Roof Bolting

Roof bolting refers to metal rods that are inserted into a mine roof to prevent roof collapse. Prior to roof bolting, roof support consisted of timber support posts, and maintenance of the post was largely considered to be the responsibility of the miner who worked near the post.

The introduction of roof bolting in 1948 greatly impacted the standardization of roof support systems. Additionally, the old timber posts created dangerous hindrances to the free movement of crawler mounted loading machines, as well as increased time to load a place. Roof bolting created a standardized system of roof support that could not be destroyed by blasting. It also increased haulage, reduced labor cost for roof support, and contributed to the significant decrease in roof fall fatality rates for underground coal mines.