West Virginia Universitys Department of Mining Engineering in the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources will be host of the 20th annual International Conference on Ground Control in Mining Aug. 7-9 at Lakeview Scanticon Resort and Conference Center.

This conference series was created to provide a forum to promote closer communication among all ground control professionals. To improve theories and models in advance ground control mining, professionals present, discuss and exchange findings and experience.

This year, the conference includes 52 papers presented by speakers from all coal-producing states and eight foreign countries, including Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Greece, Japan, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Significant topics related to mine ground control will be covered, including longwall mining, pillar design and extraction, mine design, surface subsidence, roof bolting, grouting, seismics-associated mining, supplementary support systems, surface mining and trona mining.

Since 1981, WVU s Mining Engineering Department has organized and held 20 ground control conferences and three surface subsidence workshops involving nearly 4,000 participants from all mineral-producing states and 30 foreign countries. The conference has been recognized in the nation and other coal-producing countries as the annual forum for exchange of information among researchers, coal operators, manufacturers, consultants and government regulators. It has also inspired similar conference series in Australia, China and India.

“This is the premier event in ground control, and it is gratifying to see that all renowned experts in the world come to this conference every year,”said Syd Peng, conference chairman and head of WVU s Mining Engineering Department.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the conference, a banquet is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 7. Lewis Wade, associate director of mining from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is the banquet speaker. Dr. Wade has been a leader in the field of mining research for more than 30 years and currently is responsible for direction and oversight of the federal governments mining health and safety research program.

The conference is sponsored by WVU , the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the U.S. Mine Safely and Health Administration and the West Virginia Coal Association.