| Abstract: | This paper presents an investigation on the effectiveness of mitigating overburden failure and subsidences using a paste-like backfill method for coal mining. The Taiping Coal mine is the first Chinese coal mine which has adopted a paste-like backfill mining method to mitigate overburden failure and minimise subsidences. Overburden failure induced by longwall caving and backfill mining has been comparatively studied by in situ measurements, an empirical formula, a scale model and numerical simulations for a case study in the Taiping Coal mine. The results show that the heights of the caving and water flow fracture zones, and the range and value of the subsidences due to backfill mining are quite smaller than those resultant of longwall caving mining. The mining operations in the Taiping Coal mine have proven the reliability of this backfill mining method to mitigate overburden failure and subsidences so as to prevent coalmines from water and sand inrushes and protect farm land and surface buildings. |
