ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Mine Subsidence as a Post-Mining Effect
in the Upper Silesia Coal Basin
Grzegorz Strozik1, Rafał Jendruś1,2, Anna Manowska1, Marcin Popczyk1
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1Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Mining and Geology,
Akademicka 2A, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
2GeoRock Geotechnical Services Company,
Armii Krajowej 14/I/10, 41-943 Piekary Śląskie, Poland,
Submission date: 2015-11-06
Acceptance date: 2015-12-23
Publication date: 2016-03-17
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2016;25(2):777-785
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ABSTRACT
On the basis of three selected examples, some problems attributed to the presence of voids resulted
from mining operations in already commissioned underground coal mines are discussed. Continuous and
discontinuous deformations of the ground surface (sinkholes and subsidence troughs) of anthropogenic
origination implicate hazards for the ground surface, even many decades after completion of mining work.
Nowadays, when decommissioning and flooding of numerous mines happens, ground movements as well
as seismic events related to flooding of abandoned underground mines can be observed. The first case study
draws attention to the problems of effective voids localisation methods as well as the reliability of grout
injection operations for road construction purposes. The second case emphasizes a problem occurring often
in areas with long and complex mining histories, meaning appropriate determination of origin, process
and protective measures regarding occurred ground deformations, or damage to buildings. The third case
describes specific effects on the surface (shocks and ground surface elevation) generated by the flooding of
decommissioned mines.