CAUSALITY: FIRES AND COLLAPSES

摘要

Fire and roof collapses are two of the worst case scenarios for underground coal mines. This study, undertaken in Australia, investigates whether one can potentially cause the other. In Australia, coal mines use resin-anchored and torque-tensioned roof bolts as the primary roof support. This combination offers installation efficiency and technical performance at an acceptable cost. Technical performance is well understood for routine conditions. However, little is known regarding the effect of extreme temperatures on the performance of resin-anchored bolts. Thankfully, underground fires are a rare occurrence, but their catastrophic effects could be compounded if they produce extreme heat that compromises the integrity of the roof supports.