Numerical Modelling of Thin Spray-on Liners to Investigate their Properties for Mining Applications

The aim of this research was to investigate the support potential of a thin spray-on liner in an in-situ mining condition and compare that with the performance of steel mesh using numerical models. The research focused on simulating the behaviour of the polymer liner at the rockmass interface accurately. A cohesive zone model was developed to simulate the behaviour of liner at the rock interface. The support capacity of polymer liner and steel mesh when applied on coal mine roof strata and loaded to buckling and guttering failure was also compared using numerical models. Finally, a numerical study to compare the behaviour of the polymer liner and steel mesh when applied in a mine roadway roof was undertaken. In all the models, the polymer liner indicated better support potential than steel mesh.