Patent ID: 8220094

Claim:
A mine ventilation and bridge structure for installation in a mine, said ventilation and bridge structure intergrating a bridge and mine ventilation structure to enable a mine vehicle to cross over said ventilation and bridge structure, said ventilation and bridge structure comprising, a pair of generally parallel, spaced-apart side walls defining opposing side walls of the first lower passage, a plurality of elongate deck panels extending between the side walls and forming a roof of the first lower passage and a floor of the second upper passage, each deck panel comprising, in transverse cross section, a generally planar web and one or more stiffening members on the web, the deck panels being adapted to be placed on the side walls in a side-by-side relation with the deck panels closely adjacent one another so that the webs of the panels form a substantially continuous deck surface, the deck panels so placed being capable of independently supporting their own weight, and at least one deck panel of said plurality of deck panels being a reinforced bridge deck panel constructed such that the mine ventilation and bridge structure can support the weight of a vehicle crossing over the mine ventilation and bridge structure, said reinforced bridge deck panel comprising a reinforcing structure comprising either a beam or a truss extending lengthwise of the bridge deck panel substantially the full length of the bridge deck panel below the web of the bridge deck panel, and wherein said at least one reinforced bridge deck panel is constructed such that the mine ventilation and bridge structure is intergrated and capable of supporting a minimum vehicle load of at least 700 pounds.