Research and Development Programme
Rock Mechanics
Technology have an established record of high quality geotechnical
contract research. This is undertaken by a multi-discliplinary
research team which includes Geologists, Geoscientists, Mining
Engineers, Civil Engineers, Mathematicians, Computer Scientists,
Physicists and Electronics Engineers.
RMT has
excellent research facilities at its Bretby site, including
a well equipped rock testing laboratory, extensive electronics
laboratories and a numerical modelling capability for simulating
underground rock behaviour.
Currently
our main sponsors for Contract Research are the European Coal
and Steel Community (ECSC) and the UK Health and Safety Executive
(HSE). Many of our research projects are jointly funded by both
organisations with additional contributions from coal mine operators
(Ops) and equipment manufacturers (Ems). Our research programme
includes the following projects:
|
Project
Title
(subject area)
|
Duration
|
Funding
Bodies
|
Comments
|
|
Improved Rock Stress
Measurement and Analysis for Planning Underground Coal Mines |
July 2002 - June
2005 |
-ECSC
-Ops |
Joint project with French,
Spanish and British partners aimed at improving precision and cost-effectiveness
of rockstress measurement.
|
|
Improved roadway drivage and
ground control under high stress conditions |
July 2002 - June
2005 |
-ECSC
-Ops |
Joint project with German,
French and British partners aimed at improving underground coal mine support
systems, particularly long tendon reinforcement. |
|
Development
and Demonstration of Automatic Ground Hazard Monitoring
Systems
|
November
1999 - October 2002
|
-ECSC
-HSE
-Ops
|
Joint
project with German and Polish partners aimed at further
development of the Remote Reading Telltale System and
associated transducers.
|
|
Advanced
Geotechnical Instrumentation for Detecting Rock Failure
and Monitoring Support Loads
|
November
2000 - October 2003
|
-ECSC
-HSE
-Ops
|
Joint
project with German, French and Spanish partners aimed
at developing novel mobile and portable methods for detecting
rock failure.
|
|
Improved
Understanding of Reinforcement System Behaviour/Testing
|
November
2000 - October 2003
|
-ECSC
-HSE
-Ops
|
Joint
project with German, French and British partners aimed
at improving NDT methods for detecting in-situ reinforcement
condition.
|
|
Improved
Roadway and Face End Support Techniques
|
November
2001 - October 2004
|
-ECSC
-HSE
-Ops
-Ems
|
Joint
project with German, French, British and Polish partners.
|
RMT have
recently completed research projects on the following topics:
- Rock
Mechanics Solutions to Mining at Depth (ECSC 7220/AB-838)
- Coal
Pillar Design (ECSC 7220/AF-861)
- Multiple
Seam Interaction (ECSC 7220/AF-862)
- Geotechnical
studies for European Rockbolting (ECSC 7220/AB-143 and
AB-149)
- Effects
on Coal Mine Roadways of Lifting and Suspension from Rockbolts
(HSE 3686/R33.084)
- Application
of Geotechnical Techniques for Planning and Support of Roadways,
Galleries and Face Ends (ECSC 7220/AB-145)
- Stability
of Long Life Roadways (ECSC 7220/AB-147)
- Ground
Control at Small Coal Mines (HSE 3898/R33.067)
- Improved Support Systems
for Highly Stressed Roadways (ECSC 7220/PR-058)
- Stress Distribution
Analysis by Numerical Models for the Optimisation of Underground Coal Mine
Design (ECSC 7220/PR-055)
Some of
RMT's recent research and development achievements include:
- Ultrasonics
to determine rock reinforcement integrity in-situ.
- Radio
frequency system for determining in-situ integrity of cable
reinforcement.
- Measurement
of absolute stress and stress change in concrete/shotcrete
tunnel linings.
- Dual
height telltales for early warning of potential instability
in rock bolted tunnels.
- Development
of a remote reading dual height telltale system.
- New laboratory
testing procedures for determining rock reinforcement behaviour.
- Coal
pillar design through in-situ stress measurement and numerical
modelling.
Many of
our research reports are available through the European Coal
and Steel Community
(see http://www.cordis.lu/ecsc-coal/home.html).
We are always
pleased to quote to undertake contract research in the fields
of:
- Geotechnical
instrumentation development and testing.
- Tunnel
support design and stability.
- Rock
testing.
- Stress
measurement.
- Health
and safety related to tunnel support systems.
- Risk
assessment for falls of ground in mines.
- Numerical
modelling of rock behaviour.
- Rock
reinforcement testing and design.
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