Geotechnical consequences of the Newcastle Coal Measures rocks |
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| Authors: | G H Mcnally D F Branagan |
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| Institution: | 1. Sinclair Knight Merz Pty. Ltd., PO Box 164 St Leonards, NSW 1590, Australiagmcnally@globalskm.com;3. School of Geosciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia |
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| Abstract: | This paper attempts to relate the lithology and fabric of four main groups of Newcastle Coal Measures rock types to their geotechnical properties and engineering behaviour. The four groups comprise: massive sandstone and conglomerate; claystones and tuffs; mudstone, shale and siltstone; and the coal itself. Although their geological relevance is primarily concerned with underground coal mining, these rocks are exposed at the surface across most of Newcastle and its suburbs, and are thus significant in terms of urban environmental geology. The key mining issues include longwall support design and panel layouts, caving and subsidence mechanisms, soft floors and stiff roofs, water inflows and pillar design. The urban geotechnical issues include landslides and rock falls, shallow abandoned mine workings, reactive and erodible soils, waste disposal and potential sources for geomaterials. |
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| Keywords: | geotechnical coal conglomerate tuff subsidence Newcastle |
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