Abstract

This paper is mainly focused over the possible utilization of fly ash along with OB dump to enhance the stability of OB dump and thus provide a sustainable approach for better waste management of both these materials simultaneously. Instability of coal mine overburden (OB) dumps is an important problem in most of the coal mines like Jharia coalfields in India. This is mainly occurring due to sliding nature of the rock material, lack of vegetation etc. Numbers of Environmental and health issues are associated with these unstable OB dumps. As it may easily flow with running water can contaminate the nearby water resource as well as carbonaceous content of the dump causes air pollution due to simultaneous combustion. On the other hand management of coal ash that is produced from thermal plants is also an important task. Dumping of fly ash in open may cause number of environmental problems.Various geotechnical and physical parameters such as particle size analysis, specific gravity, density, and friction angle/cohesion test have been performed to check the stability of OB dump and to analyze impacts of fly ash utilization to stabilize the OB dump.

Highlights

  • India is third largest coal producing country in world after China and USA, where power sector is dominated by coal based thermal power plants1

  • From the above assessment this is quite clear that fly ash shown their valuable impacts over the stability aspects of the OB material at a certain limit

  • Angle of friction was calculated between 300 -350 it reduced below 300 with the addition of 10 and 20 % of fly ash

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Summary

Introduction

India is third largest coal producing country in world after China and USA, where power sector is dominated by coal based thermal power plants. Opencast mining includes rupture the upper layer of rocks with blasting, drilling to excavate the valuable mineral as coal is buried in deep under thick layers of rock In this way huge amount of waste rock in form of OB is generated (Table.1) that is dumped to the nearby areas and can be seen as hilly structure (Fig.1) near Jharia coalfield. The average stripping ratio during last three decades was 1.97m: 3/ton2 Most of these OB materials are dumped to the nearby areas huge hilly structure can be seen in Jharia coalfields and nearby areas. These OB dumps are quite adverse for growth of vegetation due to lack of valuable nutrients3 Production of such a huge amount of OB dump material from Jharia coalfield is adversely affects the natural land property and environment as well. Sample was processed (sieved, screened and washed) for further physical and geotechnical test to evaluate the stability status of the material

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