Optimal mining sequence for coal faces under a bedding slope:insight from landslide prevention

Repetitive mining beneath bedding slopes is identified as a critical factor in geomorphic disturbances, especially landslides and surface subsidence. Prior research has largely concentrated on surface deformation in plains due to multi-seam coal mining and the instability of natural bedding slopes, yet the cumulative impact of different mining sequences on bedding slopes has been less explored. This study combines drone surveys and geological data to construct a comprehensive three-dimensional model of bedding slopes. Utilizing FLAC3D and PFC2D models, derived from laboratory experiments, it simulates stress, deformation, and failure dynamics of slopes under various mining sequences. Incorporating fractal dimension analysis, the research evaluates the stability of slopes in relation to different mining sequences. The findings reveal that mining in an upslope direction minimizes disruption to overlying strata. Initiating extraction from lower segments increases tensile-shear stress in coal pillar overburdens, resulting in greater creep deformation towards the downslope than when starting from upper segments, potentially leading to localized landslides and widespread creep deformation in mined-out areas. The downslope upward mining sequence exhibits the least fractal dimensions, indicating minimal disturbance to both strata and surface. While all five mining scenarios maintain good slope stability under normal conditions, recalibrated stability assessments based on fractal dimensions suggest that downslope upward mining offers the highest stability under rainfall, contrasting with the lower stability and potential instability risks of upslope downward mining. These insights are pivotal for mining operations and geological hazard mitigation in multi-seam coal exploitation on bedding slopes.

Stability of bedded rock slopes subjected to hydro-fluctuation and associated strength deterioration

Reservoir-induced earthquakes(RIEs)occur frequently in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area(TGRA)and the rock mass strength of the hydro-fluctuation belt(HFB)deteriorates severely due to the reservoirinduced seismic loads.Three models of typical bedded rock slopes(BRSs),i.e.gently(GIS),moderately(MIS),and steeply(SIS)inclined slopes,were proposed according to field investigations.The dynamic response mechanism and stability of the BRSs,affected by the rock mass deterioration of the HFB,were investigated by the shaking table test and the universal distinct element code(UDEC)simulation.Specifically,the amplification coefficient of the peak ground acceleration(PGA)of the slope was gradually attenuated under multiple seismic loads,and the acceleration response showed obvious“surface effect”and“elevation effect”in the horizontal and vertical directions,respectively.The“S-type”cubic function and“steep-rise type”exponential function were used to characterize the cumulative damage evolution of the slope caused by microseismic waves(low seismic waves)and high seismic waves,respectively.According to the dynamic responses of the acceleration,cumulative displacement,rock pressure,pore water pressure,damping ratio,natural frequency,stability coefficient,and sliding velocity of the slope,the typical evolution processes of the dynamic cumulative damage and instability failure of the slope were generalized,and the numerical and experimental results were compared.Considering the dynamic effects of the slope height(SH),slope angle(SA),bedding plane thickness(BPT),dip angle of the bedding plane(DABP),dynamic load amplitude(DLA),dynamic load frequency(DLF),height of water level of the hydro-fluctuation belt(HWLHFB),degradation range of the hydro-fluctuation belt(DRHFB),and degradation shape of the hydro-fluctuation belt(DSHFB),the sensitivity of factors influencing the slope dynamic stability using the orthogonal analysis method(OAM)was DLA>DRHFB>SA>SH>DLF>HWLHFB>DSHFB>DABP>BPT.

Effect of the inclined weak interlayers on the rainfall response of a bedded rock slope

Engineering experience shows that outward dipping bedded rock slopes, especially including weak interlayers, are prone to slide under rainfall conditions. To investigate the effect of inclined weak interlayers at various levels of depth below the surface on the variation of displacements and stresses in bedded rock slopes, four geo- mechanical model tests with artificial rainfall have been conducted. Displacements, water content as well as earth pressure in the model were monitored by means of various FBG （Fiber Bragg Grating） sensors. The results showed that the amount of displacement of a slope with a weak interlayer is 2.8 to 6.2 times larger than that of a slope without a weak interlayer during one rainfall event. Furthermore, the position of the weak interlayer in terms of depth below the surface has a significant effect on the zone of deformation in the model. In the slope with a high position weak interlayer, the recorded deformation was larger in the superficial layer of the model and smaller in the frontal portion than in the slope with a low position weak interlayer. The slope with two weak interlayers has the largest deformation at all locations of all test slopes. The slope without a weak interlayer was only saturated in its superficial layer, while the displacement decreased with depth. That was different from all slopes with a weak interlayer in which the largest displacement shifted from the superficial layer to the weak interlayer when rainfall persisted. Plastic deformation of the weak interlayer promoted the formation of cracks which caused more water to flow into the slope, thus causing larger deformation in the slope with weak interlayers. In addition, the slide thrust pressure showed a vibration phenomenon o.5 to 1 hour ahead of an abrupt increase of the deformation, which was interpreted as a predictor for rainfall-induced failure of bedded rock slopes.

Strength and deformation behaviors of bedded rock mass under bolt reinforcement

The mechanism of bolt support is an important topic in mining engineering and slope treatment. The artificial material and loading system were self-developed to study the influence of bedding cohesion and bolt number on the anchoring behavior of bedded rock mass. The results show that, both peak strength and elasticity modulus increase gradually with the increase of bedding cohesion and bolt number. The axial stress–strain curve of bedded rock mass under the reinforcement of bolts presents the features of strain-softening and secondary strengthening. Finally, anchoring behavior of bedded rock mass with different bolt numbers was simulated by using FLAC3 D numerical program and the results were compared with the experimental results. This study can provide certain bases to the stability control and support design of bedded rock mass in roadway.

Model test and numerical simulation on the dynamic stability of the bedding rock slope under frequent microseisms

Shake table testing was performed to investigate the dynamic stability of a mid-dip bedding rock slope under frequent earthquakes. Then, numerical modelling was established to further study the slope dynamic stability under purely microseisms and the influence of five factors, including seismic amplitude, slope height, slope angle, strata inclination and strata thickness, were considered. The experimental results show that the natural frequency of the slope decreases and damping ratio increases as the earthquake loading times increase. The dynamic strength reduction method is adopted for the stability evaluation of the bedding rock slope in numerical simulation, and the slope stability decreases with the increase of seismic amplitude, increase of slope height, reduction of strata thickness and increase of slope angle. The failure mode of a mid-dip bedding rock slope in the shaking table test is integral slipping along the bedding surface with dipping tensile cracks at the slope rear edge going through the bedding surfaces. In the numerical simulation, the long-term stability of a mid-dip bedding slope is worst under frequent microseisms and the slope is at risk of integral sliding instability, whereas the slope rock mass is more broken than shown in the shaking table test. The research results are of practical significance to better understand the formation mechanism of reservoir landslides and prevent future landslide disasters.

Experimental study on seismic response and progressive failure characteristics of bedding rock slopes

Bedding rock slopes are common geological features in nature that are prone to failure under strong earthquakes. Their failures induce catastrophic landslides and form barrier lakes, posing severe threats to people’s lives and property. Based on the similarity criteria, a bedding rock slope model with a length of3 m, a width of 0.8 m, and a height of 1.6 m was constructed to facilitate large-scale shaking table tests.The results showed that with the increase of vibration time, the natural frequency of the model slope decreased, but the damping ratio increased. Damage to the rock mass structure altered the dynamic characteristics of the slope;therefore, amplification of the acceleration was found to be nonlinear and uneven. Furthermore, the acceleration was amplified nonlinearly with the increase of slope elevation along the slope surface and the vertical section, and the maximum acceleration amplification factor(AAF) occurred at the slope crest. Before visible deformation, the AAF increased with increasing shaking intensity;however, it decreased with increasing shaking intensity after obvious deformation. The slope was likely to slide along the bedding planes at a shallow depth below the slope surface. The upper part of the slope mainly experienced a tensile-shear effect, whereas the lower part suffered a compressive-shear force. The progressive failure process of the model slope can be divided into four stages, and the dislocated rock mass can be summarized into three zones. The testing data provide a good explanation of the dynamic behavior of the rock slope when subjected to an earthquake and may serve as a helpful reference in implementing antiseismic measures for earthquake-induced landslides.

Quality index of bedded and joint-bearing rock mass and its applications

Based on the theory of Fuzzy Mathematics and Expert System, this paper presents the quantitative expression method of bedded and joint bearing rock mass quality "Stratum Quality Index"(SQI for short), and also introduces the successful application of the method in estimating stratum movement parameters.

Dynamic damage evolution of bank slopes with serrated structural planes considering the deteriorated rock mass and frequent reservoirinduced earthquakes

To investigate the dynamic damage evolution characteristics of bank slopes with serrated structural planes,the shaking table model test and the numerical simulation were utilized.The main findings indicate that under continuous seismic loads,the deformation of the bank slope increased,particularly around the hydro-fluctuation belt,accompanying by the pore water pressure rising.The soil pressure increased and then decreased showed dynamic variation characteristics.As the undulation angle of the serrated structural planes increased(30°, 45°, and 60°),the failure modes were climbing,climbinggnawing,and gnawing respectively.The first-order natural frequency was used to calculate the damage degree(Dd)of the bank slope.During microseisms and small earthquakes,it was discovered that the evolution of Dd followed the“S”shape,which was fitted by a logic function.Additionally,the quadratic function was used to fit the Dd during moderately strong earthquakes.Through the numerical simulation,the variation characteristics of safety factors(Sf)for slopes with serrated structural planes and slopes with straight structural planes were compared.Under continuous seismic loads,the Sf of slopes with straight structural planes reduce stalely,whereas the Sf for slopes with serrated structural planes was greater than the former and the reduction rate was increasing.

Friction factor correlation for airflow through broken rocks and its applications in mine ventilation

The Atkinson equation along with its friction factor is commonly used to estimate pressure requirement in mine ventilation.However,friction factor correlation of flow through broken rock,typically found in blasted stope,gob,rock pit or block caving rock deposits,etc.,is currently unavailable.Also,it is impractical to conduct direct measurements of flow resistance in an inaccessible broken rock zone.This paper aims to develop a new friction factor correlation of flow through broken rock that can be used directly in Atkinson equation.The proposed correlation is valid for broken rocks with diameter between 0.04 and 1.2 m and porosity ranging from 0.23 to 0.7.

Statistical evaluation of five failure criteria for intact salt rock

Five multiparameter empirical criteria were exclusively evaluated by comparing them with the strength data covering various stress conditions to find out which failure criterion best fits the test data and describes the mechanical behavior of the salt rock sequence (halite,bedded composite specimens and anhydrite interlayers).Full-scale comparison of all criteria for the three rock types was conducted based on five standard statistics calculated from least squares curve-fitting,which measures both the goodness of fitting and the quality of future prediction.The results indicate that all five nonlinear criteria with a basic power form are efficient in predicting the strength trend in the low tension area as well as in the high compression area of the soft rocks.The parameters obtained for the bedded rock salt are somewhat in the ones for the "pure" rocks and are even closer to those obtained for the halite.The generalized Hoek-Brown criterion is proven to perform best to two rock strength data followed by one for the Bieniawski empirical criterion,thus is the best candidate for the analysis of the salt rock.The Sheorey empirical criterion consistently achieves an intermediate performance for all the three rocks.It seems that the superiority of the poly-axial criteria (the Mogi 1967 criterion and the N-type criterion) over the former three triaxial criteria no longer exists when applied to the conventional triaxial strength data.Besides,the method of tension cut-off was proposed to solve the ambiguity problem of the two poly-axial criteria in the tension field in the plane of the major (σ1) andminor principal stress (σ3).

Impact of Montmorillonite and Calcite on Release and Adsorption of Cyanobacterial Fatty Acids at Ambient Temperature

Minerals might act as important sorbents of sedimentary organic matter and reduce biodegradation, which favors the formation of hydrocarbon source rocks in the earth＇s history. Since most organic matter is degraded during the sinking process, at ambient temperature, it is important to investigate the adsorption capacity of different minerals during this process, to assess the organic loss from primary productivity to sedimentary organic matter. In this study, montmorillonite and calcite have been selected to study the impact of different minerals on the release, adsorption, and deposition of cyanobacterial （Synechococcus elonpata） fatty acids （FAs） at ambient temperature. Gas chromatography （GC）, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS） have been utilized to detect the variation in fatty acids. Primary results suggest that minerals have a different impact on dissolved organic matter. Montmorillonite can specifically enhance the release of fatty acids from cyanobacterial cells by lowering the pH values of the solution. The adsorption of the dissolved organic matter by montmoriilonite will also be enhanced under a lower pH value. Conjunction of fatty acids with montmoriilonite to form a complex will favor the sinking and preservation of these organics. Selective adsorption is observed among fatty acids with different carbon numbers. In contrast, calcite does not show any impact on the release and adsorption of organic matter even though it is reportedly capable of acting as a catalyst during the transformation of organic matter at high temperature. The primary data bridge a link between primary productivity and sedimentary organic matter, suggesting the relative importance of claystones in the formation of hydrocarbon source rocks in the earth＇s history.

Gas leakage mechanism in bedded salt rock storage cavern considering damaged interface

During the long-time operation of salt rock storage cavern,between its formations,damaged interfaces induced by discontinuous creep deformations between adjacent layers will possibly lead to serious gas leakage.In this paper,damaged interfaces are considered as main potential leakage path:firstly in meso-level,gas flow rule along the interface is analyzed and the calculation of equivalent permeability is discussed.Then based on porous media seepage theory,gas leakage simulation model including salt rock,cavity interlayers and interface is built.With this strategy,it is possible to overcome the disadvantage of simulation burden with porous-fractured double medium.It also can provide the details of gas flowing along the damaged zones.Finally this proposal is applied to the salt cavern in Qianjian mines(East China).Under different operation pressures,gas distributions around two adjacent cavities are simulated;the evolvement of gas in the interlayers and salt rock is compared.From the results it is demonstrated that the domain of creep damage area has great influence on leakage range.And also the leakage in the interface will accelerate the development of leakage in salt rock.It is concluded that compared with observations,this new strategy provides closer answers.The simulation result proves its validity for the design and reasonable control of operating pressure and tightness evaluation of group bedded salt rock storage caverns.