Mining is the pillar of the economy for many small communities in Canada. But as some towns have recently discovered, the surface crown pillars of abandoned mines may not be structurally sound. In fact, they may be on the verge of collapse, taking part of a town’s infrastructure with it.
Developers in some expanding mining towns are often blissfully unaware of underground mine workings that have been long abandoned.
Modern geotechnical instrumentation in the form of ground probing radar and time domain reflectometry together with advanced rock mechanics theories such as finite element analysis and discrete block modelling have enabled engineers to investigate and evaluate the risks associated with building in the area of abandoned mines.
Despite today’s high tech, both municipal and provincial governments must devise emergency response plans and remedial programs to prevent potentially c atastrophic collapses of crown pillar.
Liability for harm to persons or property depends on who knew the underground workings existed.
Engineers must understand as to why crown pillars fail so that they can modify current design approaches. Yet very little useful geotechnical data are available.
A publication that fills this gap is Surface Crown Pillar Evaluation for Active and Abandoned Metals Mines, a compilation of the proceedings of an international conference held in Timmins, Ont., Nov. 15-17. It covers all of the topics mentioned above and should be consulted by all engineers prior to designing new crown pillars.
Surface Crown Pillar Evaluation for Active and Abandoned Metal Mines: International Conference Proceedings. Edited by M.C. Betournay. Published by Supply and Services Canada, Canadian Government Publishing Centre, Ottawa, Canada K1A 0S9. 216 pages.
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