Ground control research in underground coal mines has been ongoing for over 50 years. One of the most problematic issues in underground coal mines is roof failures associated with weak shale. This paper will present a historical narrative on the research the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has conducted in relation to rock mechanics and shale. This paper begins by first discussing how shale is classified in relation to coal mining. Characterizing and planning for weak roof sequences is an important step in developing an engineering solution to prevent roof failures. Next, the failure mechanics associated with the weak characteristics of shale will be discussed. Understanding these failure mechanics also aids in applying the correct engineering solutions. The various solutions that have been implemented in the underground coal mining industry to control the different modes of failure will be summarized. Finally, a discussion on current and future research relating to rock mechanics and shale is presented. The overall goal of the paper is to share the collective ground control experience of controlling roof structures dominated by shale rock in underground coal mining.

中文翻译：

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地下煤矿的页岩破坏机理和干预措施：50 年地面控制安全研究的结果

地下煤矿的地面控制研究已经进行了 50 多年。地下煤矿中最棘手的问题之一是与弱页岩相关的顶板故障。本文将对美国国家职业安全与健康研究所进行的与岩石力学和页岩相关的研究进行历史叙述。本文首先讨论如何将页岩与煤炭开采相关联进行分类。弱屋顶序列的表征和规划是开发工程解决方案以防止屋顶失效的重要一步。接下来，将讨论与页岩弱特性相关的破坏机制。了解这些失效机制也有助于应用正确的工程解决方案。将总结在地下煤矿开采行业中实施的各种解决方案，以控制不同的故障模式。最后，讨论了当前和未来与岩石力学和页岩相关的研究。本文的总体目标是分享地下煤矿开采中控制以页岩岩为主的顶板结构的集体地面控制经验。