Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

Coal rib stability remains a major safety concern in U.S. underground coal mines, with rib failure-related injuries and fatalities still occurring. A key challenge is the lack of a standardized methodology for designing rib support systems that can address varying geological conditions. As a result, many mines rely on trial-and-error or traditional practices, leading to inconsistent designs. This research aims to develop a systematic methodology for rib support design to improve coal rib stability in U.S. mining operations.

The study consists of: i) field monitoring in active room-and-pillar coal mines, ii) in-situ pull-out tests on coal ribs, iii) numerical model validations simulating load displacement behavior of rib bolts, iv) parametric studies to develop rib support design guidelines, and v) the development of a user-friendly Rib Support Recommendation (RSR) tool. The RSR tool incorporates the improved Coal Pillar Rib Rating (CPRR) system and provides support recommendations based on extensive parametric models.

Pull-out tests provided key data on the performance of different rib bolt types under varying geological conditions, which was used to validate numerical models for parametric studies. These studies examined the effects of bolt type, bolt density, coal type, mining height, and overburden depth on rib stability, leading to the classification of support systems into four categories and the development of corresponding support recommendation tables. The RSR tool integrates these results to provide site-specific rib support recommendations, and its effectiveness was validated using field data from two active mines.

Advisor(s)

Sherizadeh, Taghi

Committee Member(s)

Mohamed, Khaled
Perry, Kyle A.
Alagha, Lana Z.
Frimpong, Samuel

Department(s)

Mining Engineering

Degree Name

Ph. D. in Mining Engineering

Publisher

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Publication Date

Spring 2026

Journal article titles appearing in thesis/dissertation

Paper I, found on pages 30–72, has been published in International Journal of Geomechanics Journal in February, 2025.

Paper II, found on pages 73–122, has been published in Geosciences Journal in January, 2025.

Paper III, found on pages 123–157, is intended for submission to Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology.

Pagination

xv, 171 pages

Note about bibliography

Includes_bibliographical_references_(pages 164-167)

Rights

© 2026 Alper Kirmaci , All Rights Reserved

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Thesis Number

T 12596

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