Wheat pile resting at its angle of repose

In agriculture and mining, there are many phenomena related to angle of repose, especially those concerning storage, such as grains and coal. To work out the volume of a pile of particles (e.g. wheat), the angle of repose is most often used. In the mining industry, angle of repose is always a concern in storage capacity, mine tailings dumping, and excavation work.

The volume of a conical pile can be worked out by the radius and the angle of repose of the grains.

The knowledge of angle of repose helps in the design of the conical top of the storage facilities for grains, such as this one near Narrabri.

In the mining and construction industry, volume of the storage can also be calculated using the angle of repose. Angle of repose is also a major concern in occupational health and safety. The maintenance of a stable slope is essential in both mine tailings dumping and roadwork. If the slope is too steep, the chances of a landslide occurring are great.

A coal heap near Muswellbrook

Mine tailings resting at a steep slope of more than 30� south of Singleton

Work to reinforce an unstable slope beside the road in Hong Kong