The Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation (BAMR) Wilkes-Barre District Office recently completed an emergency project to remediate a non-coal mine shaft subsidence beneath the attached garage of a private residence in Chester County. In Schuylkill County, BAMR is nearing completion on another emergency project to remediate a coal mine subsidence directly behind a private residence. On both projects, BAMR collaborated with Maurice Gardner, a Mine Subsidence Insurance Investigator for the DEP’s Mine Subsidence Insurance Program to assist with designing, specifying, and overseeing the installation of the structural foundation support system for the garage at the Chester County residence and for the steel beam support for the house superstructure at the Schuylkill County residence. Maurice has experience with structural foundation support systems as well as other repair work performed under Mine Subsidence Insurance claims.

1. Subsidence Remediation
Utilizing Structural Support Methods
On DEP/BAMR Emergency Projects
2017 PA Abandoned Mine
Reclamation Conference
June 22, 2017
Tom Wolf, Governor Patrick McDonnell, Secretary

2. Park Place South-Quick Subsidence
Mahanoy Township, Schuylkill County

3. Park Place South-Quick Subsidence
Aerial View

4. Park Place South-Quick Subsidence
Aerial View with Mine Map Overlay

5. Cross Sectional Map of Coal Seams

6. Park Place South-Quick Subsidence
View of Coal Seam Actively Being Stripped

7. Park Place South-Quick Subsidence

8. Large Cracks in Basement Walls

9. Joint Separation in Basement Floor

10. Investigation from Ladder Truck

12. Steel Beam Placement Under Home

13. Large Equipment Used to Safely Excavate for Beams

14. Excavation for Support Beams

15. Excavation for Support Beams on Garage (East) Side

16. Sawcutting Foundation for Support Beam Ditch (East)

17. Excavation for Cribbing Support Pads

18. (West) Cribbing Pads (East)

19. 170 Ton Crane Onsite for Beam Placement

20. Four 60ft W36x135 Beams Delivered Onsite

21. Mechanical Joint Prep on W36x135 Beams

22. Completed Mechanical Joints

23. Placement of 1st
Support Beam (West)

24. Placement of 1st
Support Beam

25. Placement of 1st
Support Beam

26. 1st
Beam in Place (East End)

27. 1st
Beam in Place (West End)

28. Beam Installed Through Basement

29. Placement of Second Support Beam

30. Second Support Beam in Place

31. Removal of Rear Step Unit

32. Rigging Step Unit to Crane

33. Step Unit Connected to Crane

34. Cutting Step Unit Free From House

35. Step Unit Free From House(24,700lb)

36. Step Unit Successfully Removed

37. View From Crane Basket Over Subsidence

38. Looking up From Crane Basket in Hole

39. Broken Roof Rock in Hole

40. Pumping Flowable Fill

41. Pumping Flowable Fill

42. Filling Void to Bottom of Footing with Flowable Fill
(824 Cubic Yards Placed)

43. Common Backfill From Footer to Surface

44. Common Backfill From Footer to Surface

45. Common Backfill From Footer to Surface

46. Exploratory Drilling Around Home Begins

47. Exploratory Drilling

48. Additional Subsidence Locations

49. Borehole Drilling Locations Around Home

50. Borehole Table&Cross Section

51. Pumping into Boreholes Begins

52. Borehole #4 Exceeds 1200 yds.

53. Mulch on Freshly Seeded Areas

54. Mulch on Freshly Seeded Areas

55. Two Weeks After Seeding

56. Questions?
Contact Information:
maugardner@pa.gov
www.pamsi.org
sholoman@pa.gov
www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Land/Mining/AbandonedMineReclamation