Modelling of Powered Roof Support Cooperation with the Floor of Low Bearing Capacity in the aspect of Shaping the Section Design

The problem of cooperation of powered roof support with the floor in the aspect of shaping its design is presented. From the analysis of the simplifying assumptions considered so far in the methods for determination of roof support’s base pressure on the floor, it results that they are not satisfied in the case of bases of the catamaran type, commonly used in currently manufactured roof supports. Model of cooperation of the base lying on the floor, prepared by the finite elements method is described and the results of computer simulation of the base action on the floor are given. Considering the results of numerical analyses, the factors influencing the pressure distribution of the base on the floor as well as its maximal value, have been identified.