NIOSHTIC-2 No. 20028125


Characteristics of Mining-Induced Seismicity Associated with Roof Falls and Roof Caving Events

2005

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The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) evaluated microseismic activity from three field sites to compare and contrast the characteristics of microseismic emissions from very different geologic, stress, and mining environments. Recently, NIOSH has embarked on a research program to evaluate the use of microseismic monitoring information to identify roof fall failure processes and to assess its potential to warn of unstable roof conditions. Large roof instabilities, such as roof falls and certain roof caving events, have proven difficult to anticipate, representing an increased risk to miners who work in these inherently hazardous areas. When local failure processes are better understood, appropriate control measures can be engineered to mitigate these hazards. This study used microseismic emissions to help identify three local rock failure processes. It was also shown that analysis of microseismic emissions can aid in assessing the degree of instability associated with these local rock failure processes.

Author(s):Iannacchione-AT, Esterhuizen-GS, Bajpayee-TS, Swanson-PL, Chapman-MC
Reference:Proceedings of the 40th U.S. Rock Mechanics Symposium, Anchorage, AK, June 25-29, 2005. Alexandria, VA: American Rock Mechanics Association, 2005 Jun; :1-10

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Page last updated: September 17, 2008
Content Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Mining Division