Predicting pillar stability for underground mine using Fisher discriminant analysis and SVM methods

The purpose of this study is to apply some statistical and soft computing methods such as Fisher discriminant analysis （FDA） and support vector machines （SVMs） methodology to the determination of pillar stability for underground mines selected from various coal and stone mines by using some index and mechanical properties, including the width, the height, the ratio of the pillar width to its height, the uniaxial compressive strength of the rock and pillar stress. The study includes four main stages： sampling, testing, modeling and assessment of the model performances. During the modeling stage, two pillar stability prediction models were investigated with FDA and SVMs methodology based on the statistical learning theory. After using 40 sets of measured data in various mines in the world for training and testing, the model was applied to other 6 data for validating the trained proposed models. The prediction results of SVMs were compared with those of FDA as well as the measured field values. The general performance of models developed in this study is close; however, the SVMs exhibit the best performance considering the performance index with the correct classification rate Prs by re-substitution method and Pcv by cross validation method. The results show that the SVMs approach has the potential to be a reliable and practical tool for determination of pillar stability for underground mines.

Elimination of boundary effect for laminated overburden model in pillar stability analysis

The laminated overburden model(La Model)has been widely used for pillar design and stability analysis.As a boundary element program,the La Model program is sensitive to the boundary condition,which should be considered before creating the model.To eliminate the boundary effect in a La Model pillar stability analysis,a suitable boundary buffer zone is needed around the model edge.The radius of influence(R)and the abutment load extent(D)are two major factors that affect the stresses and displacements calculated in LaM odel.To determine the optimum buffer zone extent,a database of case histories was analyzed using the La Model program.Values for R and D were varied until a buffer zone having negligible influence on the pillar stability factor(SF)of the active mining zone(AMZ)was determined.

Numerical modeling for the coupled thermo-mechanical processes and spalling phenomena in sp Pillar Stability Experiment (APSE)

In this paper, the coupled thermo-mechanical （TM） processes in the AEspoe Pillar Stability Experiment （APSE） carried out by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company （SKB） were simulated using both continuum and discontinuum based numerical methods. Two-dimensional （2D） and three- dimensional （3D） finite element method （FEM） and 2D distinct element method （DEM） with particles were used. The main objective for the large scale in situ experiment is to investigate the yielding strength of crystalline rock and the formation of the excavation disturbed/damaged zone （EDZ） during excavation of two boreholes, pressurizing of one of the boreholes and heating. For the DEM simulations, the heat flow algorithm was newly introduced into the original code. The calculated stress, displacement and temperature distributions were compared with the ones obtained from in situ measurements and FEM simulations. A parametric study for initial microcracks was also performed to reproduce the spalling phenomena observed in the APSE.

Numerical study on coupled thermo-mechanical processes in sp Pillar Stability Experiment

This paper presents a study of the full three-dimensional thermo-mechanical （TM） behavior of rock pillar in,Aspo Pillar Stability Experiment （APSE） using a self-developed numerical code TM-EPCA3D. The transient thermal conduction function was descritized on space and time scales, and was solved by using cellular automaton （CA） method on space scale and finite difference method on time scale, respectively. The advantage of this approach is that no global, but local matrix is used so that it avoids the need to develop and solve large-scale linear equations and the complexity therein. A thermal conductivity versus stress function was proposed to reflect the effect of stress on thermal field. The temperature evolution and induced thermal stress in the pillar part during the heating and cooling processes were well simulated by the developed code. The factors that affect the modeling results were discussed. It is concluded that, the complex TM behavior of Aspo rock pillar is significantly influenced by the complex boundary and initial conditions.

Analysis of sp Pillar Stability Experiment: Continuous thermo-mechanical model development and calibration

The paper describes an analysis of thermo-mechanical （TM） processes appearing during the Aspo Pillar Stability Experiment （APSE）. This analysis is based on finite elements with elasticity, plasticity and dam- age mechanics models of rock behaviour and some least squares calibration techniques. The main aim is to examine the capability of continuous mechanics models to predict brittle damage behaviour of gran- ite rocks. The performed simulations use an in-house finite element software GEM and self-developed experimental continuum damage MATLAB code. The main contributions are twofold. First, it is an inverse analysis, which is used for （1） verification of an initial stress measurement by back analysis of conver- gence measurement during construction of the access tunnel and （2） identification of heat transfer rock mass properties by an inverse method based on the known heat sources and temperature measurements. Second, three different hierarchically built models are used to estimate the pillar damage zones, i.e. elas- tic model with Drucker-Prager strength criterion, elasto-plastic model with the same yield limit and a combination of elasto-plasticity with continuum damage mechanics. The damage mechanics model is also used to simulate uniaxial and triaxial compressive strength tests on the ,Aspo granite.

Stability prediction of hard rock pillar using support vector machine optimized by three metaheuristic algorithms

Hard rock pillar is one of the important structures in engineering design and excavation in underground mines.Accurate and convenient prediction of pillar stability is of great significance for underground space safety.This paper aims to develop hybrid support vector machine(SVM)models improved by three metaheuristic algorithms known as grey wolf optimizer(GWO),whale optimization algorithm(WOA)and sparrow search algorithm(SSA)for predicting the hard rock pillar stability.An integrated dataset containing 306 hard rock pillars was established to generate hybrid SVM models.Five parameters including pillar height,pillar width,ratio of pillar width to height,uniaxial compressive strength and pillar stress were set as input parameters.Two global indices,three local indices and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve with the area under the ROC curve(AUC)were utilized to evaluate all hybrid models’performance.The results confirmed that the SSA-SVM model is the best prediction model with the highest values of all global indices and local indices.Nevertheless,the performance of the SSASVM model for predicting the unstable pillar(AUC:0.899)is not as good as those for stable(AUC:0.975)and failed pillars(AUC:0.990).To verify the effectiveness of the proposed models,5 field cases were investigated in a metal mine and other 5 cases were collected from several published works.The validation results indicated that the SSA-SVM model obtained a considerable accuracy,which means that the combination of SVM and metaheuristic algorithms is a feasible approach to predict the pillar stability.

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.

Stability analysis and determination of rock pillar between two adjacent caverns in different regions of Asmari formation in Iran

Large underground caverns are commonly used in variety of applications. In many cases, because of the geomechanical limitations of dimensions and requirement of high volume, several parallel caverns are used. Plastic zone integration requires a larger rock pillar distance of theses adjacent caverns while eco- nomic and access reasons require smaller distance. In lran many underground projects are located in West and South West, Asmari formation covers a large part of these regions. The stability of underground spaces that are constructed or will be constructed in this formation has been investigated. A proper cross section based on plastic analysis and a stability criterion has been proposed for each region. Finally, in each case, allowable rock pillar between adjacent caverns with similar dimension was determined with two methods （numerical analysis and fire service law）. Results show that Fire Service Law uses a very con- servative safety factor and it was proposed to use a correction factor for allowable distance based on application of underground space.

Numerical investigation into pillar failure induced by time-dependent skin degradation

This paper focuses on the instability mechanism of an isolated pillar, caused by time-dependent skin degradation and strength heterogeneity. The time-dependent skin degradation is simulated with a non-linear rheological model capable of simulating tertiary creep, whereby two different pillar failure cases are investigated. The first case is of an isolated pillar in a deep hard rock underground mine and subjected to high stresses. The results show that pillar degradation is limited to the regions near the surface or the skin until two months after ore extraction. Afterwards degradation starts to extend deeper into the pillar, eventually leaving a highly-stressed pillar core due to stress transfer from the failed skin.Rockburst potential indices show that the risk increases exponentially at the core as time goes by. It is then demonstrated that the progressive skin degradation cannot be simulated with conventional strain-softening model assuming brittle failure. The parametric study with respect to the degree of heterogeneity reveals that heterogeneity is key to the occurrence of progressive skin degradation. The second case investigated in this study is pillar failure taking place in a very long period. Such failure becomes significantly important when assessing the risk for ground subsidence caused by pillar collapse in an abandoned mine. The analysis results demonstrate that the employed non-linear rheological model can simulate gradual skin degradation taking place over several hundred years. The percentage of damage zone volume within the pillar is merely 1% after a lapse of one days and increases to 50% after one hundred years, indicating a high risk for pillar collapse in the long term. The vertical displacements within the pillar also indicate the risk of subsidence. The proposed method is suitable for evaluating the risk of ground surface subsidence above an abandoned mine.

Ground control monitoring of retreat room–and–pillar mine in Central Appalachia

In order to study pillar and overburden response to retreat mining, a ground control program was conducted at a Central Appalachian Mine. The program consisted of several monitoring methods including a seismic monitoring system, borehole pressure cells in the pillars, and time-lapse photogrammetry of the pillar ribs. Two parallel geophone arrays were installed, one on each side of the panel with the sensors mounted 3 m into the roof. A total of fourteen geophones recorded more than 5000 events during the panel retreat. A MIDAS datalogger was used to record pressure from borehole pressure cells(BPCs)located in two adjacent pillars that were not mined during retreat. A series of photographs were taken of the pillars that had the BPCs as the face approached so that deformation of the entire rib could be monitored using photogrammetry. Results showed that pillar stability and cave development were as expected. The BPCs showed an increase in loading when the face was 115 m inby and a clear onset of the forward abutment at 30 m. The photogrammetry results displayed pillar deformation corresponding to the increased loading. The microseismic monitoring results showed the overburden caving inby the face, again as expected. The significance of these results lies in two points,(1) we can quantify the safe manner in which this mine is conducting retreating operations, and(2) we can use volumetric technologies(photogrammetry and microseismic) to monitor entire volumes of the mine in addition to the traditional point-location geotechnical measurements(BPCs).

Numerical modeling of coupled thermo-mechanical response of a rock pillar

Understanding the rock mass response to excavation and thermal loading and improving the capability of the numerical models for simulating the progressive failure process of brittle rocks are important for safety assessment and optimization design of nuclear waste repositories.The international cooperative DECOVALEX-2011 project provides a platform for development,validation and comparison of numerical models,in which the sp pillar stability experiment（APSE） was selected as the modeling target for Task B.This paper presents the modeling results of Wuhan University（WHU） team for stages 1 and 2 of Task B by using a coupled thermo-mechanical model within the framework of continuum mechanics.The rock mass response to excavation is modeled with linear elastic,elastoplastic and brittle-plastic models,while the response to heating is modeled with a coupled thermo-elastic model.The capabilities and limitations of the model for representation of the thermo-mechanical responses of the rock pillar are discussed by comparing the modeling results with experimental observations.The results may provide a helpful reference for the stability and safety assessment of the hard granite host rock in China＇s Beishan preselected area for high-level radioactive waste disposal.

Depillaring of total thickness of a thick coal seam in single lift using cable bolts：A case study

Explaining fundamentals of application of cable bolting for a thick seam depillaring,this paper summarizes the results of field studies conducted during adoption of this approach in more than fifteen panels of Madhusudanpur 7 pit and incline mine.Nearly 7.0 m thick Kajora top coal seam of this mine is developed on pillars along the floor horizon to an average height of 3.0 m,leaving a coal band of around 4.0 m along the roof.Analysis of procured core samples showed that roof strata are easily caveable with a caveability index value of around 2000 only.Easily caveable overlying strata and shallow depth of cover alleviated most of the expected strata mechanics problems of the thick seam mining.However,extraction of total thickness at shallow cover caused differential-subsidence and cracks on the surface.These manifestations were immediately tackled to avoid creation of a breathing path for spontaneous heating in the extracted area.

An analytic solution describing the visco-elastic deformation of coal pillars in room and pillar mine

Coal pillar deformation is typically nonlinear and time-dependent. The accurate prediction of this defor- mation has a vital importance for the successful implementation of mining techniques. These methods have proven very important as a way to excavate coal resources from under buildings, railways, or water bodies. Elastic and visco-elastic theory are employed with a Maxwell model to formulate an analytic solution for displacement of coal pillars in room and pillar mine. These results show that the visco-elastic solution adequately predicts the coal pillar deformation over time. We conclude that the visco-elastic solution can predict the coal pillar and roadway displacement from the measured geological parameters of the conditions in situ. Furthermore, this method would be useful for mine design, coal pillar support optimization, ground subsidence prediction, and coal pillar stability analysis.

Determination of the load bearing capacity of pre-stressed expandable props for ground support in underground mines

This paper aims to determine the load bearing capacity of pre-stressed expandable props with different geometries and load eccentricities for flexible support in underground mining or excavation.It is deduced that the expandable device could have much higher strength(>89 MPa)by laboratory tests,and the load bearing capacity of the expandable prop may depend on the stability of the supporting steel pipe structure.A good agreement was found between the laboratory test and numerical results in terms of the load bearing capacity and the final macro-bending failure pattern for expandable props with heights of 1.5 and 2.7 m,and the theoretical calculation for the strength of traditional steel structures is not directly suitable for the expandable props.Moreover,additional numerical simulations were performed for the expandable props with different normalized slenderness ratiosλ_(n)and loading eccentric distances e.The variation of stability coefficient of the expandable prop is in line with the Perry-Robertson equation and its correlation coefficients are fitted as a of 0.979 and b of 0.314.For estimating the load bearing capacity of the expandable props,the strength equation for traditional steel structures is improved by introducing a bending magnification factor and by modifying the normalized slenderness ratio to a converted slenderness ratio.Based on the underground field monitoring for the strength of expandable props with different heights,the empirical eccentric distances were back calculated,and a safety factor is introduced to obtain the designed strength of the expandable prop.In addition,a four-step design procedure is proposed for the expandable prop.

Stability analysis of the pillars between bedded salt cavern gas storages by cusp catastrophe model

The failure of pillars between bedded salt cavern gas storages can be seen as processes that the deformations of pillars convert from continuous gradual change system to catastrophe state,which are typical nonlinear catastrophe problems.In the paper,the cusp catastrophe model is proposed to obtain the stability factors of pillars.It can overcome the shortages of traditional strength reduction finite element method(SR FEM) and greatly improve the accuracy of stability factors obtained by numerical simulations.The influences of cavern depth,gas pressure,pillar width,and time on the stability factors are studied.Y-1 and Y-2 salt cavern gas storages,located at Jiangsu province of China,were simulated as examples.The stability factors of pillars between Y-1 and Y-2 were evaluated,and the running parameters were recommended to ensure the pillars stability.The results showed that the cusp catastrophe model has high practicability and can precisely predict the stability factors.The stability factors are equidirectional with the increase of gas pressure and pillar width,but reverse to the increase of cavern depth and time.The stability factors of pillars between Y-1 and Y-2 are small for narrow widths,which are influenced greatly by gas pressure,time,pressure difference,and gas production rate.In order to ensure the safety of pillars,the lowest gas pressure,safe running time,max.pressure difference and max.gas production rate of Y-1 and Y-2 were recommended as 7 MPa,5 years,3 MPa,and 0.50 MPa/d,respectively.

Suitable layout of gate roads related to slice mining in an ultra-thick unstable coal seam

We determi：ned a suitable gate road layout in slice mining in an ultra-thick unstable coal seam, using theoretical anallysis and numerical calculations. Based on plasticity theory in terms of limiting equilibrium, the width of chain pillar in the upper slice was calculated to be 18 m. The stress distribution in the chain pillar after the upper slice was mined out was described with numerical simulation. The extent of the effect of stress on the upper chain pillar on the lower solid coal was obtained on the basis of an elastic solution of a distributed force loaded on a half-plane. Three layout designs for lower gate roads were pro- posed and a stability factor was introduced to analyze the stability of the lower pillar with numerical calculation. Gate road translation was determined as the most suitable layout method, which maximizes the extraction rate on the basis of the pillar stability.

Thermo-mechanical coupling analysis of APSE using submodels and neural networks

The ,Aspoe Pillar Stability Experiment （APSE） is an in situ experiment for investigating the spalling mechanism under mechanical and thermal loading conditions in a crystalline rock. In this study, the thermo-mechanical behaviors in the APSE were investigated with three models： （1） a Full model with rough meshes for calculating the influence of tunnel excavation; （2） a Submodel with fine meshes for predicting the thermo-mechanical behavior in the pillar during the borehole drilling, heating, and cool- ing phases; and （3） a Thin model for modeling the effect of slot cutting for de-stressing around the pillar. In order to import the stresses calculated from the Full model to the Submodel and to define the complex thermal boundary conditions, artificial neural networks （NNs） were utilized. From this study, it was pos- sible to conclude that the stepwise approach with the application of NNs was useful for predicting the complex response of the pillar under severe thermo-mechanical loading conditions.