,(KMS) has assisted many coal mines with their belt entry rehabilitation projects, evaluated the ground condition of various aged belt entries, and designed different standing steel set support systems.This paper presents a case study of a large-scale roof fall that occurred at an aged belt entry in a mine located in an eastern coalfield, analyzes root causes of excessive deformation of square sets that were installed in an adjacent entry, evaluates the adequacy of an existing rehabilitation square set, and develops remedial recommendations for future rehabilitation practice.Based on the case study, the paper outlines design guidelines for rehabilitation steel sets that include field evaluation, engineering considerations, design assumptions, steel structural analysis, and field installation quality control.     

Comparing the reinforcement capacity of welded steel mesh and a thin spray-on liner using large scale laboratory tests

Steel mesh is used as a passive skin confinement medium to supplement the active support provided by rock bolts for roof and rib control in underground coal mines. Thin spray-on liners (TSL) are believed to have the potential to take the place of steel mesh as the skin confinement medium in underground mines. To confirm this belief, large scale laboratory experiments were conducted to compare the behaviour of welded steel mesh and a TSL, when used in conjunction with rock bolts, in reinforcing strata with weak bedding planes and strata prone to guttering, two common rock conditions which exist in coal mines. It was found that while the peak load taken by the simulated rock mass with weak bedding planes acting as the control sample (no skin confinement) was 2494 kN, the corresponding value of the sample with 5 mm thick TSL reinforcement reached 2856 kN. The peak load of the steel mesh reinforced sample was only 2321 kN, but this was attributed to the fact that one of the rock bolts broke during the test. The TSL reinforced sample had a similar post-yield behaviour as the steel mesh reinforced one. The results of the large scale guttering test indicated that a TSL is better than steel mesh in restricting rock movement and thus inhibiting the formation of gutters in the roof.     

Analysis of roof and pillar failure associated with weak floor at a limestone mine

A limestone mine in Ohio has had instability problems that have led to massive roof falls extending to the surface. This study focuses on the role that weak, moisture-sensitive floor has in the instability issues.Previous NIOSH research related to this subject did not include analysis for weak floor or weak bands and recommended that when such issues arise they should be investigated further using a more advanced analysis. Therefore, to further investigate the observed instability occurring on a large scale at the Ohio mine, FLAC3 D numerical models were employed to demonstrate the effect that a weak floor has on roof and pillar stability. This case study will provide important information to limestone mine operators regarding the impact of weak floor causing the potential for roof collapse, pillar failure, and subsequent subsidence of the ground surface.     

井巷锚杆支护三向光弹性模型的制作工艺

本文从模型原材料(包括模拟围岩的材料和模拟锚杆的材料)的配制、模具和锚杆的制作方法、锚杆的安装和模型的浇铸工艺等方面,阐述了井巷锚杆支护三向光弹性模型的制作工艺。     

A case study of multi-seam coal mine entry stability analysis with strength reduction method

In this paper,the advantage of using numerical models with the strength reduction method(SRM) to evaluate entry stability in complex multiple-seam conditions is demonstrated.A coal mine under variable topography from the Central Appalachian region is used as a case study.At this mine,unexpected roof conditions were encountered during development below previously mined panels.Stress mapping and observation of ground conditions were used to quantify the success of entry support systems in three room-and-pillar panels.Numerical model analyses were initially conducted to estimate the stresses induced by the multiple-seam mining at the locations of the affected entries.The SRM was used to quantify the stability factor of the supported roof of the entries at selected locations.The SRM-calculated stability factors were compared with observations made during the site visits,and the results demonstrate that the SRM adequately identifies the unexpected roof conditions in this complex case.It is concluded that the SRM can be used to effectively evaluate the likely success of roof supports and the stability condition of entries in coal mines.     

Coal mine roof rating(CMRR), rock mass rating(RMR) and strata control:Carborough Downs Mine,Bowen Basin,Australia

The rock mass rating(RMR) has been used across the geotechnical industry for half a century. In contrast,the coal mine roof rating(CMRR) was specifically introduced to underground coal mines two decades ago to link geological characterization with geotechnical risk mitigation. The premise of CMRR is that strength properties of mine roof rock are influenced by defects typical of coal measures stratigraphy.The CMRR has been used in longwall pillar design, roof support methods, and evaluation of extended cuts,but is rarely evaluated. Here, the RMR and CMRR are applied to a longwall coal mine. Roof rock mass classifications were undertaken at 67 locations across the mine. Both classifications showed marked spatial variability in terms of roof conditions. Normal and reverse faulting occur across the mine, and while no clear relationships exist between rock mass character and faulting, a central graben zone showed heterogeneous rock mass properties, and divergence between CMRR and RMR. Overall, the CMRR data fell within the broad envelope of results reported for extended cuts at Australian and U.S. coal mines. The corollary is that the CMRR is useful, and should not be used in isolation, but rather as a component of a strata control programme.     

Analysis and control on anomaly water inrush in roof of fully-mechanized mining field

Caving of mine roofs from water inrush due to anomalous pressure is one of the major disasters and accidents that can occur in mines during production. Roof water inrush can trigger a wide range of roof collapse, causing major accidents from breaking roof supports while caving. These failures flood wells and do a great deal of damage to mines and endanger mine safety. Our objective is to analyze the anomalies of water inrush crushing the support at the #6301 working face in the ]isan Coal Mine of the Yanzhou Mining Group. Through information of water inrush to the roof, damage caused by tectonic movements, information on the damage caused by roof collapse and the theory about the distribution of pressure in mine abutments, we advice adjusting the length of the working face and the position of open-off cut relatively to the rich water area. In the case of anomalous roof pressure we should develop a state equation to estimate preventive measures with "transferring rock beam" theory. Simultaneously,we improve the capacity of drainage equipment and ensured adequate water retention at the storehouse.These are all major technologies to ensure the control and prevention against accidents caused by anomalous water inrush in roofs, thus ensuring safety in the production process of a coal mine.     

Vertical load capacities of roof truss cross members

Trusses used for roof support in coal mines are constructed of two grouted bolts installed at opposing forty-five degree angles into the roof and a cross member that ties the angled bolts together. The load on the cross member is vertical, which is transverse to the longitudinal axis, and therefore the cross member is loaded in the weakest direction. Laboratory tests were conducted to determine the vertical load capacity and deflection of three different types of cross members. Single-point load tests, with the load applied in the center of the specimen and double-point load tests, with a span of 2.4 m, were conducted. For the single-point load configuration, the yield of the 25 mm solid bar cross member was nominally 98 kN of vertical load, achieved at 42 cm of deflection. For cable cross members, yield was not achieved even after 45 cm of deflection. Peak vertical loads were about 89 kN for 17 mm cables and67 kN for the 15 mm cables. For the double-point load configurations, the 25 mm solid bar cross members yielded at 150 kN of vertical load and 25 cm of deflection. At 25 cm of deflection individual cable strands started breaking at 133 and 111 kN of vertical load for the 17 and 15 mm cable cross members respectively.     

Geologic data collection and assessment techniques in coal mining for ground control

The identification and mitigation of adverse geologic conditions are critical to the safety and productivity of underground coal mining operations. To anticipate and mitigate adverse geologic conditions, a formal method to evaluate geotechnical factors must be established. Each mine is unique and has its own separate approach for defining what an adverse geological condition consists of. The collection of geologic data is a first critical step to creating a geological database to map these hazards efficiently and effectively. Many considerations must be taken into account, such as lithology of immediate roof and floor strata, seam height, gas and oil wells, faults, depressions in the mine floor(water) and increases in floor elevation(gas), overburden, streams and horizontal stress directions, amongst many other factors. Once geologic data is collected, it can be refined and integrated into a database that can be used to develop maps showing the trend, orientation, and extent of the adverse geological conditions. This information,delivered in a timely manner, allows mining personnel to be proactive in mine planning and support implementations, ultimately reducing the impacts of these features. This paper covers geologic exploratory methods, data organization, and the value of collecting and interpreting geologic information in coal mines to enhance safety and production. The implementation of the methods described above has been proven effective in predicting and mitigating adverse geologic conditions in underground coal mining.Consistent re-evaluation of data collection methods, geologic interpretations, mapping procedures, and communication techniques ensures continuous improvement in the accuracy of predictions and mitigation of adverse geologic conditions. Providing a concise record of the work previously done to track geologic conditions at a mine will allow for the smoothest transition during employee turnover and transitions. With refinements and standardization of data collection methods, such as those described in this paper, along with improvement in technology, the evaluation of adverse geologic conditions will evolve and continue to improve the safety and productivity of underground coal mining.     

Laboratory and field testing of bolting systems subjected to highly corrosive environments

The capacity of ground support components which have been affected by corrosion is reduced and may ultimately lead to dynamic failure of the component and the strata. In order to maintain an effective,long-term ground support system, significant campaigns of rehabilitation are often required in corrosion affected areas which also expose the workers to hazardous conditions. The most common corrosion protection for steel ground support utilises sacrificial systems such as galvanising. Galvanising has previously been proven to be susceptible to some corrosion processes. Stainless steel is the most effective in resistance to corrosion, but can be cost prohibitive, and its mechanical properties often make it unsuited to use in ground support components. Providing an outer protective plastic coating to bolts has proven to be an effective means of protecting the inner steel bar from corrosion. However, these support systems tend to be susceptible to coating damage, and require post cement grouting to provide full encapsulation. In comparison to a standard bolt/resin system, they can be slow to install and expensive.These systems have also been shown to reduce overall load transfer performance of the bolting system. In order to provide a higher level of corrosion protection whilst maintaining current installation practices and bolting cycle times, Minova has developed the Enduro~(TM)steel ground support range. The Enduro~(TM) range consists of standard Minova steel ground support components which have been treated with a unique coating process. The Enduro~(TM)coating has been tested in the harshest of conditions, in laboratory controlled conditions and in underground trials. It has been proven to effectively resist or completely eliminate the formation of corrosion, even in the most aggressive environments. This paper explains the process and provides the details of the laboratory and underground corrosion performance testing carried out on Enduro~(TM)ground support products.