Abstract
Coal measure rocks in Japan tend to deteriorate their mechanical properties by the presence of water. Most rocks around roadways and workings in the coal mines are liable to be exposed to water from the strata and other sources. Therefore, knowledge of the effect of water on the mechanical properties of coal measure rocks is of great ignificance for strata control in coal mining operations such as the maintenance of roadway and the face support and for the utilization of these rocks as back filling materials.
In the present paper durability of coal measure rocks for water is investigated by means of three different kinds of slaking tests. The practical applicability of these tests to coal measure rocks is discussed and the contributory factors to slaking and their correlation with other properties such as uniaxial compressive strength and montmorillonite content are also investigated.
