The present invention relates to an underground support and a method of installing an underground support.
Certain underground mines utilize a room and pillar mining technique where pillars of material are left to support the roof overburden while other material is removed to form the rooms. In underground stone or aggregate mining, the pillar dimensions are typically smaller than those in a coal mine due to the strength of the material forming the pillars and roof of the mine. As the size of the pillars is reduced, such as 40 feet wide rooms and cross cut width with 40 feet by 40 feet pillar dimensions, to increase recovery percentages and maximize profit and productivity, the stability of the pillars can be affected. In large mining districts, with a width of 3,000 feet and a length of 1,000 feet, the interior pillars in the mining district can begin to punch into the main roof beam due to pillar instability, pillar pre-failure due to aggressive scaling activities, and weathering due to changes in mine air humidity and temperature, causing reduction in the original pillar dimension of 40 feet by 40 feet down to 30 feet.
When these premature signs of failure occur in mining areas that are 23 feet high, there are currently very few options for standing support. In certain cases, attempts are made to backfill the premature fail areas with waste materials, which can cause the working areas to be inaccessible for escapeway or other activities that include travel through the area with trucks. In certain mines, the initial mining height is typically 23 feet to 25 feet.
In one aspect or embodiment, an underground support includes a first row of panels, and a second row of panels configured to be secured to the first row of panels to define an interior space for receiving construction aggregate or concrete. Each panel of the first row of panels and the second row of panels includes a body having a top edge, a bottom edge positioned opposite from the top edge, a left edge, and a right edge positioned opposite from the left edge, with the top edges of the panels of the first row of panels configured to abut the bottom edges of the panels of the second row of panels.
Each of the panels of the first row of panels and the second row of panels may include a concave face and a convex face positioned opposite from the concave face. The first row of panels and the second row of panels may be configured to form a circular column structure. Each of the panels of the first row of panels and the second row of panels may include a top flange, a bottom flange, a left flange, and a right flange. The top flange, the bottom flange, the left flange, and the right flange of each panel of the first and second rows of panels may extend radially outward from the body of each panel. The top flange, the bottom flange, the left flange, and the right flange of each panel of the first and second rows of panels may extend from the respective top edge, bottom edge, left edge, and right edge of each panel. The top flange, the bottom flange, the left flange, and the right flange of each panel of the first and second rows of panels may each define an opening configured to receive a fastener.
Each of the panels of the first row of panels and the second row of panels may include a handle extending radially outward from the body of each panel. The first row of panels and the second row of panels may be positioned in a running bond pattern. The first row of panels may have a first height and the second row of panels may have a second height, with the first height being different than the second height. The underground support may include a third row of panels, a fourth row of panels, a fifth row of panels, a sixth row of panels, and a seventh row of panels, where the third row of panels, the fourth row of panels, the fifth row of panels, the sixth row of panels, and the seventh row of panels each have an equal height. The first row of panels may include eight panels and the second row of panels may include eight panels.
The first row of panels and the second row of panels may be configured to form a polygonal column structure.
The underground support may further include a reinforcement ring configured to extend circumferentially around the first row of panels or the second row of panels.
The underground support may further include a reinforcement cage including a plurality of rebar supports. The reinforcement cage may be configured to abut an inner surface defined by the first and second rows of panels.
In a further aspect or embodiment, a method of installing an underground support includes: positioning a plurality of panels to form a first row of panels with each panel of the first row of panels secured to an adjacent panel of the first row of panels; positioning a plurality of panels to form a second row of panels with each panel of the second row of panels secured to an adjacent panel of the second row of panels; securing the first row of panels to the second row of panels with the first and second rows of panels defining an interior space; and positioning at least one of construction aggregate and concrete within the interior space.
Securing the first row of panels to the second row of panels may form a circular column structure. Each of the panels of the first row of panels and the second row of panels may include a top flange, a bottom flange, a left flange, and a right flange, where securing the first row of panels to the second row of panels may include positioning a plurality of fasteners through respective openings defined by the bottom flanges of the panels of the first row of panels and the top flanges of the panels of the second row of panels. Each panel of the first row of panels may be secured to an adjacent panel of the first row of panels by positioning a plurality of fasteners through respective openings defined by the left flanges and the right flanges of the panels of the first row of panels, where each panel of the second row of panels may be secured to an adjacent panel of the second row of panels by positioning a plurality of fasteners through respective openings defined by the left flanges and the right flanges of the panels of the second row of panels.
The method may include positioning the first row of panels and the second row of panels in a running bond pattern.
The method may include, removing the first and second rows of panels after positioning concrete within the interior space.
The following description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the described aspects contemplated for carrying out the invention. Various modifications, equivalents, variations, and alternatives, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Any and all such modifications, variations, equivalents, and alternatives are intended to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “right”, “left”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “lateral”, “longitudinal”, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as it is oriented in the drawing figures. However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative variations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary aspects of the invention. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics related to the aspects disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting.
Unless otherwise indicated, all ranges or ratios disclosed herein are to be understood to encompass the beginning and ending values and any and all subranges or subratios subsumed therein. For example, a stated range or ratio of “1 to 10” should be considered to include any and all subranges or subratios between (and inclusive of) the minimum value of 1 and the maximum value of 10; that is, all subranges or subratios beginning with a minimum value of 1 or more and ending with a maximum value of 10 or less. The ranges and/or ratios disclosed herein represent the average values over the specified range and/or ratio.
The terms “first”, “second”, and the like are not intended to refer to any particular order or chronology, but refer to different conditions, properties, or elements.
As used herein, “at least one of” is synonymous with “one or more of”. For example, the phrase “at least one of A, B, and C” means any one of A, B, or C, or any combination of any two or more of A, B, or C. For example, “at least one of A, B, and C” includes one or more of A alone; or one or more B alone; or one or more of C alone; or one or more of A and one or more of B; or one or more of A and one or more of C; or one or more of B and one or more of C; or one or more of all of A, B, and C.
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Although not shown, the underground support 10 may also include one or more reinforcement rings 104 and/or the reinforcement cage 106 shown in connection with the underground support 100 of
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Securing the first row of panels 12 to the second row of panels 14 includes positioning a plurality of fasteners 72 through respective openings 70 defined by the bottom flanges 54 of the panels 30,102 of the first row of panels 12 and the top flanges 52 of the panels 30,102 of the second row of panels 14, although other suitable arrangements may be utilized. Each panel 30,102 of the first row of panels 12 is secured to an adjacent panel of the first row of panels 12 by positioning a plurality of fasteners 72 through respective openings 70 defined by the left flanges 56 and the right flanges 58 of the panels 30,102 of the first row of panels 12, although other suitable arrangements may be utilized. Each panel 30,120 of the second row of panels 14 is secured to an adjacent panel of the second row of panels 14 by positioning a plurality of fasteners 72 through respective openings 70 defined by the left flanges 56 and the right flanges 58 of the panels 30,102 of the second row of panels 14, although other suitable arrangements may be utilized. The third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh rows of panels 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 may be assembled and connected to adjacent rows in the same manner as discussed above in connection with the first and second rows of panels 12,14. As noted above, the fasteners 72 may be a bolt and nut arrangement, welding, rivets, clamping, or any other suitable arrangement.
The underground supports 10,100 may be filled with construction aggregate 18, such as aggregate waste rock, and capped with concrete, such as 4,000 psi concrete, to the roof of the underground mine. Alternatively, the underground support may act as a form for concrete 18, such as 4,000 psi concrete. A prefabricated rebar column (not shown) may be inserted into the underground support 10 formed by the panels 30,102 prior to installation of the concrete 18. After the concrete structure has set, the panels 30,102 may be removed and reused again to produce additional concrete structures.
In one aspect or embodiment of the present application, the panels 30,120 are tunnel lining panels, although other suitable panel arrangements may be utilized. In one aspect or embodiment, the panels 30,102 are two-flange tunnel lining panels available from Jennmar Civil. In another aspect or embodiment, the panels 30,102 are two-flange panels or MULTI-PLATE® panels available from Contech Engineered Solutions.
While this disclosure has been described as having exemplary designs, the present disclosure can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure using its general principles. To the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment or aspect can be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment or aspect. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this disclosure pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/772,899, filed on Nov. 29, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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