Mining Face Salvage

Project Title Face Salvage Featured Products Welded Mesh and Plastic Mesh

Introduction: Both standard welded mesh and "plastic" meshes are commonly used for preparing coalfaces for salvage. This case study relates to the use of plastic mesh reinforced with woven banding in order to improve the overall strength of the mesh panels thereby allowing the safe and efficient removal of the face equipment. Both the mesh and the banding are fully approved for use within an underground coal-mining environment.

The mesh panels are fabricated in lengths of 25m and to each mines particular design and requirements depending on the Managers Support Rules. Once fabricated the completed mesh is folded and secured with colour-coded tie-wraps to ensure that the mesh is unrolled safely and correctly underground.

The mesh is delivered to site folded up (see picture 1) for ease of transport and to allow the mesh to be easily opened out as the face retreats (or advances) to its final stop position.

Installation Procedure:

Prior to taking the mesh panels onto the face for installing it is essential that the face is straight, at the correct grade and horizon.

In conjunction with the Managers Support Rules the mesh is established over the powered supports as they are lowered and advanced. Care must be taken to ensure that the powered support is lowered sufficiently to prevent damaging the mesh.Adjoining rolls of mesh are overlapped and joined together by means of banding, ties or crimps. After the mesh is established above the supports it should be held back away from the shearer by means of ties or rubber straps.

The shearer then cuts through the face for a prescribed distance to allow the drilling for and installation of roofbolts. The correct colour coded tie-wrap is cut to allow the mesh to be unrolled and then temporary support is set to allow safe drilling operations on the face side of the conveyor.

The conveyor and powered supports can now be advanced, care must be taken not to damage the mesh and the heads of the roofbolts. The mesh is again held back out of the way of the shearer by means of ties or rubber straps and the cutting cycle is now repeated. At the face stop position the final row of roofbolts is installed and the face front is bolted to ensure the safe passage of persons along the face.