The fundamentals concepts of roof support are similar between coal mining, metal mining and tunnelling and yet there are
different design approaches, different hardware, and different levels of site investigation. This should not be the case and
this paper discusses the key geotechnical issues that should underlie all roof support design - the need to reinforce defects.
A design method to build a beam in laminated rock under high horizontal stresses is presented. The method allows for
changing rock strengths, defect properties and varying horizontal stresses. At one level the design can be implemented
with design charts and tables. Lessons learnt during the implementation of the designs at 5 different mine sites are
Discussed.