Abstract
Spiling is used to pre-support the ground ahead of an active development face when mining in adverse ground conditions. Materials typically used for spiling elements include commonly available materials in underground mines that ideally can be installed efficiently such that development rates are not too drastically affected. To develop a spiling design, the capacity of a spiling element is a necessary input for designing a pre-support system in underground mining and civil tunneling applications. Although the spiling capacity is often available for specialty spiling support elements used in civil tunneling applications, the capacity of materials typically used for spiling in underground mining are often not readily available from material manufacturer. This paper details a simple method for calculating spiling capacity using an elastic bending moment calculation, which can be easily utilized by ground control engineers to design a spiling installation. Additionally, estimates of spiling capacity of typical materials used for spiling in mining applications, including rebar and inflatable bolts, are provided for reference.