CTL Engineering was contacted by the Mine Owner to assist them in preparing revised Ground control plan that meets the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) requirements for a minimum highwall factor of safety = 1.5.

MSHA technical staff worked with CTL to develop a highwall stability model that can be used to analyze surface mine highwalls all over the US. The model that CTL has developed has been used in WV, MD, OH, MO, WY & PA. The stability model employs the software program “X-STABL” Weak Layer analysis to emulate field conditions in order to establish safe highwall configurations. The input data includes fracture trace data, field verified groundwater conditions, presence or lack of abandoned deep mine workings in the mine highwalls, the general geologic trends, and other factors that affect highwall stability. The highwall stability model we developed configures the highwall into a series of benches and catchment zones such that the miners working at the base of these massive highwall are safe from rock mass failures and rock falls that are dangerous.