In situ strength of coal bed based on the size effect study on the uniaxial compressive strength

In the early 1990s, the Foundation for Science and Technology of Rio Grande do Sul State (CIENTEC) developed a pioneering study in Brazil, related to the simultaneous mining of multiple coal seams. One of the activities included detailed studies on the geomechanical characterization of materials present in the Irapua coal seam, under exploitation in the A-Sangao Mine, located near the city of Criciuma-SC, within the South-Catarinense coalfield. The goal of the laboratory tests was to define the behavior of the uniaxial compressive strength of the Irapua coal seam and establish a first approximation for the in situ strength value of this coal seam, since existing knowledge is solely based on practical mining experience over the years. Large samples of the coal seam were collected, using special techniques to maintain the integrity of the material, and a set of 56 uniaxial compression tests in cubic specimens, with side length ranging from 4.5 to 31 cm, were conducted in laboratory. This paper describes the experimental techniques used in the assays, and also presents the uniaxial compression strength results obtained. Moreover, important aspects of this type of study are considered, highlighting the size effect for the carbonaceous bed and the estimation of in situ strength values for the Irapua coal seam.