NIOSH Mining Laboratory
Safety Structures Testing Laboratory |
| Return to: Physical Infrastructure |
|
| Safety Structures Testing Laboratory |
The Safety Structures Testing Laboratory is dedicated to large scale material and structural testing relating to the prevention of roof and rib falls. The focal point of the SST laboratory is the Mine Roof Simulator (MRS) load frame that is designed to simulate the extreme weight and movement of the overburden rock that must be supported when coal or other minerals are extracted from the earth. It is the largest load frame of its kind in the world and is the only load frame that can simulate the complex behavior of rock masses at great depths below the surface.
Site: Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
Equipment: Mine Roof Simulator