Underground
Our underground health and safety, productivity and environment initiatives include strengthening ventilation and gas management technology, minimising risks from fires and explosions, advancing emergency response technologies, reducing operating costs and improving reliability of subsidence predictions.
Roadway Development (34 Reports)
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| C33013 | 01/06/2023 |
| Author: Gangadhara Prusty, Serkan Saydam, Sangarapillai Kanapathipillai & Phyo Thu Muang | University of New South Wales |
Underground mines heavily rely on belt conveyor systems for efficient transportation of mined products, traditionally using steel conveyor structures. However, the weight and manual handling risks associated with steel structures pose safety concerns and productivity losses. Lightweight .... read more |
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| C29034 | 30/05/2021 |
| Author: Jonathon Ralston, Craig James, David Hainsworth and Mark Dunn | CSIRO |
This report describes the outcomes of a strategic review of Australian roadway development practice, capability and requirements. It identifies industry priorities, what is considered best practice and why, and provides recommendations to support delivery on the ACARP Roadway Development Task .... read more |
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| C25068 | 01/02/2021 |
| Author: Des Conway | Conway Engineering |
This project investigated the suitability of a novel design to simultaneously and independently spin and push a long tendon into a predrilled hole. The objective was to allow a tendon to be inserted whilst simultaneously bursting and mixing multiple resin sausages. This is considered an .... read more |
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| C25058 | 03/11/2020 |
| Author: Mark Levey | OKA Rock Bolt Technologies |
There are several self-drill roof bolt concepts and prototypes that have been trialled in the industry. This technology allows for a chemically anchored pre-tensioned, fully encapsulated installed bolt. The technology also allows for the self-drill rock bolt installation to be fully automated. .... read more |
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| C27051 | 01/08/2020 |
| Author: Jonathon Ralston, Hayden Clarke, Andrew Strange and Craig James | CSIRO |
This project explored the development of a new assistive shuttle car guidance system to improve the safety, productivity and sustainability of roadway development operations. It built upon the reference design established in project C26049 Assistive Shuttle Car Stage 1 which outlined the .... read more |
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| C26051 | 27/06/2020 |
| Author: Jonathon Ralston, Chad Hargrave, Craig James, Zen Chai and Paul McPhee | CSIRO |
The primary objective of this project was to investigate how laser scanning and processing technology could be used to determine the location of installed roof bolts in an underground coal mining roadway environment. Of secondary interest was the exploration of the degree to which .... read more |
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| C28021 | 01/03/2020 |
| Author: David Walker, Chris Harvey, Ernest Baafi, Ian Porter, Senevi Kiridena | University of Wollongong |
This project investigated the management of logistics within underground coal mines in Australia and considered mechanisms that might be utilised to ensure the movement of personnel and materials in and around a mine is achieved in a timely and efficient manner. Optimising the development of .... read more |
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| C20041 | 01/04/2017 |
| Author: Ernest Baafi, Ian Porter, Jan Nemcik, Kel Mews, Noel Noé and Daniel Gailer | The University of Wollongong |
The report details work undertaken to develop a polymer-based alternative to steel mesh for longwall coal mine roadway strata support. The objective of the research was to develop a skin confinement system that can be remotely applied thereby facilitating automation of the roadway development .... read more |
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| C25003 | 19/05/2016 |
| Author: Mahdi Zoorabadi, Winton Gale | SCT Operations |
SCT Operations Pty Ltd have been requested by ACARP roadway development task group to conduct an assessment of roof support options for the next generation of continuous miners (CM). The feasibility of using a canopy-like system to protect the unsupported span of roadway, bolt placement close .... read more |
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| C23018 | 08/02/2016 |
| Author: Sean Starling | Scott Technology |
This project set out to redesign the Scott enclosed belt system (SEBS), in conjunction with the HiTrack support system, for underground coal mine applications. This project focused on three primary objectives: · To develop a Fire Resistant and Anti-Static (FRAS) belt formulation .... read more |
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| C17018 | 01/03/2014 |
| Author: Stephen van Duin, Peter Donnelly, Ian Oxley, Luke Meers, Daniel Gailer | University of Wollongong |
Roadway development rates across the Industry are failing to keep pace with modern longwall systems and are unlikely to sustain further improvements in longwall productivity unless step change improvements to roadway development equipment and practices are realised. Bottlenecks which constrain .... read more |
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| C20035 | 01/09/2013 |
| Author: Luke Meers, Stephen Van Duin | University of Wollongong |
The supply of services to the continuous miner and the ventilation of the face area play an important part of the roadway development process. Monorail technology has improved the supply method of these services by allowing an advancing system to follow the miner carrying ventilation ducting, .... read more |
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| C18023 | 31/08/2012 |
| Author: David Reid, Chad Hargrave, Andrew Strange, Peter Reid, Karsten Hoehn , Mark Dunn, Jonathon Ralston | CSIRO |
This project covers the second half of the planned effort required to demonstrate autonomous navigation (self steering) of a Continuous Miner (CM) to a proof-of-concept level. This report presents the work components undertaken and the research decisions made during the project, together with .... read more |
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| C21025 | 09/05/2012 |
| Author: Peter Wypych | University of Wollongong |
Despite attempts to introduce continuous haulage systems into Australian coal mines since the late-1980s, shuttle cars remain the primary method of coal clearance from face to panel conveyor in bord and pillar operations and longwall gateroad development. Such batch coal haulage systems have a .... read more |
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| c17019 | 01/11/2009 |
| Author: Ernest Baafi, Geoff Gray, Ian Porter, Osvaldo Rojas | Simulation Modelling Services Pty Ltd and School of Civil, Mining & Environmental Engineering, University of Wollongong |
The practice of longwall mining is potentially an efficient and cost effective means of extracting coal from underground seams, however, for production targets to be achieved not only must the longwall perform as expected but roadway development must be kept ahead of the longwall advance. The .... read more |
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| C9017 | 03/06/2009 |
| Author: David Hainsworth | CSIRO Exploration & Mining |
The project commenced in 1998 and involved collaboration between ACARP, CSIRO, JCOAL, Boart Longyear, The IHI Corporation, Taheiyo Komatsu and Hydramatic Engineering (now Sandvik). All funds allocated to this project have been expended and the work program forming project C9017 is now .... read more |
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| C14029 | 04/03/2009 |
| Author: Ross Seedsman, Nick Gordon, Naj Aziz | University of Wollongong, Seedsman Geotechnics Pty Ltd, Gordon Geotechniques Pty Ltd |
This report provides a reference source for the design of ground control measures in coal mine roadways using analytical methods. Analytical methods are based on identifying potential failure modes from knowledge of the geology, followed by simple analyses based on hand calculations, .... read more |
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| C15002 | 01/05/2008 |
| Author: David Hainsworth, David Reid, Con Caris, JC Ralston, CO Hargrave, Ron McPhee, IN Hutchinson, A Strange, C Wesner | CSIRO |
This report covers a nominal two-year extension to the Major Longwall Automation Project (C10100). This report presents work programs undertaken, results achieved against the original goals and subsequently re-scoped goals and recommendations for further work. This document is the final .... read more |
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| C11028 | 01/06/2007 |
| Author: Peter Gray | Ground Support Services |
A new Self Drilling Rock Bolt (SDRB) system has been developed which uses a pumpable resin system for full column resin encapsulation for immediate roof and rib support. A new drilling and injection system has also been developed to enable fast and efficient bolt installation. .... read more |
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| C15005 | 01/03/2007 |
| Author: Gary Gibson | Gary Gibson & Associates |
Development rates are failing to keep up with advances in longwall production. The ACARP Roadway Development Task Group (RDTG) is seeking to address this through targeted research and development. The RDTG utilised key findings of this scoping study, Project C15005, to establish .... read more |
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| C10100AB | 01/09/2005 |
| Author: Mick Kelly, David Hainsworth, David Reid, Con Caris, Patrick Humphries, Jonathon Ralston, Chad Hargrace, Fusheng Li, Brett Poulsen, Ian Hutchinson, Hua Guo, Hal Gurgenci, Graham Brooker | CSIRO Exploration & Mining, CRCMining |
The three-year $4.31m ACARP Major Longwall Automation project is complete. This report presents work programs undertaken, results achieved against original and re-scoped goals and recommendations for future work. In general the major contributions of the project to longwall mining .... read more |
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| C11004 | 01/06/2002 |
| Author: Peter Gray | Ground Support Services |
The results from this project are the culmination of four years of research by Ground Support Services Pty Ltd (GSS) into the Hot-Roll Forging process (HRF) for the production of hollow steel bars for use as Self Drilling Rock .... read more |
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| C10026 | 12/12/2001 |
| Author: Bob Ifield | Hyden Engineering |
The primary objective of this project was to improve safety and to reduce the costs associated with failures of trailing cables on shuttle cars. A summary of related 'incidences' from the relevant authorities for the mines in NSW and QLD shows that up to 51% of the .... read more |
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| C9004 | 01/08/2000 |
| Author: Bob Ifield | Hyden Engineering |
The objective of the project was to improve safety and to reduce the costs associated with failures of trailing cables, through the application of a new product that may be retrofitted to existing fleets. This product: (1) increases the minimum tension to reduce failures resulting from the .... read more |
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| C8014 | 01/05/2000 |
| Author: Michael Kelly, Hau Guo, David Hainsworth Rao Balusu, K Mitchel, G Carter, Boatong Shen, D Adhikary, S Craig, H Kahraman | CSIRO Exploration & Mining |
CSIRO and JCOAL signed an umbrella agreement for investment in productivity related research projects for the Australian underground coal industry in July 1997. Under the agreement, JCOAL agreed to jointly fund critical areas of research and development that would result in a direct improvement .... read more |
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| C6037 | 01/10/1999 |
| Author: Michael Kelly | CSIRO Exploration & Mining |
Improvements in roadway development rates remain one of the most important issues in underground coal mining in Australia. Through a series of industry meetings and workshops in 1996-97, it was determined that applying a systems approach to current practice could both dramatically .... read more |
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| C3057 | 01/03/1999 |
| Author: | Capricorn Coal Management |
This report addresses a commissioned roadway development project that set out to improve mining efficiency and reduced production costs. The scope of the project was to improve roadway .... read more |
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| C5021 | 01/02/1999 |
| Author: | Coffey |
This report details the results of a roof bolt trial utilising the Ingersoll Rand marketed CT-Bolt at a number of collieries in the Sydney and Bowen Basins. The project was .... read more |
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| C4015B | 01/01/1999 |
| Author: K Hall, Keith Robinson | Illawarra Conveyor Services |
This Brief summarises the development of the Fan Trolley and Material Trolley. The project was sponsored by Springvale Colliery, in association with Illawarra Conveyor Services, Wollongong Springvale Colliery had a requirement to provide auxiliary .... read more |
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| C5013 | 01/02/1997 |
| Author: Michael Kelly | CSIRO Exploration & Mining |
Roadway development is one of the most important issues facing the profitability, viability and future of underground coal mines. For the last decade roadway development has been unable to keep pace with improvements in longwall extraction rates. In .... read more |
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| C4068 | 30/08/1995 |
| Author: Michael Kelly | CSIRO Australia |
In 1994 it was proposed by the ACARP Mining Systems Task Force, to formulate a detailed strategy and business plan for the future direction of roadway development research and specifically to use a systems approach in this formulation. .... read more |
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| C3104 | 30/07/1994 |
| Author: Michael W Fabjanczyk, Robert J Guy | Strata Control Technology |
The ACARP Underground Mining Systems Task Force requested Strata Control Technology to prepare a brief study on the status of rib bolting in the Australian coal mining industry. This study would then be used to assist the task force in identifying .... read more |
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| C3026 | 30/06/1994 |
| Author: Ross Seedsman, A Logan, G Cocks, B Nicholls | Coffey Partners International |
Provide the means to improve underground road pavement construction and maintenance. Summary of Situation Good roads are essential in moving men and materials to and from the coal face. With the application of good pavement construction .... read more |
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| C3041 | 30/11/1993 |
| Author: Terry O'Beirne, David Price | ACIRL |
ACIRL was commissioned by the Roadway Development Taskforce of ACARP to examine a relatively new device called a mobile boot end. The objectives being to critique its performance to date at 3 mines; comment on how this device may impact on longwall development systems of the near future and .... read more |