Mechanised sublevel caving systems for winning thick and steep hard coal beds

This article presents a process for mechanised exploitation of a steeply inclined, thick coal bed. It presents the mine face mechanisation method, organisation of works, and the scope of preparatory works. The system was developed and implemented in 2002 for the purpose of exploitation of a bed approximately 20 m thick inclined at 45 degrees under the mining and geological conditions of the Kazimierz-Juliusz Sosnowiec Hard Coal mine in Poland. The production output and the system efficiency assessment have been illustrated on the basis of previous experience at that mine.