Strength and Consolidation Characteristics of Coal Refuse for Design and Construction of Disposal Facilities: Applications of Research Findings

摘要

The use of coal refuse properties for the short-term stability analysis of disposal facilities is illustrated in the report. Three types of disposal facilities are considered: waste embankments constructed of combined or fine refuse, refuse dams constructed by upstream method, and sandwich construction by placing coarse and fine refuse in alternate layers. Detailed procedures are presented to determine the factor of safety at the end of construction using the REAME computer program developed at the University of Kentucky. The results of analysis show that limiting the maximum moisture content of combined or fine refuse in waste embankments and keeping the construction of refuse dams at a slower pace are very important for short-term stability. Due to the granular nature of coarse and fine refuse, the use of sandwich construction appears to be an efficient and economical disposal method. To compare the properties of coal refuse from the Western Coal Field with those from the Eastern Coal Field reported previously, test results on combined and fine refuse taken from two sites in Colorado are presented.