sollar

A sollar is a wooden or metal platform built across a mine shaft at intervals to create a secure landing between ladder runs. It serves as a rest point for workers climbing vertical shafts and as a staging area for materials, tools, and equipment being raised or lowered through the shaft. The platform is typically constructed from timber planks or steel plates secured to the shaft walls or to a frame anchored to the rock.

In deep shaft mining, vertical distances often exceed 100 meters. A single continuous ladder run of that length would exhaust climbers and risk falls. Sollars break the climb into manageable sections, typically spaced 10 to 15 meters apart depending on shaft conditions and mining regulations. The platform allows workers to catch their breath, shift weight, and transition from one ladder section to the next. Sollars also provide stable points from which to operate winches, secure ropes, or inspect shaft walls.

The name likely derives from Old English and French roots related to flooring or solids, though the etymology is uncertain. In some regions and older texts, the term appears as collar or solar, though these can be confused with other mining structures. The sollar is distinct from a sump (the lowest point of a shaft where water collects) and from a cage landing (where a mechanical hoist cage stops).

Construction and maintenance of sollars require careful attention to structural integrity. Wooden sollars can rot or weaken from water seepage and acid mine drainage; wooden platforms in wet shafts must be treated or replaced regularly. Metal platforms rust in acidic or wet conditions. Loose planks, corroded bolts, or misaligned frames create serious hazards for ascending workers, particularly those carrying heavy tools or materials. Sollars must also not obstruct the shaft so much that they prevent raising or lowering of equipment.

A sollar differs fundamentally from temporary scaffolding used during shaft sinking or repair. Permanent sollars are engineered as part of the shaft infrastructure, while temporary platforms are removed once work is complete. The sollar has remained largely unchanged in concept for over a century, though modern installations increasingly use prefabricated steel components rather than site-built timber, improving durability and reducing maintenance labor in harsh underground conditions.