Hybrid Cementitious Material

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A Hybrid Geopolymer-Biopolymer Cementitious Material for Enhancing Pumpable Roof Support in Underground Mining Tech ID: UA20-143 Invention: This invention is a new hybrid cementitious material that has a high viscosity rate to be used in pumpable roof support application in underground mining. This hybrid is a fusion of geopolymer and biopolymer that results in a high load stiffness, high peak strength, and large residual strength compared to current cementitious material used in this application. This increases the safety of underground mining. Background: Underground mining is essential for acquiring materials in everyday use. Underground mining consists of digging tunnels and/or shafts into the earth. As these structures are built in the early and equipment is moved into the earth to extract the material, strong support structures are required within the tunnels and shafts to prevent ground falls. Ground falls lead to 8 to 10 fatalities and approximately 800 injuries globally each year. Therefore, design and construction of roof supports, to prevent ground falls, are critical to ensure safety. The intrinsic supports systems, such as roof bolts, and standing support systems, such as cribs and posts, are the two most common roof support systems. These support systems provide the three key factors for roof supports. These key factors include maximum load-carrying capacity, stiffness, and residual strength. Secondary factors include timing of installation, stability of support as it is loaded, and capability of support system to provide skin control. New technology has provided a third option of pumpable roof supports, due to its ease and speed of instability. However, there are issues with finding a satisfactory pumpable cementitious grout material that has high load stiffness, high peak strength, and large residual strength when compared to the two preferred methods.