Full-Column Resin Bolts
mining roof bolts have been used to enhance the safety of underground mines since the early 1940’s. While they have been a mainstay solution that has grown in popularity across several mining environments, their continual developments and enhancements have been injecting innovation into mine safety for years, whether that has been to the benefit of cost-effectiveness, overall mine safety, or productivity in mines.
Through decades of development, research, case studies, and investigations by various mining companies, steel manufacturers, and organisations, they have steadily become more effective, supportive, lasting and reliable. One such example of these continuous evolutionary steps is the full-column resin bolt.
They are manufactured with additional protection and longevity at their core. But what are they?
THE POPULARITY OF FULL-COLUMN RESIN mining roof bolts
Not too long ago in South Africa’s mining history, support structures in underground mines were not as commonplace as you might expect. The terrain that made up most mines were considered solid enough for operations, however as time has gone on, roof bolts and support systems of all kinds have been employed to ensure that accidents are limited.
Protecting personnel, equipment, and materials from falling ground and collapses became more pressing at time went on, and various types of roof bolts started to be used across various types of mines and terrains.
Full-column resin bolts, although being a commonplace of the mining industry now, at some point arose to provide one of the most versatile support systems in South African mining.
A MOVE TO MAJORITY USE
If you survey South African coal mines today, you will find that no less than 95% of them use full-column resin bolts as support systems.
There is a good reason for this, making use of strong materials, a specialised placement pattern, and a mixture of various strengthening solutions, they prove an ideal solution for supporting nearly all underground mining environments.
This can be attributed to their reliability in ensuring safety, their versatility across different types of mines and geological conditions, as well as their overall, relative cost-effectiveness for mining operations.
SUPERIOR SUPPORT FOR UNDERGROUND MINES
Full-column resin bolts boast a superior ability to effectively control the displacement of surrounding rocks by implementing a combination of strategies.
These include the high-prestress system, the intensive bolting system, and the use of grouting if necessary, to facilitate a versatile support system that works with multiple rock and earth types.
In addition to this, the mining roof bolts are given additional protection against stress and corrosion, through the use of resin. This reinforcement, in turn limits the damaging effects of vibration from equipment, drilling, and even controlled explosions, providing further control over rock and earth displacement.
PLACEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
There are critical considerations to make when placing mining roof bolts, which affect both the cost of placing them, as well as their overall effectiveness. By and large, mines and contractors make use of the Roof Bolt Placement System (RBPS) to determine the layout pattern of bolts.
The system ensures that a balance is found that results in the overall mitigation of risk of collapse. For instance, they account for both the lack of support created by excessive bolt spacing, while ensuring that time and money are not unnecessarily spent on using too many.
RBPS also makes the actual placement of mining roof bolts safer and more, since the person charged with doing it will not need to travel below the unsupported surface to do it.
COMPONENTS AFFECTED ON mining roof bolts
Even with the versatility of full-column resin bolts, there are still a few things to think about during their placement that can have a negative impact on the performance of their components. These will vary depending on the operations, the terrain they are being conducted in, and various other factors.
These include aspects affecting the resin, which can impact the support capabilities of the bolt directly; the bolts themselves and their related components, the bolt’s hole which impacts the capacity to support pressure, machinery and equipment that may create additional pressure, the and the rock type of the terrain being worked in.
While these may seem like overwhelming considerations, the right supplier of mining roof bolts would be able to assist and consult on the matter.
CONTACT REUNKO STEEL FOR DETAILS
If you would like to know more about our offers for mining roof bolts, and how we can assist with enhancing the safety, profitability, and the efficiency of your mining operations, be sure to visit the Reunko Steel website today, or get in contact with one of our representatives for details.