Determination of the Optimum Crown Pillar Thickness Between Open Pit and Block Caving

Citation

Bakhtavar E, Oraee K & Shahriar K (2010) Determination of the Optimum Crown Pillar Thickness Between Open Pit and Block Caving. In: Proceedings: 29th International Conference on Ground Control in Mining. ICGCM Papers. 29th International Conference on Ground Control in Mining, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA, 27.07.2010-29.07.2010. Morgantown, West Virginia: Dept. of Mining Engineering, College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, West Virginia University, pp. 325-332. http://icgcm.conferenceacademy.com/papers/detail.aspx?subdomain=icgcm&iid=309

Abstract
In this paper, a relationship between dependant parameters and the crown pillar thickness is first introduced. This relationship defines geotechnical problems caused by thin pillars and economic considerations created by pillars that are thicker than the optimum size. For this purpose, a dimensional analysis as an effective physico-mathematical tool was used. This technique restructures the original dimensional variables of a problem into a set of dimensionless products using the constraints imposed upon them by their dimensions. A model is hence introduced that calculates the optimum pillar thickness. The relationship introduced here and the method applied can be used by mining engineers in all situations where a combined open-pit and block caving method is deemed to be the most appropriate mining method.

Keywords
; Mining engineering; Coal mines and mining