Application of the coal mine floor rating (CMFR) to assess the floor stability in a Central Appalachian Coal Mine

Estimating the overall floor stability in a coal mine using deterministic methods which require complex engineering properties of floor strata is desirable, but generally it is impractical due to the difficulty of gathering essential input data. However, applying a quantitative methodology to describe floor quality with a single number provides a practical estimate for preliminary assessment of floor stability. The coal mine floor rating (CMFR) system, developed by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), is a rock-mass classification system that provides an indicator for the competence of floor strata. The most significant components of the CMFR are uniaxial compressive strength and discontinuity intensity of floor strata. In addition to the competence of the floor, depth of cover and stress notch angle are input parameters used to assess the preliminary floor stability. In this study, CMFR methodology was applied to a Central Appalachian Coal Mine that intermittently experienced floor heave. Exploratory drill core data, overburden maps, and mine plans were utilized for the study. Additionally, qualitative data (failure/non-failure) on floor conditions of the mine entries near the core holes was collected and analyzed so that the floor quality and its relation to entry stability could be estimated by statistical methods. It was found that the current CMFR classification system is not directly applicable in assessing the floor stability of the Central Appalachian Coal Mine. In order to extend the applicability of the CMFR classification system, the methodology was modified. A calculation procedure of one of the CMFR classification system’s components, the horizontal stress rating (HSR), was changed and new parameters were added to the HSR.