Abstract
Mine spoils created by mountaintop removal coal mining are placed in valleys to create large expanses of flat land. Mine spoils consisting of crushed fragments of mudstones, siltstones or sandstones are susceptible to significant volume change when wetted. This mechanism is referred to as hydrocompression, and has been attributed to extensive settlement. Herein, hydrocompression-induced volume change in mine spoils has been correlated to dry unit weight and moisture content. Mine spoils from eastern Kentucky were reconstituted into cylindrical specimens using different compaction efforts and moisture contents. The specimens were confined and wetted to observe changes in volume. The results indicate that hydrocompression potential depends upon the initial dry unit weight and moisture content prior to wetting, and that these parameters can be used as an indicator of settlement potential. These results are site-specific, but similar behaviour would be expected at other sites that consist of similar earth materials.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 350-362 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | International Journal of Mining, Reclamation and Environment |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2010 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors thank the Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation for sponsoring this project under Award #KSEF-633-RDE-007.
Keywords
- Hydrocompression
- Mine spoils
- Settlement
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
- Geology
- Earth-Surface Processes
- Management of Technology and Innovation
