Assessment of Chock Capacity and Strata Caving for a Longwall Mine

A mine scale numerical analysis of modern day longwall using a 3D Cosserat continuum method has been presented. The effect of mine specific geological conditions on viability of introducing a modern day longwall is comprehensively investigated and analysed in this paper. The various longwall parameters like chock (face support) convergence and strata caving mechanism are evaluated. The varying thickness of the sandstone present in the roof can be seen to have a strong impact on the magnitude and pattern of chock convergence. The paper also discusses the performance of chocks with different capacities under identical conditions. The effect of overlaying sandstone properties and width of the longwall panels have also been investigated. The analyses carried out in this study is expected to provide valuable process guidance during the mine design in relation to selecting the optimal mine geometry and support capacity so that the potential mining hazards could be minimized.