Pillar Loading Research Articles

Beyond the empirical pillar design method: The strain criterion and the pillar load inversion concepts

Pillar design is a crucial aspect of underground mining engineering, as it directly impacts the safety, stability, and overall effectiveness of mining operations. In this paper we present a method to calculate pillar stability based on the strain criterion and pillar load inversion concept, which complements the empirical pillar strength formulae. Those formulae do not account for certain parameters that can affect the stability of the pillars, e.g. weak layers, changes in stress orientations due to mining, orebody dip, mining layout complexity, and the influence of regional stabilizing pillars. The approach presented here is not intended to replace the empirical method; rather, we suggest using it as the initial step in the pillar design process. This should be followed by iterative numerical modelling to study pillar behaviour, define pillar stability, and optimize the pillar design by considering site-specific and representative rock mass properties and criteria.

Proposed formulas for pillar stress estimation in a regular room-and-pillar pattern

Room-and-pillar mining is one of the oldest and most widely employed underground mining methods worldwide, while in recent years it has also been used for civil engineering projects and applications. The pillar design process is quite straightforward, requiring the assessment of two key elements, namely the pillar's strength and the anticipated loading imposed on it. Lots of research work has been elaborated for the estimation of pillars' strength and the main parameters associated with it, while, on the other hand, in terms of the loading the Tributary Area Theory (TAT) has been traditionally and successfully used as the dominant methodology to assess the post-mining pillar induced stresses. This paper focuses primarily on decoding the pillar loading regime by analyzing the identifying the stresses imposed to them through the use of modern computational tools offered by 2D and 3D numerical analyses, over a series of pillars' type (square, ribs), configurations and initial virgin stress fields. This allows for the development of a benchmarking framework that showcase the differences in the stress conditions and reveal the over-conservative behavior of TAT. More importantly though, it allowed for the expression of two (2) general analytical formulae for the direct estimation of the average vertical elastic stresses on pillars, both for the case of rib & square pillars layout; the most typical patterns applied in this method. They aim at providing an easy to use and more accurate estimation of the pillar stress - as compared to TAT - in alignment with the results obtained from numerical analyses. Thus, with the proposed formulas, the time-consuming numerical process needed for preliminary pillars' dimensioning is tackled in a swift and effective manner.

Stability control of goaf‐driven roadway surrounding rock under interchange remaining coal pillar in close distance coal seams

AbstractThe roadway surrounding rock stability under the influence of interchange remaining coal pillar in close distance coal seams is one of the key factors affecting the coal mines safe and efficient mining. To reduce the roadway deformation, theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and on‐site verification were used to study the influence of geological, mining, and support factors on the stability of the floor roadway surrounding rock. A design method for strengthening the roadway surrounding rock support was proposed. The results showed that the coal seam depth, the distribution characteristics of the remaining coal pillar load, the starting point position of stress recovery in the upper coal seam goaf and the lower coal seam goaf lateral load had a significant influence on the lower coal seam stress. The peak stress in the lower coal seam increased linearly with the increase of the coal seam depth, the remaining coal pillar, and the lower coal seam goaf lateral peak stress. The remaining coal pillar influence area width increased linearly and exponentially with the increase of the remaining coal pillar width and the distance between the starting point of stress recovery in goaf and the coal pillar edge, respectively. The peak stress and shear strength of the narrow coal pillar decreased exponentially with the increase of the spacing between bolts or cables. The roadway surrounding rock deformation decreased exponentially with the increase of the distance between the strengthening support area and the remaining coal pillar edge. For the Baigou coalmine, a design scheme for bolt strengthening support parameters has been proposed. The roadway surrounding rock deformation tended to stabilize after 21 days, with deformation values of 264 and 488 mm for the roof and floor, and two sides, respectively.

Analysis of Stress and Pillar Strength in Underground Coal Mines

Underground coal mining is located in Tanah Kuning, Batu Tanjung Village, Talawi District, Sawahlunto City. Some constraints arose in a CV. BMK is the existence of several mining fronts on mining blocks that have started to become critical and fail. It can be seen from the condition of the supports in some places that they have started to crook and break. In addition, in several locations, many rocks were found hanging (wedges) on the roof of the openings that could be seen between the rows of supports. This indicates a significant change in strain around the coal pits and pillars. The research was carried out by testing in situ stresses using Flat-jack, observing the condition of the rock mass, and testing the physical and mechanical properties of the rock. The purpose of this study was to find out the magnitude of the strength and stress on the pillarbased on the theory of tributary area loading, to provide safe and economical pillar geometry recommendations, and to discover the causes of rock mass movements. Based on the results of the analysis using the Tributary Area theory, the Safety factor Pillar 1 obtained was categorized as unsafe based on the reference value of the safety factor. The most ideal pillar size recommendation based on previous geotechnical studies was 9 m x 9 m with a maximum recovery of 38% and a safety factor of 1.7. Based on the results of the calculation of strength and loading on the pillars, the value of Pillar 1 strength is 6.0 MPa, Pillar 2 strength was 9.57 MPa, and Pillar 3 was 10.9 MPa with the value of Pillar load for Pillar 1 = 5.1 MPa, Pillar 2 = 4.47 MPa and Pillar 3 = 5.58 Mpa.

Loading of rib pillars in multiple seam mining at the Upper Kama salt deposit

Loading of rib pillars in multiple seam mining at the Upper Kama salt deposit

Characteristics of Stress Field and Damage Law of Coal Rock in Residual Pillar of Top Slice and Its Application

This article presents a theoretical analysis and numerical simulation studies to determine the suitable position for the lower slice roadway in a residual pillar area after top slicing a thick coal seam. We considered the load concentration on the coal pillar, the goaf floor, and the stress distribution characteristics of the coal pillar area before and after the top slice. With a mechanical model built of the residual pillar load propagation in the floor and the failure model of the floor surrounding rock, the analytical formula we deduced for the coal pillar floor stress and the expression of the floor failure depth of the roadway provides a basis for the reasonable determination of the position of the lower slicing roadway. Studies proved that after mining the top slice working face, the floor stress field of the residual pillar area presented characteristics of the non-uniform distribution. The stress concentration occurred below the coal pillar. The stress variation area appeared at the edge of the coal pillar, with a stable stress area appearing far away from the coal pillar area. Therefore, the roadway layout should avoid the areas below the coal pillar and the coal pillar edge with high stress levels and a large stress variation gradient. High stress concentration formed on the coal pillar transferred to the lower layered coal and floor strata, and decreased the stress concentrations layer by layer. However, mining of the top-layered working face affected the coal, and rock mass damaged the coal pillar floor area and weakened the mechanical properties, which was not conducive to the control of the roadway surrounding rock. The research results applied to No. 30117 working face of the lower slice of the Shancheng Coal Industry, and the proper position of the return airway of the working face was determined to be 8 m outside the east side of the residual pillar in the top slice, achieving a good surrounding rock control effect.

Conversion mechanism of a continuous pressure arch structure in strip filling mining

Strip mining is the key technology to solve the problem of coal mining under water, so mastering the law of overburden load transfer in strip mining is the key to safe production in working face. We studied it in the context of the shallow seam No. 3 in the Shanghe Coal Mine (northern Shaanxi Province, China) through similarity simulation and field measurement analysis. A theoretical analysis, based on the concept of pressure arch, allowed the establishment of a continuous arch theoretical model for the strip coal pillars (or filling bodies) of the mine. A similar simulation study on strip filling and staged mining has previously shown that, in a first stage, the overlying strata load is mainly transferred to the remaining strip coal pillars; in a second stage, this load is mainly sustained by the odd-numbered strip coal pillars; finally, in a third stage, this load is mainly sustained by the first-stage strip filling body, while the third-stage filling body is not loaded. Our theoretical analysis showed that, during the first stage, the overlying rock load outside the arch was mainly sustained by the arch structure, while that inside of the arch was sustained by the filling body; in the second stage, the arch structure lost stability during the recovery of the even-numbered coal pillars and the arch axis developed upward, leading to the formation of a new arch with an odd number of coal pillars as the arch foot; in the third stage, after the recovery of the odd-numbered coal pillars, a new arch was formed. The arch foot of the new supporting structure was represented by the first-stage filling body; moreover, the load was mainly borne by the second-stage filling body, ensuring the stability of the overburden rock after mining. The theoretical analysis revealed that the pillar or filling body only bears part of the overburden load in strip filling mining. The pillar (filling body) load in correspondence of working face 3216 during each stage of filling was measured and analyzed, proving a continuous arch structure transformation between the pillar and the filling body. Finally, we verified the reliability of the proposed theoretical model.

Analysis of the Impacts of Mining Sequence and Overburden Depth on Stability at a Dipping Limestone Mine

Ground falls represent a significant hazard at underground mines in the stone, sand, and gravel (SSG) sector in the USA. Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are currently conducting detailed investigations into the complex loading conditions at underground stone mines operating in challenging conditions. This paper presents the application of numerical modeling to analyze pillar and roof stability at a dipping underground limestone mine. A validated numerical model was used to explore the potential behavior of the pillars and roof as loading conditions change. The validated model was used to compare changes in mining sequence, overburden depth, and the in situ stress field. This will allow mine operators and engineers to have a better idea of the conditions that could be encountered as mining progresses. Results from the numerical modeling indicate that roof displacement more than doubles as the vertical stress increases from 10 MPa (1450 psi) to 19 MPa (2750 psi) when the maximum and minimum horizontal stresses were 41 MPa (5950 psi) and 22 MPa (3190 psi), respectively. Consequently, as the pillar load increases, the safety factor of the pillars is projected to decrease by about 25%. The impact of the practical application of numerical models can result in a reduction of ground-fall accidents and injuries as well as generally safer working conditions.

Re-analysis of Abutment Angle Method for Moderate and Deep Cover Retreat Room and Pillar Mines and Investigation of Loading Mechanics Using Finite Volume Modeling

Mining-induced stresses in underground coal mines play a significant role in pillar and ground support design, hence in the safety of mining operations. In the US, Analysis of Longwall Pillar Stability (ALPS) and in Australia, Analysis of Longwall Tailgate Serviceability (ALTS) software are used for designing Longwall coal mine layouts; and in the US, Analysis of Retreat Mining Pillar Stability (ARMPS) software is used to design retreat room-and-pillar mine layouts. All these software determine the adequacy of the design by comparing the estimated loads to the load-bearing capacity of the pillars and they use the “abutment angle” concept and a square decay stress distribution function to calculate the magnitude and distribution of the mining-induced loads. The abutment angle concept has been successfully applied to US longwall coal mines with the use of ALPS and ALTS in Australia. ARMPS uses the same concept for retreat room and pillar coal mine design in the US. The suggested abutment angle for coal mines in the US was derived as 21° by the back analysis of underground stress measurements from the 1990s and implemented in ALPS and ARMPS. The ALPS methodology was re-examined and calibrated for Australian conditions with additional Australian stress measurements and resulted in the original ALTS methodology which has been continually improved and expanded with additional cases. In this paper, some recent stress measurements are back-analyzed, and the abutment angles are investigated to verify the applicability of using 21° in retreat room and pillar mines with different depths and mining dimensions. For shallow mines, the derivation of the 21° abutment angle is supported by the new case histories. However, at depths greater than 200 m, the abutment angle was found to be decreasing with increasing depth. In this study, a new equation for the calculation of abutment angle for moderate and deep cover cases was constructed and tested for its applicability in retreat room and pillar mines. The differences in the mechanism of complete side abutment loads in shallow and deep cover mines are further analyzed by applying the finite volume modeling (FVM) approach to two case study mines, one shallow, and one deep cover. A 2D model of each mine is created and one-side and two-side abutment loads of consecutive panels are analyzed. Analysis of the deep cover mine indicated that the prior panel gobs provide a considerable amount of support to the overburden strata. These higher gob loads prevent a higher percentage of overburden loads from being transferred to the active panel workings, and this is in agreement with the lower abutment angles observed for deep cover mines. The findings of this study should only be used for retreat room-and-pillar mines’ production pillar loads since these are calculated geometrically using the abutment angle concept.

Investigating different methods used for approximating pillar loads in longwall coal mines

Accurately estimating load distributions and ground responses around underground openings play a significant role in the safety of the operations in underground mines. Adequately designing pillars and other support measures relies highly on the accurate assessment of the loads that will be carried by them, as well as the load-bearing capacities of the supports. There are various methods that can be used to approximate mining-induced loads in stratified rock masses to be used in pillar design. The empirical methods are based on equations derived from large databases of various case studies. They are implemented in government approved design tools and are widely used. There are also analytical and numerical techniques used for more detailed analysis of the induced loads. In this study, two different longwall mines with different panel width-to-depth ratios are analyzed using different methods. The empirical method used in the analysis is the square-decay stress function that uses the abutment angle concept, implemented in pillar design software developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The first numerical method used in the analysis is a displacement-discontinuity (DD) variation of the boundary element method, LaModel, which utilizes the laminated overburden model. The second numerical method used in the analysis is Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua (FLAC) with the numerical modeling approach recently developed at West Virginia University which is based on the approach developed by NIOSH. The model includes the 2D slice of a cross-section along the width of the panel with the chain pillar system that also includes the different stratigraphic layers of the overburden. All three methods gave similar results for the shallow mine, both in terms of load percentages and distribution where the variation was more obvious for the deep cover mine. The FLAC3D model was observed to better capture the stress changes observed during the field measurements for both the shallow and deep cover cases. This study allowed us to see the shortcomings of each of these different methods. It was concluded that a numerical model which incorporates the site-specific geology would provide the most precise estimate for complex loading conditions.

Failure Mechanism and Control Technology of Thick and Soft Coal Fully Mechanized Caving Roadway under Double Gobs in Close Coal Seams

The surrounding rock of the roadway under double gobs in the lower coal seams is partially damaged by the mining of the upper coal seam and the stress superimposition of the stepped coal pillars. What is worse, the upper layer of the roof is collapse gangue in double gobs, which makes the anchor cable unable to anchor the reliable bearing layer, so the anchoring performance is weakened. The actual drawing forces of the anchor bolt and anchor cable are only approximately 50 kN and 80 kN, respectively. The roadway develops cracks and large deformations with increasing difficulty in achieving safe ventilation. In view of the above problems, taking the close coal seam mining in the Zhengwen Coal Mine as the engineering background, a theoretical calculation is used to obtain the loading of the step coal pillars and the slip line field distribution of the floor depth. The numerical simulation monitors the stress superimposition of stepped coal pillars and the distribution of elastoplastic areas to effectively evaluate the layout of mining roadways. The numerical simulation also analyzes the effective prestress field distribution of the broken roof and grouting roof anchor cable. A laboratory test was used to monitor the strength of the grouting test block of the broken coal body. Then, we proposed that grouting anchor cable be used to strengthen the weak surface of the roof and block the roof cracks. From on-site measurement, the roadway was seen to be arranged in the lateral stress stabilization area of the stepped coal pillars, the combined support technology of the grouting anchor cable (bolt) + U type steel + a single prop was adopted, the roadway deformation was small, the gas influx was reduced, and the drawing force of the anchor bolt and the anchor cable was increased to approximately 160 kN and 350 kN, respectively. The overall design and control technology of the roadway can meet the site safety and efficient production requirements.

Sensitivity analysis of factors influencing pillar stability in the deep stope of underground salt mine

The orebody and the surrounding rock of underground salt mine are generally divided into soft rock or extremely soft rock. In these mines, the strip room pillar method is primarily used. Continuous pillars with a certain width are left between every two mining strips. These pillars are used to provide support to the overlying surrounding rock. However, the stability of the pillars restricts the stope structural parameters of the mining method. Thus, it is important to first determine the main factors that affect pillar stability and analyze the influence level of these factors. Using a deep mining underground salt mine as an example, the characteristics of pillar instability and the pillar load are analyzed. The safety factor of the pillar refers to the ratio of pillar strength to pillar load, which can be used to quantitatively evaluate pillar stability. Based on the formula of pillar stress and the empirical formula of pillar strength, the formula of the pillar safety factor is deduced. Based on this formula, the primary factors affecting pillar stability are comprehensively analyzed. Moreover, the sensitivities of these factors are compared and analyzed based on the orthogonal range theory. According to the calculation results of the range, the factors influencing pillar stability in the underground salt mine are the mining depth and uniaxial compressive strength of ore, which are the most significant factors, followed by the height and width of pillars, and then the room width and unit weight of the overlying strata, which have relatively small influence. The safety factor of the pillar is positively correlated with the pillar width and uniaxial compressive strength but negatively correlated with the mining depth, pillar height, room width, and the unit weight of the overlying strata. The specific reasons of each factor affecting the safety coefficient are analyzed in detail. The changing trend of the pillar safety factor with various influencing factors can provide an important basis for the optimal design of stope structural parameters and the determination of support scheme.

Coal Pillar Strength Formula in Indonesian coal mines

In underground coal mines, coal pillars play a major rule in sustaining the weight of the overburden and protecting the stability of the entries and crosscut during mine development and production, allowing the miners to safely extract the coal¹. The determination of a coal pillar size is adjusted to the expected load and strength of the coal seam. It needs to consider several factors such as pillar load (stress within the pillar), pillar strength, and safety factors. In this determination, an analysis will be conducted using five similar coal pillar strengths including; Obert-Duvall Equation (1967), Holland Equation (1964), Holland-Gaddy Equation (1956), Salamon-Munro Equation (1967), and Bieniawski (1983). Using AirLaya seam as an example, we can combine the results of various equations. The coal used in the Airlaya research area has a value of k = 425.75, thus the strength of Airlaya insitu seam coal is estimated to be 161,607 Psi.

Testing of the Prefabricated Reinforced Concrete Pillars

The subject of the article is the introduction of the results of the first series of tests of precast reinforced concrete pillars. These are the pillars simulating parts of walls that can, for example, form in the precast wall of residential buildings after an opening has been carved. The pillars are variously reinforced: from the simple reinforcement with wire mesh, to the reinforcement with standard reinforcement bars. Depending on the type of reinforcement and the type of loading, the deformation and tension of the individual pillars are studied. All of the pillars failed due to local compression of the concrete, a transversal tensile failure occurred in all cases.

An Investigation of the Factors Controlling the Mechanical Behaviour of Slender Naturally Fractured Pillars

Previous studies on the strength and deformability of pillars in hard-rock mines have demonstrated that the influence of natural fractures diminishes with increasing pillar width. Jointing conditions and fracture intensity/intersections play a critical role in the behaviour of slender pillars (width-to-height ratio less than 0.5). An important challenge is the characterization of rock mass damage as a function of the natural fracture network and loading conditions. In this paper, we present advanced pre-processing methodologies to measure fracture intensity and fracture density prior to loading and relate those measures to the evolution of damage (intensity and density) with increasing pillar load. A hybrid finite-discrete element method (FDEM) with fracture mechanics capabilities is used to simulate the mechanical behaviour of synthetic pillar models with different embedded discrete fracture traces of similar total length. Newly developed post-processing methodologies are used to capture the location of damage events, track rock mass damage intensity and density as the simulation progresses and relate those changes to the modelled pillar strength. We believe the results of this study provide useful insights on rock mass damage evolution.

Http://www.mining-science.ru/download/2020/3/04.pdf

Introduction. Reliable forecasts of pillars geomechanical state are required to ensure rhythmic and safe work when mining a coal bed. Research aim is to construct a state model of the coal pillar located between the headways, based on the fundamental methods of elasticity theory and mechanics of a granular media, carry out a computational experiment within the model, and analyse the results. Methodology. The stress field in the coal pillar has been constructed in the course of solving the elastoplastic problem. By replacing the ultimately stressed marginal zone of the bed with the stresses which act within the zone, the problem has been reduced to the second exterior boundary value problem of elasticity theory and has been solved by the boundary element method. Ordinary and special Coulomb–Mohr criteria simultaneously fulfilled for the coal bed and rock mass contact are the criterion of the limit state onset. Actual pillar load is determined by integrating the vertical stress curve along the bed roof, which has been obtained from elastoplastic problem solution, while the ultimate load is determined from the condition that the whole pillar is in ultimately stressed state. Results. The dependence between the safety factor of the pillar between two identical headways, determined by V. D. Shevyakov method, and the growth of its width represents a graph in the form of a monotonically increasing curve. The curve flattens as soon as the depth increases. Summary. The results from the developed model of coal rock mass geomechanical state can be successfully used as coal pillar strength forecasts.

Experimental Evaluation of a Two-Entry Gate-Road Yield Pillar: Convergence Monitoring and Physical Properties

Gate-road yield pillars are subject to increases in stress as the longwall face advances toward the pillars. Increases in pillar stress can be inferred by measuring roof/floor convergence surrounding the pillar. This paper presents a case study of convergence measurements surrounding a two-entry gate-road yield pillar in the head gate of a coal mine. Convergence was measured over a six-month period, as the longwall face approached and passed the pillar. Measurements were collected at eight locations surrounding the pillar: four locations in the travelway and four locations in the beltway. In addition to convergence stations, the pillar was instrumented with an array of seismometers. In future analysis, convergence measurements will be compared to seismic interpretations. This study reports on the geology and geometry of the longwall panel, the roof and rib support, the change in convergence over time, and the physical properties of coal and parting. Additionally, the convergence measurements are compared to pillar safety factor distributions derived from a finite element model. The convergence measurements contribute to the knowledge of when yield pillar abutment loading, caused by the encroaching longwall, is first detected. Knowing when abutment loading begins to yield the pillars can help define when standing secondary roof supports are required for head gate entry support.

A case study of the stability of a non-typical bleeder entry system at a U.S. longwall mine

Longwall abutment loads are influenced by several factors, including depth of cover, pillar sizes, panel dimensions, geological setting, mining height, proximity to gob, intersection type, and size of the gob. How does proximity to the gob affect pillar loading and entry condition? Does the gob influence depend on whether the abutment load is a forward, side, or rear loading? Do non-typical bleeder entry systems follow the traditional front and side abutment loading and extent concepts? If not, will an improved understanding of the combined abutment extent warrant a change in pillar design or standing support in bleeder entries? This paper details observations made in the non-typical bleeder entries of a moderate depth longwall panel—specifically, data collected from borehole pressure cells and roof extensometers, observations of the conditions of the entries, and numerical modeling of the bleeder entries during longwall extraction. The primary focus was on the extent and magnitude of the abutment loading experienced due to the extraction of the longwall panels. Due to the layout of the longwall panels and bleeder entries, the borehole pressure cells (BPCs) and roof extensometers did not show much change due to the advancing of the first longwall. However, they did show a noticeable increase due to the second longwall advancement, with a maximum of about 4 MPa of pressure increase and 5 mm of roof deformation. The observations of the conditions showed little to no change from before the first longwall panel extraction began to when the second longwall panel had been advanced more than 915 m. Localized pillar spalling was observed on the corners of the pillars closest to the longwall gob as well as an increase in water in the entries. In addition to the observations and instrumentation, numerical modeling was performed to validate modeling procedures against the monitoring results and evaluate the bleeder design. ITASCA Consulting Group’s FLAC3D numerical modeling software was used to evaluate the bleeder entries. The results of the models indicated only a minor increase in load during the extraction of the longwall panels. These models showed a much greater increase in stress due to the development of the gateroad and bleeder entries--about 80% development and 20% longwall extraction. The FLAC3D model showed very good correlation between modeled and expected gateroad loading during panel extraction. The front and side abutment extent modeled was very similar to observations from this and previous panels.

A passive wireless surface acoustic wave sensor for pillar load measurement

This paper presents a passive wireless pillar load measurement method based on surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology. A strain transfer mechanical structure was designed, and the strain distribution of an elastic substrate was analyzed using elastic thin plate bending theory. In addition, the relationship between the strain and frequency shift of the SAW resonator (SAWR) was analyzed, and a strain sensitivity numerical analysis using different bonding directions was performed. Results corroborated that the differential structure of resonators, one of which is placed at the edge along the direction of a diameter and the other is placed at the center with an angle of 45° to the diameter, is a suitable form of the SAW load sensors. Moreover, the SAWR parameters were optimized to obtain a high-performance resonator. Furthermore, The SAWRs and strain transfer mechanical structures were manufactured, the pillar load measurement system was set, and the proposed SAW load measurement method was evaluated. Experimental results affirmed that the load sensitivity is 8.64 kHz/kN. The SAW pillar load method is feasible for practical application.

A Case Study of the Collapse of Slender Pillars Affected by Through-Going Discontinuities at a Limestone Mine in Pennsylvania

The sudden collapse of approximately 3 Ha of room-and-pillar workings at a limestone mine in southwestern Pennsylvania in 2015 resulted in an air blast that injured three mine workers. Subsequent investigations showed that an area encompassing 35 pillars had collapsed. The pillars were 9-10 m wide and up to 18 m high. A notable geologic feature is the through-going joints that dip at 50-80° and can extend from the roof to the floor of the pillars. These structures are thought to have weakened the pillars well below the strength that is predicted by empirical equations for hard-rock pillar design. This paper presents the relevant geotechnical data related to the collapsed area and numerical model results that were used to estimate the pillar loading underneath the variable topography, and compares the pillar loads to some established hard-rock pillar strength equations. The outcome is also compared to a strength equation that was developed specifically for limestone mines in which the negative impact of large angular discontinuities is explicitly accounted for. The results show that established hard-rock pillar strength equations do not adequately account for the impact of large through-going discontinuities on the strength of slender pillars. The equations would have significantly overestimated the strength of the pillars at the case study mine. The critical state of the workings would have been predicted correctly by the limestone pillar strength equation that accounts for the large discontinuities.