Orientation of Rooms and Pillars

Pillar Orientation with Consideration of In Situ Stress. As in all mining methods, the
planner of a room-and pillar operation must be aware of probable in situ stress within
the rock prior to mining. If indeed there is a significant amount of maximum horizontal
stress in a particular direction, then the mine planner should take this into account by
orienting room advance and the direction of rectangular pillars to give the most support
in that direction. In the very early phase of development, research should be done to
determine the magnitude and direction of inherent stress levels. When one does not know
the direction of horizontal stress, at least in the middle and eastern areas of the United
States, pillars should be aligned at right angles with rows at N 79” E to best cope with
natural horizontal stresses in the earth’s crust. While this is necessary and is considered
good operating practice, many very shallow room-and-pillar operations may have very
little horizontal stress and need not be concerned with the direction and orientation of
rectangular or barrier pillars. This is particularly true if the mine has been opened from a
hillside with adits, where nature could have relieved horizontal stresses eons ago.

However, in sharp contrast to this condition, some deep room-and-pillar mines have
tremendous problems, not only with high horizontal stress levels, but with rock that will
absorb a large amount of energy before it fails violently. In such operations, not only is
pillar orientation important, but the sequence of extraction and how it takes place is
important.