Strengthening Existing 20-psi Mine Ventilation Seals With Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Reinforcement

The National Mining Association and the Mine safety and Health Administration requested that the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conduct full-scale evaluations of a recently developed carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) reinforcement technique for upgrading existing mine ventilation seals to withstand an explosion pressure of 50 psi or greater. The evaluation was conducted in the NIOSH Pittsburgh Research Laboratory's Lake Lynn Experimental Mine (LLEM). The purpose of the evaluation was to determine the blast resistance of the CFRP reinforcement technique, designed to increase the strength of two types of existing 20-psi-rated in situ mine ventilation seals.