Minimizing impacts on streams due to underground mining by predicting surface ground movements

Zach Agioutantis, Christopher Newman, Gabriel Böde Jimenez Leon, Michael Karmis

Research output: Contribution to specialist publicationArticle

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper examines the implementation of the ground strain calculations into the SDP Software for analyzing the impact of underground mining on surface streams. Several cases were examined using SDPS comparing horizontal strain and ground strain results. These exercises suggest that the ground strain calculation will provide more accurate and realistic evaluation of the structural integrity of the stream bed while horizontal strain calculations can overpredict the strain regime. In providing a more accurate approximation of ground movements, mining engineers will be able to establish optimum extraction sequences mitigating the effects of underground mining on surface streams. While these results are promising, more thorough SDPS evaluations need to be conducted validating the application of ground strain to current underground mining methods and techniques. Currently work is underway in collecting and analyzing case studies from both the Appalachian and Illinois coal fields of the United States to further validate the ground strain calculation. From the collection of case studies, statistical analyses can be conducted for the development of design criteria for stream impacts due to underground mining with respect to ground strain concentrations along the stream bed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages28-37
Number of pages10
Volume68
No3
Specialist publicationMining Engineering
StatePublished - Mar 2016

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology

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