Review of brittle failure mechanisms and reinforcement strategies for shale roof in U.S. underground coal mines

Key Points

• Brittle failure mechanisms significantly impact the integrity of shale roof structures, leading to safety hazards in underground coal mines.
• The review discusses various reinforcement strategies to mitigate these failures and enhance structural stability in coal mining operations.
• Assessment of existing literature provides insights into effective interventions for improving shale roof reliability in the field.
• Highlighting the importance of understanding failure mechanisms is crucial for developing safer underground mining practices.