002.105.Idrija

Idrija Mercury Heritage Management Centre, Bazoviška 2, SI-5280 Idrija

Public

Republic of Slovenia

/

Mine

A part of the Anthony’s Shaft is supported with steel supports. The steel supports consists of four parts, which together form a circle with average diameter 2 metres. The oak boards, laid one on top of the other, are placed behind the steel supports. The spacing between steel supports is approx. 80 cm. In the Anthony's Shaft, the steel supports were adjusted to the shape of the old tunnel, therefore two forms may be observed there the pointed one (only in the Anthony’s Main Road ) and the round one. On the Anthony’s Main Road level the steel supports has a total length of 33m or three short sections are 12 m, 13 m and 8 m long.

Length 2500 cm, diameter 220 cm, support structure thickness 12.5 cm, boards’ width 12 cm, thickness 10 cm.

Steel, oak wood

1964

Idrija Mercury Mine

Anthony’s Main Road is excavated mainly in the carbon slate, which is geomechanically very bad supporting rock and requires constant support. Due to severe ceiling and side pressure and the porous carbon slate, the original wooden supports were not sufficient. In the second half of the 20th century the combination of steel supports and round stock pine logs were used for supporting the tunnels in the geomechanically unstable rock. They used curved and circularly bound steel supports for this. Instead of round pine logs, oak boards were used in the Anthony’s Tunnel, since they were stronger and had better humidity resistance. In 1994, the damaged part of the masonry supports in the first part of the Anthony’s Main Road were replaced with steel supports adjusted to the existing part of the track, therefore the special pointed form was created.

The steel support is being preserved, secured and presented as important mining heritage of Idrija with exceptional universal values. Visitors can view it within the permanent museum display of the Anthony's Main Road. It presents the typical way of supporting entrance tunnels of the Idrija Mercury Mine. Due to the diverse geological structure of the ore deposit and different geomechanical hardness of rock, different support structures were used in the mine.

The entrance level of the, Idrija Mercury Mine

Anthony’s Main Road, Kosovelova 3, SI-5280 Idrija

The steel supports is well preserved and maintained. Security of the premises is ensured. Replacement of wooden parts of the substructure is on average planned every five to ten years.

good

Regular seasonal maintenance.

- CUDHg Inventory Book.

Mestni muzej Idrija

Miha Kosmač

3. 3. 2018

Never