National Mine Health and Safety Academy, 1301 Airport Road
Beaver, WV 25813
United States
Hosted by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
National Mine Health and Safety Academy, Beaver, WV
July 24–25, 2025
Overview
Join MSHA for the 2025 Ground Control in Mining Industry Seminar, a two-day event focused on the latest advancements in ground control safety and technology for underground coal and stone mining.
Presentations and workshops will include highlights from the 44th International Conference on Ground Control in Mining, offering valuable insights for mining professionals and students alike.
Agenda Highlights
Thursday, July 24 – Seminar Program (Auditorium)
7:00 AM – Registration (Auditorium Lobby)
8:00 AM – Welcome and Introductions
8:15 AM – Fundamental Ground Control Studies
Chair: Greg Rumbaugh
- Mining Under Flooded Mine Workings and Other Sources of Groundwater – Zach Wedding
- Physical Modeling of Complex Coal Rib Brow Failure and Its Applicability to Numerical Modeling – Cameron Mitchell
- Ground Control at the WIPP Site: A Historical Episode – Chris Mark
9:25 AM – Case Histories
Chair: Rudrajit Mitra
- Factors Influencing Bituminous Coal Production in Western Pennsylvania – Gaetano Iannacchione
- Geotechnical Analysis of the Collapse Blasting of Historic Underground Workings – Daykin Schnell
- Analysis of Stone Pillar Stability Using LaModel Against Traditional Methods – Chris Newman
10:45 AM – Operators’ Session
Chairs: Sam Baker and Cody Hildreth
- Development with Ultra-Close Over Mining – Mark Morris
- TBD – Thomas Du
- Itmann No. 5 Retreat Mining – Jun Lu
- Retreat Mining Legacy Mine Works – Jason Hess
11:45 AM – Job Fair and Networking Lunch
(Available for purchase in Academy Cafeteria)
1:00 PM – Numerical Modeling Applications
Chair: Zach Agioutantis
- Using LaModel for Analyzing Stress Distribution in Benched Areas for Possible Massive Stone Pillar Collapse – Deniz Tuncay
- Evaluating Grouted Rib Bolt Performance in Coal Mining: Insights into Critical Anchorage Levels and Failure Mechanisms – Cameron Mitchell
- Enhanced FLAC3D Modeling of Shale Roof Anisotropic Brittle Failure through Image-Based Bedding Plane Extraction – Gaobo Zhao
2:15 PM – Surface Subsidence
Chair: Caroline Gerwig
- Analysis of Final and Dynamic Surface Movements Due to Longwall Operations Under Steep Terrain in the Eastern US – Mauricio Parra
- Prediction of Dynamic Movements on Power Transmission Towers due to Longwall Mining – Zach Agioutantis
- Case Study for Estimating Surface Subsidence Potential over an Abandoned Multi Seam Coal Mine in Eastern Kentucky – Ravi Ray
3:30 PM – Case Studies
Chair: Chris Mark
- Landslide Occurrences Associated with Legacy Coal Mining in Southwestern Pennsylvania – Anthony Iannacchione
- TBD – Greg Hasenfus
- Blasting Considerations for Adverse Geologic Conditions – Chris Newman
4:30 – 6:30 PM – Job Fair and Networking for Students and Professionals
(Cafeteria and Auditorium Lobby)
Friday, July 25 – Compliance Assistance Workshops
Hands-on training sessions will cover:
- 8:00 AM – Analysis of Coal Pillar Stability
- 8:00 AM – Analysis of Mine Roof Supports
- 8:00 AM – S-Pillar Stone Mine Pillar Design
- 10:00 AM – Advanced Applications of ACPS
- 10:00 AM – Analysis of Mine Roof Supports
🔗 Learn more about these tools at minegroundcontrol.com
Attendees can earn up to 10 Professional Development Hours (PDH).
Registration & Lodging
Registration is free, but space is limited.
Reserve your seat here: Registration Form
A limited number of single-queen rooms are available at the Academy for $46/night. Indicate your lodging needs when registering.
Operator/Vendor/University Showcase
Tables are available for display during the event. Setup begins at 7:00 AM on July 24. Reserve your space using the registration form.
Questions?
Contact Greg Rumbaugh at Rumbaugh.Gregory.M@dol.gov