Stability of coal pillar in gob-side entry driving under unstable overlying strata and its coupling support control technique

Considering the situation that it is difficult to control the stability of narrow coal pillar in gob-side entry driving under unstable overlying strata, the finite difference numerical simulation method was adopted to analyze the inner stress distribution and its evolution regularity, as well as the deformation characteristics of narrow coal pillar in gob-side entry driving, in the whole process from entry driving of last working face to the present working face mining. A new method of narrow coal pillar control based on the triune coupling support technique (TCST), which includes that high-strength prestressed thread steel bolt is used to strain the coal on the goaf side, and that short bolt to control the integrity of global displacement zone in coal pillar on the entry side, and that long grouting cable to fix anchor point to constrain the bed separation between global displacement zone and fixed zone, is thereby generated and applied to the field production. The result indicates that after entry excavating along the gob under unstable overlying strata, the supporting structure left on the gob side of narrow coal pillar is basically invalid to maintain the coal-pillar stability, and the large deformation of the pillar on the gob side is evident. Except for the significant dynamic pressure appearing in the coal mining of last working face and overlying strata stabilizing process, the stress variation inside the coal pillar in other stages are rather steady, however, the stress expansion is obvious and the coal pillar continues to deform. Once the gob-side entry driving is completed, a global displacement zone on the entry side appears in the shallow part of the pillar, whereas, a relatively steady fixed zone staying almost still in gob-side entry driving and present working face mining is found in the deep part of the pillar. The application of TCST can not only avoid the failure of pillar supporting structure, but exert the supporting capacity of the bolting structure left in the pillar of last sublevel entry, thus to jointly maintain the stability of coal pillar.     

Surrounding rock control of gob-side entry driving with narrow coal pillar and roadway side sealing technology in Yangliu Coal Mine

Gob-side entry driving can increase coal recovery ratio, and it is implied in many coal mines. Based on geological condition of 10416 working face tailentry in Yangliu Coal Mine, the surrounding rock deformation characteristics of gob-side entry driving with narrow coal pillar is analysed, reasonable size of coal pillar and reasonable roadway excavation time after mining are achieved. Surrounding rock control technology and effective roadway side sealing technology are proposed and are taken into field practice. The results showed that a safer and more efficient mining of working face can be achieved. In addition, results of this paper also have important theoretical significance and valuable reference for surrounding rock control technology of gob-side entry driving with narrow coal pillar under special geological condition.     

Stress distribution and surrounding rock control of mining near to the overlying coal pillar in the working face

The occurrence of overlying coal pillar (OCP) exerts a strong effect on the stress and strain distribution of the surrounding rock in the stope. In this paper, the stress distribution characteristics are analyzed via the numerical calculation with the account of OCP presence or absence. In addition, this study revealed the joint effect of side pressure relief area of the goaf and stress concentration in OCP on the final stress distribution. Furthermore, the rules of abutment stress distribution affected by three influencing factors, namely horizontal-vertical distances between OCP and working face and buried depth of OCP, are analyzed. The functional model linking the peak stress of surrounding rock with the above influencing factors is developed. The field application of the above results proved that the rib spalling and deformation of a 2.95 m-high and 5.66 m-wide roadway could be efficiently controlled by rationally adjusting working states of the support, and adopting the hydraulic prop coordinated with the π type metal beam and anchor cable to strengthen the surrounding rock of working face and roadway, respectively. The proposed measures are considered appropriate to satisfy the safe operation requirements.     

A new technology for coal and gas control based on the in situ stress distribution and the roadway layout

An auxiliary gas control technology is described that can reduce coal and gas outburst accidents when there is no existing protective coal seam and gas pre-draining is not effective.Numerical simulatio...     

Effects of in-situ stress on the stability of a roadway excavated through a coal seam

Roadways excavated through a coal seam can exert an adverse effect on roadway stability. To investigate the effects of in-situ stress on roadway stability, numerical models were built and high horizontal stresses at varying orientations were applied. The results indicate that stress concentrations, roadway deformation and failure increase in magnitude and extent as the excavation angle with respect to the maximum horizontal stress increases. In addition, the stress adjacent to the coal-rock interface sharply varies in space and evolves with time; coal is much more vulnerable to deformation and failure than rock.The results provide insights into the layout of roadways excavated through a coal seam. Roadways should be designed parallel or at a narrow angle to the maximum horizontal stress. The concentrated stress at the top corner of the face-end should be reduced in advance, and the coal seam should be reinforced immediately after excavation.     

Test and application of hydraulic expansion bolts in a roadway under goaf with ultra-close separation

The roof of a roadway under goaf with ultra-close separation consists of thin rock strata and rocks caving in upper goaf. Influenced by the mining of the upper coal seam, the roof is loose and broken, ...     

Coupling effects of coal pillars of thick coal seams in large-space stopes and hard stratum on mine pressure

Concerning the issue of mine pressure behaviors occurred in fully mechanized caving mining of thick coal seams beneath hard stratum in Datong Mining Area, combined with thin and thick plate theory, the paper utilizes theoretical analysis, similar experiments, numerical simulations and field tests to study the influence of remaining coal pillars in Jurassic system goaf on hard stratum fractures, as well as mine pressure behaviors under their coupling effects. The paper concludes the solution formula of initial fault displacement in hard stratum caused by remaining coal pillars. Experiments prove that coupling effects can enhance mine pressure behaviors on working faces. When inter-layer inferior key strata fractures, mine pressure phenomenon such as significant roof weighting steps and increasing resistance in support.When inter-layer superior key strata fractures, the scope of overlying strata extends to Jurassic system goaf, dual-system stopes cut through, and remaining coal pillars lose stability. As a result, the bottom inferior key strata also lose stability. It causes huge impacts on working face, and the second mine pressure behaviors. These phenomena provide evidence for research on other similar mine strata pressure behaviors occurred in dual-system mines with remaining coal pillars.     

Coupling control on pillar stress concentration and surface cracks in shallow multi-seam mining

In order to ensure safe mining and reduce surface damage in shallow multi-seam mining, the failure characteristics of interburden strata with different coal pillars offset distances between pillars in the upper and lower seams, the distribution characteristics of stress concentration in coal pillars, and the development characteristics of stratum cracks and subsidence were investigated by physical and UDEC2 D simulation. Meanwhile, the effect of different coal pillar offset distances on stress concentration of coal pillar and development of stratum cracks were studied. Based on those results, a formula for safe mining and reducing surface damage was established, which provided a theoretical basis for safe and environmentally friendly mining in shallow multi-seam. According to the results, the optimal coal pillar offset distance(the side to side horizontal distance of the upper and lower coal pillars) between the upper and lower coal seams was developed to reduce the stress concentration of coal pillars and surface damage.The results of this study have been applied in Ningtiaota coal mine and have achieved good results in safe and environmentally friendly mining.     

Calculation and analysis of stress in strata under gob pillars

Aiming at the difficulty in stress analysis for strata under pillars with actual bearing conditions, an approach was proposed to apply multi-sectional linear approximation to the characteristic curves of pillar loads, and stress of strata was calculated under pillars with linear load by calculation method for uniform load. This approach leads to a rapid analyzing method for strata stress under pillars with any form of loads. Through theoretical analysis, strata stress expressions for pillars under linear bearing conditions are obtained. In addition, two concepts, stress increase factor and stress factor, are proposed for the approximate analysis of strata stress by uniform load approximation method. It is also found that the stress increase factor of strata is related to the strata stress factor and the ratio of the minimum load on the pillar’ two ends to the maximum one; and the distribution features of stress factors and the sizes of their influencing areas in strata influenced by overlying pillars are obtained. Combining with the gob pillar conditions of Jurassic coal seam in Tongxin Coal Mine, it is demonstrated that the results obtained by stress distribution analysis of the strata stress in non-influencing areas of pillars with linear bearing through uniform load approximation are in basic accordance with the results obtained for pillars under linear bearing condition. Therefore, it is feasible and accurate to calculate stress in non-influencing area in strata under pillars with linear bearing condition by uniform load calculation method.     

高应力区域煤层巷道耦合支护数值模拟试验研究

为了研究耦合支护控制巷道变形的效果,根据耦合支护原理,使用FLAC3D有限差分数值模拟软件对某矿11010工作面回风巷在不同支护参数下巷道的顶板、底板、左帮和右帮深部基点位移与围岩最大位移进行了研究.结果表明,当支护体与围岩以及支护体之间在强度、刚度、结构满足耦合支护时,巷道深部基点位移与围岩最大位移均较小,且巷道处于稳定状态所需时间较短.通过工程实例进一步说明了耦合支护能有效地控制巷道围岩变形,维护巷道稳定.     

Influence of abnormal stress under a residual bearing coal pillar on the stability of a mine entry

Mine entries close to residual bearing coal pillars(RBCPs) will suffer large deformation that may cause rock burst. To better understand the deformation mechanism and develop safe and practical guidelines for entry design, most studies focus on the absolute size of the stress field in and around the pillar. In this paper, we present a new approach to analyze the abnormal stress field close to a RBCP that uses the stress concentration coefficient(SCC), stress gradient(SG), and coefficient of lateral pressure(CLP) to describe the stress state induced by the RBCP. Based on elastic theory and a mathematical model for the abutment stress in the RBCP, an analytical solution for the abnormal stress in the strata below the RBCP was derived and the characteristics of the abnormal stress for a case study of a coal mine in China were analyzed. The results show that the abnormal stress field around the pillar is characterized by four distinct zones: a zone of high SCC, high SG, and CLP less than 1, a zone of high SCC, low SG, and CLP less than 1, a zone of low SCC, SG close to 0, and CLP greater than 1, and a zone of SCC close to 1, SC close to 0, and CLP close to 1. Based on this zoning pattern, a numerical model was established to study the combined effects of the abnormal stress on the stability of the entry. The most stable zone was determined based on a model of the Xinrui coal mine and verified by field measurements at the mine. Our conclusions can be used as guidelines for designing safe entry layouts in similar geological and mining settings.     

Analytical model and application of stress distribution on mining coal floor

Given the analysis of underground pressure, a stress calculation model of coal floor stress has been established based on a theory of elasticity. The model presents the law of stress distribution on the relatively fixed position of the mining coal floor: the extent of stress variation in a fixed floor position decreases gradually along with depth, the decreasing rate of the vertical stress is clearly larger than that of the horizontal stress at a specific depth. The direction of the maximum principal stress changes gradually from a vertical direction to a horizontal direction with the advance of the working face. The deformation and permeability of the rock mass of the coal floor are obtained by contrasting the difference of the principal stress established from theoretical calculations with curves of stress-strain and permeability-strain from tests, which is an important mechanical basis for preventing water inrush from confined aquifers.     

Failure mechanism and stability control of a large section of very soft roadway surrounding rock shear slip

The measured data and simulation test phenomenon of surrounding rock deformation and failure at the project site indicate that shear failure which firstly occurs in surrounding rock, block slip and second shear failure are the root cause of deformation and damage of supporting structure of the surrounding rock at a large scale. We derived limit load of surrounding rock shear slip failure and reasonable support resistance of given load by means of shear slip line field theory, discussed the main factors which influence the limit load of surrounding rock. Shear slip line field and limit load of circular tunnel surrounding rock were obtained by means of physical simulation test, which agreed well with the theoretical analysis results. Based on the theoretical analysis and physical simulation test, the cause deformation and failure at large scale of Xinshanghai No. 1 coal mine big section ingate was analyzed, and the shear failure resistance and block slip in surrounding rock were proposed as the core technical supporting ideas. Proper range of supporting resistance which came from calculation was suggested. The support scheme which is mainly composed of large grouting anchor, sprayed anchor net support technique and full-face grille concrete finally ended the dilemma of repeated failure and mending of ingate and created critical conditions for smooth production in the coal mine.     

Effects of coal seam dip angle on the outburst in coal roadway excavation

The prevention and forecast of coal and gas outburst has always been one of the key issues in coal mining safety. By simulating the process of tunneling in coal seam with different dip angle through FLAC3D software, the dangerous zone in which outburst may occur and the probability of outburst near the working face were predicted through the distribution of stress, displacement and plastic zone. Then we discussed the size of unstable area in the surrounding rock through the distribution of stress and the variation curve of the displacement on the roadway wall. The results show that, with an increase of the coal seam dip angle, the risk of outburst in the working face rises gradually. And the dangerous areas in which may outburst occur moves to the upper part of coal seam. The size of unstable area in the surrounding rock increases with the increase of coal seam dip angle.     

古汉山煤矿软岩巷道底臌原因分析及防治措施

通过对处于软弱破碎带及构造应力集中区之中的古汉山煤矿井底车场巷道的长期观测研究 ,提出了软岩巷道底臌的形式 ,并结合该矿实际情况 ,分析了底臌形成的原因 ,提出了防治底臌的措施 ,有效地解决了巷道中底臌事故 .     

Floor stress evolution laws and its effect on stability of floor roadway

According to the distribution of abutment stress in a stope, this research established the mechanical model of mining abutment pressure transmission in floor base on the theory of semi-infinite plate body in elasticity. This study takes the 762 working face of Haizi Coal Mine as a case in point, and analyzed the dynamic evolution law of seam floor stress during the mining process. With an organic combination of the mining floor stress and surrounding rock stress, the study obtained the change laws of the maximum principle stress and the minimum one for the floor roadway surrounding rock when mining the upper working face. Considering the non-constant pressure force state and the cracks revolution mechanisms of floor roadway surrounding rock, the research built the mechanical model of roadway stress. Simulation results verify the reliability of the above conclusions. Moreover, this model could provide the theoretical basis and technical support for controlling floor roadway surrounding rock.     

Roof filling control technology and application to mine roadway damage in small pit goaf

To recover coal resources that have been damaged by traditional mining methods and ensure stability of the lower roadway in a small pit goaf, the goaf area must be filled and reinforced. In this research, the1202 working face of the Hanzui mine is considered as an example for classifying the roof of the mining tunnel under the small kiln destruction zone, the effect of the goaf on the roadway is determined based on the radio tunnel penetration method, a mechanical model to determine the roof filling control mechanism was established, and the duct foaming system and roof filling process were designed. The results show that the scope and degree of influence of the goaf on the mining lane are large, but safe tunneling can be ensured through the use of a steel shed and advanced grouting techniques. When the roof conditions are not similar, materials with different filling heights and filling strengths can be used to control the roof filling of the roadway. By combining field experience and laboratory tests, it was determined that a high-foaming material with a water-cement ratio of 1:0.6, a suitable high-foaming additive, and a water volume ratio of 1:30 is cost-efficient for filling and meets the filling strength requirements. Finally, the reliability of the proposed technology was verified by field experiments, which provide a reference for filling operations in similar mines.     

Comparative study of model tests on automatically formed roadway and gob-side entry driving in deep coal mines

Automatically formed roadway(AFR) by roof cutting with bolt grouting(RCBG) is a new deep coal mining technology. By using this technology, the broken roadway roof is strengthened, and roof cutting is applied to cut off stress transfer between the roadway and gob to ensure the collapse of the overlying strata. The roadway is automatically formed owing to the broken expansion characteristics of the collapsed strata and mining pressure. Taking the Suncun Coal Mine as the engineering background, the control effect of this new technology on roadways was studied. To compare the law of stress evolution and the surrounding rock control mechanisms between AFR and traditional gob-side entry driving, a comparative study of geomechanical model tests on the above methods was carried out. The results showed that the new technology of AFR by RCBG effectively reduced the stress concentration of the roadway compared with gob-side entry driving. The side abutment pressure peak of the solid coal side was reduced by 24.3%, which showed an obvious pressure-releasing effect. Moreover, the position of the side abutment pressure peak was far from the solid coal side, making it more beneficial for roadway stability. The deformation of AFR surrounding rock was also smaller than the deformation of the gob-side entry driving by the overload test. The former was more beneficial for roadway stability than the latter under higher stress conditions. Field application tests showed that the new technology can effectively control roadway deformation. Moreover, the technology reduced roadway excavation and avoided resource waste caused by reserved coal pillars.     

An assessment of coal pillar system stability criteria based on a mechanistic evaluation of the interaction between coal pillars and the overburden

Coal pillar design has historically assigned a factor of safety(Fo S) or stability factor(SF) according to their estimated strength and the assumed overburden load acting on them. Acceptable Fo S values have been assigned based on past mining experience or a statistical link between Fo S and probability of failure(Po F). Pillar width-to-height(w/h) ratio has long been established as having a material influence on both pillar strength and its potential failure mode. However, there has been significant disagreement on using both factor of safety(Fo S) and w/h as part of pillar system stability criterion, as compared to using Fo S in isolation. This paper will argue that there are valid technical reasons to bring w/h ratio into system stability criteria(other than its influence on pillar strength), as it is related to the post-failure stiffness of the pillar, as measured in situ, and its interaction with overburden stiffness. When overburden stiffness is also brought into pillar system stability considerations, two issues emerge. The first is the width-todepth(W/D) ratio of the panel and whether it is sub-critical or super-critical from a surface subsidence perspective. The second relates to a re-evaluation of pillar Fo S based on whether the pillar is in an elastic or non-elastic(i.e., post-yield) state in its as-designed condition, as this is relevant to maintaining overburden stiffness at the highest possible level. The significance of the model is the potential to maximise both reserve recovery and mining efficiencies without any discernible increase in geotechnical risk, particularly in thick seams and higher depth of cover mining situations. At a time when mining economics are, at best, marginal, removing potentially unnecessary design conservatism is of interest to all mine operators and is an important topic for discussion amongst the geotechnical community.     

Stability control of gob-side entry retained under the gob with close distance coal seams

In multi-seam mining, the interlayer rock strata between the upper coal seam(UCS) and the lower coal seam(LCS) appear damage and strength weakening after mining the UCS. Ground stability control of the gob-side entry retaining(GER) under the gob with close distance coal seams(CDCS) is faced with difficulties due to little attention to GER under this condition. This paper focuses on surrounding rock stability control and technical parameters design for GER under the gob with CDCS. The floor rock strata damage characteristics after mining the UCS is first evaluated and the damage factor of the interlayer rock strata below the UCS is also determined. Then, a structural mechanics model of GER surrounding rock is set up to obtain the main design parameters of the side-roadway backfill body(SBB) including the maximum and minimum SBB width calculation formula. The optimal SBB width and the water-to-cement ratio of high water quick-setting material(HWQM) to construct the SBB are determined as 1.2 m and 1.5:1.0,respectively. Finally, engineering trial tests of GER are successfully carried out at #5210 track transportation roadway of Xingwu Colliery. Research results can guide GER design under similar mining and geological conditions.