Power plant ash as a backfill material for subsidence mitigation and mining district recovery: a review and case study in Zonguldak, Turkiye
Mehmet Bilen, None Toroglu, Erol Yilmaz
article (Uluslararası, Hakemli) | Yazar(lar): Mehmet Bilen, None Toroglu, Erol Yilmaz | Yıl: 2026 | Dergi/Kurum: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MINING RECLAMATION AND ENVIRONMENT | İndeks: WOS.SCI | DOI: 10.1080/17480930.2025.2565498 | Anahtar Kelimeler: Backfill material, power plant ash, subsidence mitigation, mining distr
This study investigates the use of fly ash (FA) as a sustainable backfilling material in underground coal mining in Zonguldak, T & uuml;rkiye, aiming to reduce land subsidence, enhance void stability, and support ecological recovery. Laboratory analyses assessed FA's physical, chemical, and hydraulic properties, while Darcy and channel-flow tests simulated drainage behaviour. Findings show FA is mainly fine-grained (94% < 0.5 mm) with hydraulic conductivity of 0.02-0.03 cm/s and high SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3 contents ( > 70%), indicating strong pozzolanic potential. Strength tests confirmed FA - cement blends effective, highlighting FA's role in sustainable mining and circular economy.