Designing Room and Pillar Mines Using ARMPS: An Overview
Written on
Chapter 1: Introduction to ARMPS in Mining Design
ARMPS serves as a powerful and rapid solution for mine design. Initially, an extraction ratio nearing 89% might appear excessive; however, upon closer examination, the panel width exceeds prior expectations. The in situ coal strength, at approximately 900 psi, is deemed sufficient for the majority of coal mining operations.
The design incorporates a framework of five entries and five crosscuts, allowing adequate operational space while reducing the mining height to 6 feet specifically for coal extraction. In this model, traditional room and pillar techniques were applied, establishing a 90-degree angle for the crosscuts. The stability of the operation is significantly enhanced by the proportionate length of the pillars relative to the dimensions of the entries and crosscuts.
ARMPS stands out as an excellent resource for swiftly verifying designs and can function as a valuable metric during the planning stages. The software is user-friendly, facilitating companies in creating stable and productive layouts. Even in this analysis, ARMPS demonstrated remarkable efficiency, yielding a design that promises high productivity.
Section 1.1: Design Parameters and Assumptions
The proposed mine layout was designed with the following parameters: C0 set at 16,600, F at 4, Sv at 700, a length of 10.8 feet, Re at 0.82, coal seam height at 6 feet, and width at 3.03 feet. With these assumptions, ARMPS was instrumental in achieving an optimal mine design, as illustrated in the figures below.
Section 1.2: ARMPS Module Specifications
The specifications for the ARMPS module are as follows:
- Module Build: 6.2.02
- Project File: Untitled
- Units: (ft) (psi) (tons)
[PROJECT TITLE]
[PROJECT DESCRIPTION]
[DEVELOPMENT GEOMETRY PARAMETERS]
- Entry Height: 6 ft
- Depth of Cover: 10.8 ft
- Crosscut Angle: 90 degrees
- Entry Width: 2.02 ft
- Number of Entries: 5
- Crosscut Spacing: 3.03 ft
- Center to Center Distances: 3.03 ft
[DEFAULT PARAMETERS]
- In Situ Coal Strength: 900 psi
- Unit Weight of Overburden: 162 pcf
- Breadth of Active Mining Zone (AMZ): 16 ft
[RETREAT MINING PARAMETERS]
- Loading Condition: DEVELOPMENT LOAD (NO NEARBY GOB)
[ARMPS STABILITY FACTORS]
- Development: 5.77
[DATA ABOUT THE ACTIVE MINING ZONE (AMZ)]
- Panel Width: 12.1 ft
- Depth to Panel Width Ratio: 0.9
- AMZ Breadth: 16.0 ft
- AMZ Area: 193.9 ft²
- Extraction Ratio within AMZ: 0.89
- Tributary Area Load on AMZ: 170 tons
Chapter 2: Video Insights on Room and Pillar Mining
This video titled "Room and Pillar Mining Method - Epiroc" provides an overview of the room and pillar mining technique, highlighting its applications and benefits.
In this video, "Room and Pillar Method Mining at Its Finest," viewers gain deeper insights into the intricacies and efficiencies of room and pillar mining practices.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions or feedback regarding this article. Thank you.
~Roberto Baldizon