Utilising the scientific method to demonstrate that slender beam/column behaviour is the dominant behavioural mechanism leading to roof/rib failure

As per most other earth science engineering problems, the underground coal geotechnical environment and the way in which roof and rib support interacts with the rock mass are complex issues. It is therefore generally recognised that without prudent simplification, the complexity of the problem will overwhelm all current geotechnical methods of modelling, not least for the reason that a rock mass can never be characterised to a level that allows...