Colliery wastes in the United Kingdom - Findings and implications: 1966-1985

A major programme of site investigations and research projects was established by the National Coal Board following the Aberfan flowslide disaster in 1966. By 1981 the major part of the programme had been completed, so test results were statistically analysed. Accordingly, the composition and engineering properties of colliery discards were subsequently reviewed ( Taylor 1984a ). This paper considers some of the main findings of the above review, and in the light of present-day construction practices. Colliery discards are dominantly composed of mudrocks with the addition of some waste coal. In this respect ‘coarse discards’ are similar in character to other nonmarine ‘shale’ fills. Those fine discards which are pumped to lagoons have a high coal content and span a considerably wider particle size range than metal mine tailings.