Advances in Coal Mine Ground Control is a comprehensive text covering all recent advances in coal mine ground control, the most advanced subsystem of the rapidly advancing coal mining systems. This complete resource is written by Professor Syd Peng who, alongside leading experts from the world’s major coal producing countries, has contributed extensively to the understanding of subsidence from underground coal mining, longwall operations and ground control in underground mines. Syd and the team of contributors bring together key advances from the past decade into one comprehensive resource that is accessible to all those studying, researching and working in the mining industry. This book is an essential text for undergraduate and graduate students of mining engineering and related programs, and a must-have reference for mining, civil and geotechnical engineers. Written and edited by the world’s leading experts on ground control in coal mining Covers all aspects of ground control practices in coal mines Focuses on advances over the past decade, equipping readers with the most up-to-date knowledge regarding current research and practices in the field

Read what industry thought leaders are saying about research and advancements in ground control science. The International Conference on Ground Control in Mining has a rich history of advancing ground control techniques and knowledge. It provides a unique platform for researchers, regulators, consultants, manufacturers, and mine operators to present and exchange challenging industry topics as well as to expedite solutions to ground control problems that require immediate attention. This proceedings from the 38th International Conference is no exception. It includes 43 peer-reviewed research papers from industry experts covering topics of importance for today and the future.

The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and, since the 1880s, has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. Coal mining has had many developments over the recent years, from the early days of men tunneling, digging and manually extracting the coal on carts, to large open cut and long wall mines. Mining at this scale requires the use of draglines, trucks, conveyors, jacks and shearers. The most economical method of coal extraction from coal seams depends on the depth and quality of the seams, and the geology and environmental factors. Coal mining processes are differentiated by whether they operate on the surface or underground. Surface mining and deep underground mining are the two basic methods of mining. The choice of mining method depends primarily on depth of burial, density of the overburden and thickness of the coal seam. Seams relatively close to the surface, at depths less than approximately 180 ft (50 m), are usually surface mined. Coal that occurs at depths of 180 to 300 ft (50 to 100 m) is usually deep mined, but in some cases surface mining techniques can be used. Most coal seams are too deep underground for opencast mining and require underground mining, a method that currently accounts for about 60 percent of world coal production. This book entitled Coal Mine Ground Control covers every major topic concerned with ground control in underground coal mines, with emphasis on the application of various ground control theories and techniques. The book reviews current general practices in underground mine layouts, roof control, and common ground control failures, and the discussion of the state-of-the-art of coal mine ground control technology. The book will also prove useful to practical engineers involved in either the design or the day-to-day operations of underground coal mines.