Triaxial mechanical properties and precursors of instability damage in rocks with different laminar dip angles

To investigate the mechanical failure characteristics of volcanic breccia with different bedding dip angles in deep layers,triaxial compression experiments were conducted on specimens taken from volcanic rock layers in the Junggar Basin,Xinjiang.By changing the confining pressure,we compared the mechanical properties,acoustic emission characteristics,and fractal features of the acoustic emission sequence for volcanic breccia with different bedding dip angles.The research results indicate that as the bedding dip angle increases,peak strength,internal friction angle,and cohesion exhibit a“U-shaped”variation pattern.The correlation dimension of the acoustic emission amplitude was calculated using the G-P algorithm,revealing that volcanic breccia exhibits fractal characteristics.Furthermore,a positive correlation between the correlation dimension and the bedding dip angle was observed.When the stress of the test specimen reaches 0.8σ_(c),there is a significant decrease in the fractal dimension,serving as a criterion for predicting the failure of the specimen.By analyzing the changes in fractal dimension at different stress levels,the slope of the fractal dimension△D<-0.5 can be used as a precursor to failure for test specimens with a bedding dip angle of 15°≤β≤45°.Similarly,when the bedding dip angle of the specimen is 0°≤β<15°or 45°<β≤90°,△D<0 can be considered as a precursor to specimen failure.This study provides theoretical references for understanding the failure patterns of volcanic rock.

Structure instability forecasting and analysis of giant rock pillars in steeply dipping thick coal seams

Structure stability analysis of rock masses is essential for forecasting catastrophic structure failure in coal seam mining. Steeply dipping thick coal seams （SDTCS） are common in the Urumqi coalfield, and some dynamical hazards such as roof collapse and mining-induced seismicity occur frequently in the coal mines. The cause of these events is mainly structure instability in giant rock pillars sand- wiched between SDTCS. Developing methods to predict these events is important for safe mining in such a complex environment. This study focuses on understanding the structural mechanics model of a giant rock pillar and presents a viewpoint of the stability of a trend sphenoid fractured beam （TSFB）. Some stability index parameters such as failure surface dips were measured, and most dips were observed to be between 46° and 51°. We used a digital panoramic borehole monitoring system to measure the TSFB＇s height （△H）, which varied from 56.37 to 60.50 m. Next, FLAC^3D was used to model the distribution and evolution of vertical displacement in the giant rock pillars; the results confirmed the existence of a TSFB structure. Finally, we investigated the acoustic emission （AE） energy accumulation rate and observed that the rate commonly ranged from 20 to 40 kJ/min. The AE energy accumulation rate could be used to anticipate impeding seismic events related to structure failure. The results presented provide a useful approach for forecasting catastrophic events related to structure instability and for developing hazard prevention technology for mining in SDTCS.