Subsidence prediction method based on equivalent mining height theory for solid backfilling mining

Based on the characteristics of strata movement of solid backfilling mining technology, the surface subsidence prediction method based on the equivalent mining height theory was proposed, and the parameters selection guideline of this method was also described. While comparing the parameters of caving mining with equivalent height, the subsidence efficient can be calculated according to the mining height and bulk factor of sagging zone and fracture zone, the tangent of main influence angle of solid backfilling mining is reduced by 0.2-0.5（while it cannot be less than 1.0）. For sake of safety, offset of the inflection point is set to zero, and other parameters, such as horizontal movement coefficient and main propagation angle are equal to the corresponding parameters of caving mining with equivalent height. In the last part, a case study of solid backfilling mining subsidence prediction was described. The results show the applicability of this method and the difference of the maximum subsidence point between the prediction and the observation is less than 5%.

Mining pressure monitoring and analysis in fully mechanized backfilling coal mining face-A case study in Zhai Zhen Coal Mine

Fully mechanized solid backfill mining(FMSBM) technology adopts dense backfill body to support the roof. Based on the distinguishing characteristics and mine pressure control principle in this technology, the basic principles and methods for mining pressure monitoring were analyzed and established. And the characteristics of overburden strata movement were analyzed by monitoring the support resistance of hydraulic support, the dynamic subsidence of immediate roof, the stress of backfill body, the front abutment pressure, and the mass ratio of cut coal to backfilled materials. On-site strata behavior measurements of 7403 W solid backfilling working face in Zhai Zhen Coal Mine show that the backfill body can effectively support the overburden load, obviously control the overburden strata movement, and weaken the strata behaviors distinctly. Specific performances are as follows. The support resistance decreases obviously; the dynamic subsidence of immediate roof keeps consistent to the variation of backfill body stress, and tends to be stable after the face retreating to 120-150 m away from the cut. The peak value of front abutment pressure arises at 5-12 m before the operating face, and mass ratio is greater than the designed value of 1.15, which effectively ensures the control of strata movement. The research results are bases for intensively studying basic theories of solid backfill mining strata behaviors and its control, and provide theoretical guidance for engineering design in FMSBM.

Dynamic disaster control of backfill mining under thick magmatic rock in one side goaf:A case study

In order to explore the control effect of backfill mining on dynamic disasters under special geological mining conditions of overlying thick magmatic rock(TMR),a three-dimensional numerical model of a panel of one side goaf in Yangliu coal mine with double-yield backfill material constitutive model was developed.The simulation results were then compared with field monitoring data.The dynamic disaster control effect of both caving and backfill mining was analyzed in three different aspects,i.e.,displacement field,stress field and energy field.The results show that in comparison to the full caving mining method,the bearing capacity of the goaf after backfilling was enhanced,the backfill mining can effectively reduce the stress and energy accumulated in the coal/rock body,and the backfill mining eliminates the further moving space of TMR and prevents its sudden rupture.Before TMR fracture,the subsidence displacement of TMR was reduced by 65.3%,the front abutment stress of panel decreased by 9.4%on average and the high energy concentration zone around panel was also significantly reduced.Overall,the results of this study provide deeper insights into the control of dynamic disasters by backfill mining in mines.

Formation mechanism and height calculation of the caved zone and water-conducting fracture zone in solid backfill mining

To study the heights of the caved zone and water-conducting fracture zone in backfill mining,the failure mechanism of strata during backfill mining was analyzed,and a method for determining the heights of the two zones was proposed based on key strata theory.The movement and failure regularity of the strata above the backfilling panel were revealed through numerical simulation.Considering the geologic conditions of the CT101 backfilling panel,the height of the fracture zone was determined using the proposed method along with empirical calculation,numerical simulation,and borehole detection.The results of the new calculation method were similar to in situ measurements.The traditional empirical formula,which is based on the equivalent mining height model,resulted in large errors during calculation.The findings indicate the reliability of the new method and demonstrate its significance for creating reference data for related studies.

A roof model and its application in solid backfilling mining

Through changing the axial load on backfilling material compaction test to reflect different overlying strata pressure on backfilling material, the stress-strain relations in the compaction process of backfilling material under the geological condition can be obtained. Based on the characteristic of overlying strata movement in backfill mining, a model of roof thin plate is established. By introducing the stress-strain relation in compaction process into the model and using RIZT method to analyze the bending deformation of roof, the bending deflection and stress distribution can be obtained. The results show that the maximum roof subsidence and maximum tensile stress occurring at the center are 255 mm and5 MPa, respectively. Tensile fracture of roof under the geological condition of Dongping Mine did not occur. The dynamic measurement results of roof in Dongping Mine verify the theoretical result from the aforementioned model, thereby suggesting the roof mechanical model is reliable. The roof thin plate model based on the compaction characteristic of backfilling material in this study is of importance to research on backfill mining theories and application of backfilling material characteristics.

Vertical transportation system of solid material for backfilling coal mining technology

For transportation of solid backfill material such as waste and fly ash from the surface to the bottom of the shaft in a fully mechanized backfilling coal backfilling coal mining technology, we developed a new vertical transportation system to transport this type of solid backfill material. Given the demands imposed on safely in feeding this material, we also investigated the structure and basic parameter of this system. For a mine in the Xingtai mining area the results show that: (1) a vertical transportation system should include three main parts, i.e., a feeding borehole, a maintenance chamber and a storage silo; (2) we determined that 486 mm is a suitable diameter for bore holes, the diameter of the storage silo is 6 m and its height 30 m in this vertical transportation system; (3) a conical buffer was developed to absorb the impact during the feeding process. To ensure normal implementation of fully mechanized backfilling coal mining technology and the safety of underground personnel, we propose a series of security technologies for anti-blockage, storage silo cleaning, high pressure air release and aspiration. This vertical transporting system has been applied in one this particular mine, which has fed about 4 million tons solid material with a feeding depth of 350 m and safely exploited 3 million tons of coal.

Progress and prospects of mining with backfill in metal mines in China

Mining is the foundation of modern industrial development.In the context of the“carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”era,countries have put forward the development strategy of“adhering to the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature.”The ongoing progress and improvement of filling mining technology have provided significant advantages,such as“green mining,safe,efficient,and low-carbon emission,”which is crucial to the comprehensive utilization of mining solid waste,environmental protection,and safety of re-mining.This review paper describes the development history of metal mine filling mining in China and the characteristics of each stage.The excitation mechanism and current research status of producing cementitious materials from blast furnace slag and other industrial wastes are then presented,and the concept of developing cementitious materials for backfill based on the whole solid waste is proposed.The advances in the mechanical characteristics of cemented backfill are elaborated on four typical levels:static mechanics,dynamic mechanics,mechanical influencing factors,and multi-scale mechanics.The working/rheological characteristics of the filling slurry are presented,given the importance of the filling materials conveying process.Finally,the future perspectives of mining with backfill are discussed based on the features of modern filling concepts to provide the necessary theoretical research value for filling mining.

Joint Bearing Mechanism of Coal Pillar and Backfilling Body in Roadway Backfilling Mining Technology

In the traditional mining technology,the coal resources trapped beneath surface buildings,railways,and water bodies cannot be mined massively,thereby causing the lower coal recovery and dynamic disasters.In order to solve the aforementioned problems,the roadway backfilling mining technology is developed and the joint bearing mechanism of coal pillar and backfilling body is presented in this paper.The mechanical model of bearing system of coal pillar and backfilling body is established,by analyzing the basic characteristics of overlying strata deformation in roadway backfilling mining technology.According to the Ritz method in energy variation principle,the elastic solution expression of coal pillar deformation is deduced in roadway backfilling mining technology.Based on elastic-viscoelastic correspondence principle,combining with the burgers rheological constitutive model and Laplace transform theory,the viscoelastic solution expression of coal pillar deformation is obtained in roadway backfilling mining technology.By analyzing the compressive mechanical property of backfilling body,the time formula required for coal pillar and backfilling body to play the joint bearing function in roadway backfilling mining technology is obtained.The example analysis indicates that the time is 140 days.The results can be treated as an important basis for theoretical research and process design in roadway backfilling mining technology.

Control Mechanism of Surface Subsidence and Overburden Movement in Backfilling Mining based on Laminated Plate Theory

The backfilling mining technology is a type of high-efficiency coal mining technology that is used to address the environmental issues caused by the caving mining technology.In this paper,the mechanical model of symmetrical laminated plate representing the overburden movement caused by the backfilling mining technology is established,and the governing differential equation of the motion of the overburden is derived.The boundary conditions of the mechanical model are put forward,and the analytical solution of the overburden movement and surface subsidence is obtained.The numerical model of the overburden movement and surface subsidence,under mining with backfilling,is established by means of the FLAC3D numerical software,which aims to systematically study the influence of backfilling compactness,mining thickness,and mining depth on the overburden movement and surface subsidence in backfilling mining.When the compactnessηis less than 70%,the overburden movement and surface subsidence is greater,while whenηis greater than 70%,the overburden movement and surface subsidence is reduced significantly.On this basis,the control mechanism of surface subsidence and overburden movement in backfilling mining is obtained.The suitable backfilling compactness is the key to controlling surface subsidence and overburden movement in backfilling mining.

Construction and stability of an extra-large section chamber in solid backfill mining

In solid backfill mining without gangue removal, the gangue is separated directly underground and backfilled into goaf. This necessitates the underground construction of an extra-large section chamber for separation equipments. For the construction of an extra-large section chamber in the Tangshan mine, we proposed an active support through a combination of bolting, anchor cables, lining, and a reinforced chamber floor by inverted arch pouring. ABAQUS software was used to analyze the surrounding rock deformation and the plastic zone development of the chamber under different excavation schemes.The best excavation scheme was determined, and the effectiveness of the combined supports was verified. In practice, the engineering installation showed good overall control of the movement of the surrounding rock, with roof-to-floor and side-to-side convergences of 154.6 and 77.5 mm, respectively,which meets the requirements for underground coal gangue separation.

Calculation method of first collapse span with superhigh water material backfill mining

It is critical for the material to be of active supporting capacity before initial collapse ot mare root wltn supermgn water material backfill mining, and the maximum bending moment should be first calculated in order to determine the initial collapse span. In the light of principal of virtual work, the simple expression of deflection, bending moment of elastic clamped plate were deduced under the condition of vertical uniform distributed load, horizontal pressure and supporting by elastic foundation, and then, the maximal bending moment expression was derived too. At the same time, the influence degree on square clamped plate by adding horizontal pressure and elastic foundation were analyzed. The results show that the effect of horizontal pressure on maximal bending moment can be ignored when the value of horizontal pressure is two orders of magni- tude less than that of coeificient of elastic stiffness existing elastic foundation.

Waste-filling in fully-mechanized coal mining and its application

A fully-mechanized coal mining (FMCM) technology capable of filling up the goaf with wastes (including solid wastes) is described. Industrial tests have proved that by using this technology not only can waste be re-used but also coal resources can be exploited with a higher recovery rate without removing buildings located over the working faces. Two special devices, a hydraulic support and a scraper conveyor, run side-by-side on the same working face to simultaneously realize mining and filling. These are described in detail. The tests allow analysis of rock pressure and ground subsidence when backfilling techniques are employed. These values are compared to those from mining without using backfilling techniques, under the same geological conditions. The concept of equivalent mining height is proposed based on theoretical analysis of rock pressure and ground subsidence. The upper limits of the rock pressure and ground subsidence can be estimated in backfilling mining using this concept along with traditional engineering formulae.

Research into stope roof control of compound roof by solid backfilling mining

Based on the analysis of the failure characteristics and backfilling effect of the compound roof at 1801 backfilling workface in Taiyuan coal mine, China, we propose a method of controlling the pre- subsidence of a compound roof by using pre-stressed bolts to improve the backfilling ratio of the work- face so as to maintain the global stability of the stope roof. In addition, PHASE simulation software was employed to analyze the influence law of pre-stressing force, length, and interval on roof subsidence at the workface. On the basis of the numerical simulation results, a model for calculating the pre-stressing force and length of the bolts, the interval between the bolts, as well as roof subsidence at the workface, was established by using SPSS regression analysis software. Moreover, the research results were applied successfully to the 1801 filling workface. According to the monitoring data of roof closure, it was found that the final subsidence value for the goal roof was 350 mm and the filling ratio at the workface was 86%, which could fully meet the demand for safety production at the workface. The safe and effective control of the stope roof was therefore realized, which achieves the goal of safe and efficient backfilling mining under a compound roof.

Coupling mechanism of roof and supporting wall in gob-side entry retaining in fully-mechanized mining with gangue backfilling

We analyzed the deformation characteristics of overlying stratum in backfilling with fully-mechanized and retaining roadways along the gob area coal mining technology, and established a mechanical model for the roof key stratum of retaining roadways along gob under the conditions of backfilling and fully- mechanized coal mining technology. Using Winkler elastic foundation theory, we analyzed a part of the key stratum under the action of elastic foundation coupling problem, and derived deflection analyt- ical expressions. Combined with specific conditions, we obtained the deflection curves for the roof key stratum of retaining roadways along gob under the conditions of backfilling and fully-mechanized coal mining technology. On this basis, we adopted the Coulomb's earth pressure theory to solve the problem of lateral pressure of the gangue filling area on the supporting wall beside the roadway and to provide the theoretical basis for reasonable selection of the distance between gangue concrete wall and roof and fur- ther discussion on the supporting stability of roadway.

Valorization of mining waste and tailings through paste backfilling solution, Imiter operation, Morocco

Mine waste and process tailings storage is one of important challenge for which mining operations are increasingly confronted. Treatment discharges of plants and main part of waste rock development are generally stored on surface areas. The volume and chemical characteristics of these materials generate serious problem for required storage spaces and mainly environmental degradation. Paste backfill(PBF) is one of ingenious solutions to minimize the quantity of tailings to store. PBF is basically defined as a combination of mine processing tailings, binder, and water mixing. The purpose of this paper is to present backfilling components characterization and formula verification for a waste valorization solution through paste backfilling technology in Imiter operation. Obtained results and realized analysis demonstrate PBF conformity and adequacy with assigned underground functions. However the studied recipe can be more ameliorated to obtain an optimal mixture ensuring the required mechanical strength.

A numerical evaluation of continuous backfilling in cemented paste backfilled stope through an application of wick drains

Cemented paste backfill （CPB） is gaining popularity in many underground mines worldwide. Sufficient water is added into CPB to make a flowable material for pipe transportation. Barricades are built near the drawpoints to prevent in-rush of the fill slurry. To avoid barricade failures resulting from excessive backfill pressures, backfilling is typically performed with a plug pour followed by a final pour. The interval between the two pours should be shortened or removed to increase mining productivity and avoid pipe clogging. Recently, Li proposed to apply wick drains in backfilled stopes to promote drainage and consolidation. The preliminary simulations by considering an instantaneous filling indicated that the drainage of CPB can be significantly accelerated by using wick drains. Barricade was not considered. Here, some new numerical modeUings are presented with more representative filling sequences, stope geometry, and different draining configurations. The results illustrate that the stope can be backfilled continuously by using wick drains.

Strata behavior in extra-thick coal seam mining with upward slicing backfilling technology

Based on the character of upward slicing backfilling mining and the condition of Gonggeyingzi coal mine in Inner Mongolia,this paper describes the studies of the strata behavior and the stress distribution in the process of backfilling mining in extra-thick coal seams.This was achieved by setting up and analyzing the elastic foundation beam model using the ABAQUS software.The results show that:(1) With the gradual mining of different slices,the roof appears to bend continuously but does not break.The vertical stress in the roof decreases and the decreasing amplitude reduces,while the tensile stress in the roof grows with the mining slices and the maximum tensile stress will not exceed the allowable tensile stress.(2) The front vertical stress at the working face exceeds the rear vertical stress and both show a trend of decrease with decreasing amplitude of decrease.(3) The slices mined early have more influence on the surrounding rock than the later ones.Similarly,the strata behavior experiences the same trend.The field measured data show that the roof does not break during the mining process,which is consistent with the conclusion.

Gateside packwall design in solid backfill mining-A case study

Based upon characteristic movement features of the overlying strata in solid backfill mining and in-situ observations,an associated model representing a roadway support system has been developed.Based on the Winkler foundation and beam model,the current study presents a static analysis of the model,thus permitting acquisition of a theoretical formula pertaining to roof convergence.Through use of working face 6304-1(Jisan Colliery) as the research setting,the association between roof convergence magnitude and both packwall strength and width have been elucidated.Based upon observed conditions at the working face,realistic packwall parameters have been formulated,with numerical simulation results and field application results indicating that design parameters garnered from the developed formula successfully adapted to local geological movement and deformation.Accordingly,roadway deformation was shown to be within the permissible range,thus satisfying mine production requirements.The proposed method in the current study may give a design basis for pack design in the context of SBM under similar conditions.

Galerkin solution of Winkler foundation-based irregular Kirchhoff plate model and its application in crown pillar optimization

Irregular plates are very common structures in engineering,such as ore structures in mining.In this work,the Galerkin solution to the problem of a Kirchhoff plate lying on the Winkler foundation with two edges simply supported and the other two clamped supported is derived.Coordinate transformation technique is used during the solving process so that the solution is suitable to irregular shaped plates.The mechanical model and the solution proposed are then used to model the crown pillars between two adjacent levels in Sanshandao gold mine,which uses backfill method for mining operation.After that,an objective function,which takes security,economic profits and filling effect into consideration,is built to evaluate design proposals.Thickness optimizations for crown pillars are finally conducted in both conditions that the vertical stiffness of the foundation is known and unknown.The procedure presented in the work provides the guidance in thickness designing of complex shaped crown pillars and the preparation of backfill materials,thus to achieve the best balance between security and profits.

Mechanical analysis of roof stability under nonlinear compaction of solid backfill body

Based on the compaction characteristic test and the nonlinear compaction deformation characteristics of backfill material, this paper applies the theory of nonlinear elastic foundation of thin plate to establish a mechanical model of backfill body and roof in solid dense backfill coal mining. This study critically analyses the deflection equation of the roof by the energy method, derives the conditions of roof breakage and combined with concrete engineering practice analyses, determines roof movement regularity and stability in solid dense backfill mining. Analysis of the engineering practice of the 13,120 backfill panel of Pingmei 12# mine shows the theoretical maximum of roof convergence in backfill mining to be415 mm which is in significant agreement with the measured value. During the advancing process of solid backfill mining at the panel, the maximum tensile stress on the roof is less than its tensile strength which does not satisfy the conditions for roof breakage. Drilling results on the roof and ground pressure monitoring show that the integrity of roof is strong, which is consistent with the theoretical calculations described in this study. The results presented in the study provide a basis for further investigation into strata movement theory in solid dense backfill mining.