Ostrava-Karvina Coal District Research Articles

Water production as an option for utilizing closed underground mines

Each mining project goes through the same life-cycle, from prospecting and exploration to closure and post-closure periods. This prompts the question whether the closure of a mine constitutes the end of its life-cycle or whether the decommissioned mine can be employed for some other purpose. Best-practice references indicate that there are many viable options. In our opinion, the production of service water is one such option. Laboratory research was carried out on the water from a flooded underground coal mine in Ostrava-Karvina coal district, Czech Republic, concerning the production of service water from pumped mine-water. The research proved the practical feasibility of service or process water production. Given the effect of global climate change with regard to water resources, good prospects for this additional resource can be assumed since the water has to be pumped in any case for safety reasons.

Use of the Ott's system of coordinate for the protection of buildings and people in the Ostrava-Karvina Coal District

Use of the Ott's system of coordinate for the protection of buildings and people in the Ostrava-Karvina Coal District

Assessment of post-mining damage

The article describes characteristic features of post-mining and mining activities. These includes drop basins, settling ponds with flotation tailings, mine water discharge into surface water, coal waste dumps and their thermic activities. In conclusion, the financial demands oi individual remediation and reclamation activities are quantified. The costs of land reclamation measures with respect to the subsequent use of the landscape are also calculated for the Ostrava-Karvina Coal District.

INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE ON ACCURACY OF HEIGHT CONNECTION MEASUREMENT

The purpose of depth measurement is to bring the altitude from the surface to the connected horizon (level) by means of a vertical mine. Points, for which the height is determined in this way, are part of the fundamental mining vertical control, and their height should therefore be determined as accurately as possible. There are several ways of this measurement and the temperature has influence on accuracy of each of them. The paper is dedicated to evaluation of influence of temperature, applying results of height connection measurement carried out at Karvina mine. Two measurements were performed in ČSA 2 shaft and the other in shaft Mir 5 of Darkov mine in Ostrava-Karvina Coal District, CZE. Height connection measurement by a vertical mining work was done in two ways: using the depth tape and using the electro-optical distance meter.

Influence of temperature on accuracy of height connection measurement

AbstractThe purpose of depth measurement is to bring the altitude from the surface to the connected horizon (level) by means of a vertical mine. Points, for which the height is determined in this way, are part of the fundamental mining vertical control, and their height should therefore be determined as accurately as possible. There are several ways of this measurement and the temperature has influence on accuracy of each of them. The paper is dedicated to evaluation of influence of temperature, applying results of height connection measurement carried out at Karvina mine. Two measurements were performed in CSA 2 shaft and the other in shaft Mir 5 of Darkov mine in Ostrava-Karvina Coal District, CZE. Height connection measurement by a vertical mining work was done in two ways: using the depth tape and using the electro-optical distance meter.

Geodetic Monitoring of the Surface within the Trial Operation of the Room and Pillar Mining Method in the Ostrava-Karvina Coal District

Mine Plant 2 is a part of the Ostrava-Karvina Coal District (OKD) that is located in the Czech part of the Upper Silesian Basin. The first coal was exhausted from Mine Plant 2 in 1968. The most used method of mining so far in this area has been strike longwall mining with controlled caving. Due to extensive changes in the surface, which occur as a consequence of deep mining by the method of longwall mining with controlled caving, it is not possible to use this method in densely populated areas. At the present time, therefore, the trial operation of a new mining method called room and pillar is carried out. The method was chosen with the aim to minimize subsidence and deformations of the surface. The room and pillar mining method has never been used before in the conditions of the OKR, therefore it is necessary to prove the real effect of mining by this method on the surface. For this purpose, a surface observation station was designed, consisting of 36 surface points. The position and height of all points of the observation station is determined in stages three times a year.

Utilization of engineering geology in geo-tourism: few case studies of subsidence influence on historical churches in Ostrava-Karvina District (Czech Republic)

This article studies a set of historical churches influenced by subsidence induced by underground coal mining in the Karvina part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin in the Czech Republic. The research made use of engineering geological tools to assess the influence of underground mining on the ground. In the cases of the churches in question, variations in time of the existing subsidence have also been evaluated. The herein applied method in determination of the building site categories transforms the measured (macroscopically) visible vertical tilts of buildings (churches) into horizontal tilts and it is new. Horizontal tilts are important characteristics expressing differential settlement. However, these are not measurable as the building begins in the foundation soil and the foundations would have to be exposed. Building site categories, i.e. categories of hazard to determine the mining influence on buildings, based on horizontal tilt were used to determine the influence of underground mining onto a building. Due to the fact that the churches under observation find themselves at diverse stages of subsidence, we identified a great variability of subsidence and building site categories. This way, the churches become unique landmarks in the cultivated landscape as they frequently remain the only historical buildings in the subsidence trough. Thanks to rehabilitation and repeated repairs churches survive as the memorials of human life in subsidence troughs induced by underground coal mining. For example, in the Ostrava-Karvina Coal District coal has been mined for 200 years. The fundamental argument for the nomination of the church set onto the UNESCO World Heritage List is the fact that historical churches may remain the only traces left by people living in localities affected by underground coal mining. The article would also like to point at the application of engineering geology for other than construction or environmental purposes. Geo-tourism has this scientific and economic potential for the future.

Nature Conditions of Waste Dumps in the Czech Part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin

In the Czech parts of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, tens of waste dumps of gangue material are located. These waste dumps were created during the mining of hard coal in the Czech part of the Upper Silesian Basin. It was an underground mining. As part of the mining process of opening, preparation and extraction, a large amount of gangue material remained after the extraction works and had to be deposited at waste dumps. Waste dumps are becoming a very common source of secondary raw materials, but also become a relatively common foundation soil in the Ostrava-Karvina coal district. The aim is to define the natural conditions of these waste dumps and to characterize the geological environment of these engineering geological specific districts. In terms of mining, gangues are located in the Ostrava-Karvina coal district. From the viewpoint of morphology, it is part of the Ostrava pan, which is composed of a large amount of Quaternary sediments, located on Miocene sediments external Carpathian depressions.

Use of the Ott's system of coordinate for the protection of buildings and people in the Ostrava-Karvina Coal District

Abstract The aim of this article is to determine the coordinates of the points of Ott's Coordinate System in contemporary obligatory reference coordinate systems, which means the coordinate system of Datum of Uniform Trigonometric Cadastral Network. Optimal transformation relations have been searched in such a way, so as not to disturb the accuracy of calculations and measurements acquired in Ott's triangulation. Ott's system of coordinates was and is hugely important particularly during the remediation works performed between 1996 and 1998, aimed at removing the consequences of coal mining in the Ostrava-Karvina Coal District.

Analysis of Possibilities of Reclamation Waste Dumps after Coal Mining

In the Ostrava-Karvina coal district, approximately 281 dumps and 46 waste dumps are located. These are anthropogenic embankments of gangue formed at different times during the nearly 200-year tradition of coal mining in Czech parts in Upper Silesian Coal Basin. The aim of this publication is to analyse the possibility of reclaiming these waste dumps. Basic boundary condition of reclamation gangue material is composition and shape of the embankment. The publication defines the different possible shapes of gangue bodies and the possibility of their rehabilitation. Waste dumps are various shapes, it may be a conical waste dump, pile type shape, board shape, shape of the terrace, shape of slope, ridge shape, straight shape, or may take the form of flat coverings. Reclamation types are closely tied to land use planning. Waste dump bodies can remain in their original deposit with no or minimal intervention on its surface as needed. Another possibility represents the partial excavated waste dump to the body and then modification of its geometry according to the needs of the land use planning. Option, how reclaim territory include also the variant of full excavation of waste dump body and completely terrain reclamation.

Relevance of building site categories implementation into the land use plan in underground mining area in the region of Petrvald (Czech Republic)

Deep mining of mineral resources causes extensive changes in rock environment and ground morphology and must be considered in the land use planning. Subsidence as a result of underground mining activities in terrains is one of the serious geological hazards because they can effect slopes and damage engineering structures, settlement areas, natural lakes and allow infiltration of contaminant into the groundwater. The main aim of this article was implementation of the building site categories of underground mining regions into the land use plans. This case study area was selected from the region of Orlova town within the Ostrava-Karvina Coal district, and this region is one of the most affected areas by underground mining of black coal in the Czech Republic. Certain risk categories of land, where the individual categories express generalized influence of deep mining of coal in current and planned constructions were also represented in this article. Extensive variations caused by underground mining were identified within a wide variability of risk categories. An important finding was also the extensive variability over time, manifested by spatial variations in the stated categories in the studied time periods. Moreover, technical documentation of environmental impacts related to underground mining activities was provided; importance of existing and proposed underground mining projects that may significantly impact the land use was discussed and pointed out in this article, especially.

Application of the Engineering‐Geological Conditions in Land‐Use Plans in the Petrvald Region (Czech Republic)

AbstractThe objective of this paper is to demonstrate necessity to inform relevant parties about engineering‐geological conditions for various practical purposes, especially including appropriate land‐use planning. However, the relationship between relevant geological information and the geological environment is vital for foundation engineering purposes, especially where demanding structures are involved. This information is most conveniently structured when accumulated information concerning engineering‐geological zones is utilized. This necessarily includes knowledge of rock workability and also of the pre‐Quaternary bedrock, and these characteristics were then related to the current built‐up area and future development according to the land‐use plans in a case study are from the Petrvald Region (Czech Republic). The geological environment of area has been severely influenced by anthropogenic effects of deep black coal mining. Results of this research showed that future development should be founded on spoil banks, dumps, and settling basins. According to the land‐use plan, this zone occupies 44.9% of the area of interest, and its materials predominantly emanate from mining in the Ostrava–Karvina Coal District. For future foundation structures planned there, it is imperative to consult detailed engineering‐geological study. However, attention to and reliance on this necessity is not reflected in the existing land‐use plan.

Evaluation of subsidence due to underground coal mining: an example from the Czech Republic

This paper presents a case study dealing with variations on the ground surface due to the underground mining activities in the Ostrava–Karvina Coal District (Czech Republic) over the last 25 years. During this period, some of the areas have experienced settlements of up to 11 m. Seven settlement intervals were used to indicate the varying degrees of subsidence over time. Maps were prepared to show the spatial relationship of the subsidence and to assist in land use planning in this rapidly developing area.

Variations in the building site categories in the underground mining region of Doubrava (Czech Republic) for land use planning

In terms of demands and needs of ground investigation and foundation engineering, the engineering-geological conditions in the underground mining territories represent anthropogenically influenced areas in the most complicated manner, since they suffer the impacts from the underground mining of mineral resources. The subjects of observation are the so-called building site categories, which represent a certain risk factor that must be taken into consideration during foundation engineering and engineering-geological studies in the undermined territories. It is necessary to realise that underground mining is an anthropogenic geodynamic process which significantly varies over time due to mining change, and consequently with variations in the position, shape and size of subsidence in a subsidence basin. All the above mentioned variations should be mandatory knowledge for land use planners, engineering geologists, geotechnicians, foundation engineers and designers because of the evident logicality of these needs. This work presents a case study (Ostrava-Karvina Coal District in the north-east of the Czech Republic) of variations in the building site categories over time, and the results show that the chronology of the changes has a very significant influence in this area of interest. The results of the building site category evaluation imply that the majority of the interest area falls within relatively good conditions for founding all kinds of structures. However, it was then necessary to consider variations over time in the surface area of less suitable building site categories. A trend certainly confirmed the existence of the previously presumed mutual relationship between building site categories and subsidence size distribution. It is apparent from the analytic results of the relationship between building site categories and planned development that the negative impacts of mining have been only partly considered, or completely disregarded, in the development planning process. Consequently, future land use planners should carefully consider these particular building site categories as the most important and significant factors in the undermining of a region. In this manner, development can be successfully planned for present and future safety.

97/01584 Oxygen distribution in maceral fractions of coals from the Ostrava-Karvina coal district

97/01584 Oxygen distribution in maceral fractions of coals from the Ostrava-Karvina coal district