Superposed disturbance mechanism of sequential overlying strata collapse for gob-side entry retaining and corresponding control strategies

Gob-area roof rupture movement is a key disturbance factor for gob-side entry retaining.The characteristics of gob-area sequential roof collapse of overlying strata and superposed disturbance mechanism for gob-side entry retaining are obtained via physical simulation and theoretical analysis,in which the scope of disturbed strata is enlarged from main roof to fracture zone.The experiment reveals that as a working face advances,roof strata sequentially collapse from bottom to top and produce multiple disturbances to gob-side entry retaining.Key strata among the overlying strata control each collapse.Main roof subsidence is divided into three stages:flexure subsidence prior to rupture,rotational subsidence during rupture and compressive subsidence after rupture.The amounts of deformation evident in each of the three stages are 15%,55%and 30%,respectively.After the master stratum collapses,main roof subsidence approaches its maximum value.The final span of the key stratum determines the moment and cycling of gob-side entry retaining disturbances.Main roof subsidence influences the load on the filling wall.The sequential roof collapse of overlying strata results in fluctuations in the gob-side entry retaining deformation.Calculation formulae for the final span of the key stratum and the filling wall load are obtained via theoretical analysis.A control method for the stability of the gob-side entry retaining’s surrounding rock is proposed,which includes 3 measures:a“dual-layer”proactive anchorage support,roadside filling with dynamic strength matching and auxiliary support during disturbance.Finally,the gob-side entry retaining of the Xiaoqing mine E1403 working face is presented as an engineering case capable of verifying the validity of the research conclusions.

Research on the width of filling body in gob-side entry retaining with high-water materials

To determine the filling body's width along the gob-side remained roadway which is underneath the gob,the authors analyzed the interaction mechanism between the roof and the supporting body along the remained roadway, based on the elastic thin plate theory of the stope roof. The stress state and mechanical response of the filling body along the remained roadway were studied. Specifically, firstly, the supporting pressure of the coal pillar which is on one side of the gob-side remained roadway was deduced.Also, an equation that is used to calculate the width of the balance area in the stress limit state was acquired. Then, an equation that is used to calculate the roof cutting force on one side of the supporting body was obtained. By using FLAC3D, the authors investigated the displacement field and stress field response laws of rock masses around the roadway with different filling body's widths. The results show that with the filling body's width increasing, the supporting ability of the filling body increases.Meanwhile, the rock mass displacement around the roadway and the filling body deformation decrease.The better the filling body's supporting effect is, the higher the roof cutting force will be. When the filling body's width is larger than 3.0 m, its internal bearing ability becomes stable and the filling body's deformation became non-apparent. Finally, analysis shows that the filling body's width should be 2.5 m.Furthermore, the authors conducted field tests in the supply roadway 1204, using high-water materials and acquired expected outcomes.

Position-optimization on retained entry and backfilling wall in gob-side entry retaining techniques

This study investigates the stability problem of gob-side entry retaining （GER） and backfilling wall which located under the key block B. Based on the combined research of elastic-plastic mechanics, structure mechanics and modern theory of mining-induced pressure, the caving characteristic and roof structure over the GER were analyzed, and the vertical force and the torque on retained entry roof were also derived as the position for the retained entry varies. On the basis of the specific geology in Huainan mining area, the results indicate that a relatively more stable position for retained entry neighbors the hinge point of block A and B, and it also located at a scope ranging from this point to the one-third length of block B in horizontal direction. As to appropriate position for backfilling wall, this study recommends partial- road-in backfilling method for GER. Field trial conducted at panel face 12418 of Xieqiao Mine demonstrates that the recommended width for original entry is 3.6 m and the preferred width proportion between original retained entry and original entry is 75 % or so whereas the avoidable one is 88 % or so. These findings provide qualitative references to the mines which share similar geology as what Huainan mining area characterized.

Study on gob-side entry retaining in fully-mechanized longwall with top-coal caving and its application

Based on the engineering background of gob-side entry retaining in fully-mechanized longwall with top coal caving(GER-FLTC) on N2105 working face of Yuwu coal mine, by adopting the methods of theoretical analysis and numerical calculation, the control techniques of surrounding rocks in GER-FLTC working face are studied in this paper. The two main difficulties of stability of surrounding rocks at gob-side retained entry in fully-mechanized longwall working face are the stability control of top coal and control of large deformation of GER-FLTC working face. Interaction mechanical model between roofing and roadside backfilling in GER-FLTC is established and the equations for the calculation of roof-cutting resistance of roadside backfilling are derived. Results of numerical calculation show that the damage zones of top coal can be categorized into the delaminating zone of top coal above the backfilling, tensile damage zone of top coal above the retained roadway and shear damage zone of the upper rib of the solid coal. Stability control of top coal is the critical part to success of GER-FLTC. With consideration of large deformation of surrounding rocks of gob-side retained entry in fully-mechanized longwall, the support technique of‘‘roofing control and wall strengthening'' is proposed where high strength and highly prestressed anchor rods and diagonal tensile anchor cables support are used for top coal, high strength and highly prestressed yielding anchor rod support is used for solid coal and roadside prestressed load-carrying backfilling is constructed by high-water material, in order to maintain the integrity of the top coal, transfer load, high resistance yielding load-carrying of solid coal, roof-cutting of roadside backfilling and support,and to achieve GER-FLTC. Results from this study are successfully applied in engineering practice.

Study on gob-side entry retaining technique with roadside packing in longwall top-coal caving technology

Pointed out some technical difficulties of gob-side entry retaining with roadside packing in longwall top-coal caving technology (LTCT), and analyzed the function mecha-nism of roadside filling body. Theory analysis shows the mechanical properties of high water material fit for the feature of deformation of gob-side entry retaining in LTCT, and gob-side entry retaining in LTCT face is one of effective ways to increase the recovery ra-tio of mining district.

Feasibility analysis of gob-side entry retaining on a working face in a steep coal seam

Based on the decline in exploitation of coal resources, steep coal seam mining and mining face tensions continue to explore the feasibility analysis of steeply inclined faces in the gob. One of the key factors in utilizing the technology of gob-side entry retaining in steep coal seams is to safely and effectively prevent caving rock blocks from rushing into the gob-side entry by sliding downwards along levels. Using theoretical analysis and field methods, we numerically simulated the mining process on a fully-mechanized face in a steep coal seam. The stress and deformation process of roof strata has been analyzed, and the difficulty of utilizing the technology is considered and combined with practice in a steep working face in Lvshuidong mine. The feasibility of utilizing the technology of gob-side entry retaining in a steep coal seam has been recognised. We propose that roadways along the left lane offshoot body use a speciallymade reinforced steel dense net to build a dense rock face at the lower head. The results show that the lane offshoot branch creates effective roof control, safe conditions for roadway construction workers, and practical application of steeply inclined gob.

Soft–strong supporting mechanism of gob-side entry retaining in deep coal seams threatened by rockburst

When gob-side entry retaining is implemented in deep coal seams threatened by rockburst, the cementbased supporting body beside roadway will bear greater roof pressure and strong impact load. Then the supporting body may easily deform and fail because of its low strength in the early stage. This paper established the roadside support mechanical model of gob-side entry retaining. Based on this model,we proposed and used the soft–strong supporting body as roadside support in the gob-side entry retaining. In the early stage of roof movement, the soft–strong supporting body has a better compressibility, which can not only relieve roof pressure and strong impact load, but also reduce the supporting resistance and prevent the supporting body from being crushed. In the later stage, with the increase of the strength of the supporting body, it can better support the overlying roof. The numerical simulation results and industrial test show that the soft–strong supporting body as roadside support can be better applied into the gob-side entry retaining in deep coal seams threatened by rockburst.

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.

Stability Control of Gob-Side Entry Retaining in Fully Mechanized Caving Face Based on a Compatible Deformation Model

The stability control of gob-side entry retaining in fully mechanized caving face is a typical challenge in many coal mines in China.The rotation and subsidence of the lateral cantilever play a critical role in a coal mine,possibly leading to instability in a coal seam wall or a gob-side wall due to its excessive rotation subsidence.Hence,the presplitting blasting measures in the roof was implemented to cut down the lower main roof and convert it to caved immediate roof strata,which can significantly reduce the rotation space for the lateral cantilever and effectively control its rotation.Firstly,the compatible deformation model was established to investigate the quantitative relationship between the deformation of the coal seam wall and the gob-side wall and the subsidence of the lateral cantilever.Then,the instability judgments for the coal seam wall and gob-side wall were revealed,and the determination method for the optimal roof cutting height were obtained.Furthermore,The Universal Distinct Element Code numerical simulation was adopted to investigate the effect of roof-cutting height on the stability of the retained entry.The numerical simulation results indicated that the deformation of the roadway could be effectively controlled when the roofcutting height reached to 18 m,which verified the theoretical deduction well.Finally,a field application was performed at the No.3307 haulage gateway in the Tangan coal mine,Ltd.,Shanxi Province,China.The field monitoring results showed that the blasting roof cutting method could effectively control the large deformation of surrounding rocks,which provided helpful references for coal mine safety production under similar conditions.

Spontaneous caving and gob-side entry retaining of thin seam with large inclined angle

Based on the research method of combining simulation analysis with field testing by distinct element process UDEC, we have analyzed the roof deformation and failure laws and roadway support technology of gob-side entry retaining in a thin seam with a large inclined angle. The results show that during exploitation in seams with large inclined angle, rotational subsidence of the main roof under the gob area is small and can maintain balance, so there is no need to provide artificial permanent support resistance for the main roof near the upper side to control rotational subsidence. Obstructed by the dense scrap rail,waste rock from the immediate roof caving slides from the upper gob area to the lower area and fills it,which strikes a balance between the immediate roof under the goaf after it fractures into large pieces and filling waste rocks.

Mechanical analysis on deformation of surrounding rock with road-in packing of gob-side entry retaining in fully-mechanized sub-level caving face

Based on the movement regularity of surrounding rock with road-in packing of gob-side entry retaining in fully-mechanized sub-level caving face(RPGERFCF),the me- chanical model of its surrounding rock was established and the calculating formulas of the deformation of the roof,coal wall and filling body were attained.By the mechanical analy- sis to the deformation of the surrounding rock of RPGERFCF,the major factors influencing the deformation of the surrounding rock were found out and the technologic approaches reduced the deformation and enhanced the stability of the surrounding rock were put for- ward.Consequently,the scientific bases were provided for the stability control of the sur- rounding rock of RPGERFCF.

Control of floor heaves with steel pile in gob-side entry retaining

A new approach named as steel pile method is innovatively proposed in this study to control severe floor heaves in gob-side entry retaining. It is required that the steel piles be installed in the floor corners with a certain interval before the influence of the dynamic pressure induced by current panel extraction. Using numerical simulation and theoretical analysis, this study investigated the interaction between the steel piles and the floor rocks during the service life of the steel piles, and revealed the mechanism of the steel piles in controlling floor heaves. The effect of the steel pile parameters on the control of floor heaves was presented and elaborated. It is found that the effectiveness of the steel piles in controlling floor heaves can be enhanced with greater installed dip angle, longer length and smaller interval of the steel piles.Compared with traditional methods, e.g., using floor anchor bolts and floor restoration, the advantages using steel pile were successfully defined in terms of controlling effect and economic benefits. It is hoped that the proposed method can contribute to the development of gob-side entry retaining technique.

Stability analysis and control technology of gob‑side entry retaining with double roadways by flling with high‑water material in gently inclined coal seam

To ameliorate the defects of insufcient support resistance of traditional roadside flling bodies for gob-side entry retaining(GER),overcome the inability to adapt to the deformation of surrounding rock,and isolate the goaf efectively,a new type of high-water material as a roadside flling body for GER technology with double roadways was proposed.The instability analysis and control technology of GER with double roadways by flling high-water material into a gently inclined coal seam were studied.The basic mechanical properties of the new high-water material were investigated through laboratory experiments,and their main advantages were identifed.The reasonable width of the roadside flling wall of a high-water material was obtained by combining ground pressure observation and theoretical calculations.The distribution characteristics of the stress and plastic zone of surrounding rock of GER after being stabilized by the disturbance of the working face were studied using numerical simulations,and the failure range of GER by flling with high-water material was revealed.Based on this,a coupling control technology of anchor cables and bolts+single props+metal mesh+anchor bolts is proposed.Through the coupling methods of arranging borehole peeping and observing the convergences of surrounding rock,the results demonstrate that GER with double roadways by flling with a 1.8-m-wide high-water material has a good control efect.The above research will play an active role in promoting the application of high-water materials in GER roadside flling.

Analysis on distribution law of the abutment pressure of the integrated coal beside the road-in packing for gob-side entry retaining in fully-mechanized caving face

The three-dimensional damage constitutive relationship of coal is established and distribution law of the abutment pressure of the integrated coal beside the road-in packing for gob-side entry retaining in fully-mechanized caving face under the effect of given deformation of the main roof is analyzed by the damage mechanics theory. And the relationship between distribution of the abutment pressure and thickness of coal seam is explored. The presented result is of great theoretical significance and practical value to the study on stability control of the surrounding rock of road-in packing for gob-side entry retaining in fully-mechanized caving face.

Comparative Analysis of the Distribution Characteristics of Floor Stress Field between Gob-Side Entry Retaining with Roof Cutting and Conventional Mining

All coal fields in North China are affected by floor confined water to varying degrees, floor failure and water inrush risk have always been a major problem to baffle coal mining activities. Roof cutting and pressure relief and the lack of protective coal pillar can cause the change of floor stress field, leading to the change of the floor failure depth, stress field of floor is the key to determine the depth of floor failure. In order to deeply study the distribution characteristics of floor stress field in gob-side entry retaining mining with roof cutting, taking the 50107 and 50109 working faces of Dongdong Coal Mine in Chenghe as the research objects, the numerical simulation software is used to simulate the floor stress field distribution of gob-side entry retaining mining with roof cutting and conventional mining. The distribution characteristics of the floor stress field of the working face are compared and analyzed under the three modes of conventional mining of reserved coal pillar, the first mining face of gob-side entry retaining with roof cutting and gob-side entry retaining with roof cutting. The results show that the peak stress concentration in front of the working face all occurs at 10 m under the three mining modes. The stress concentration area in front of conventional working face of reserved coal pillar is mainly in the middle of the working face. The stress concentration area in front of the first working face of gob-side entry retaining with roof cutting (50107) is located in the middle of the working face and the side of the working face of the retaining roadway. The stress concentration area of the working face (50109) is mainly in the middle and the two ends of the working face. The order of the peak value of the maximum concentrated stress in front of the working face is conventional working face of reserved coal pillar > the first working face of gob-side entry retaining with roof cutting (50107) > working face of gob-side entry retaining with roof cutting (50109). There is a stress reduction zone behind the working face, but there is a stress concentration phenomenon extending to the outside of the roadway, and the stress distribution is obviously different. Conventional working face of reserved coal pillar and the first working face of gob-side retaining with roof cutting (50107) show a double peak form of stress concentration on the outside of the two ends of the roadway, and the peak value of the concentrated stress at the rear of the working face is in the following order: On the side close to the transportation roadway, conventional working face of reserved coal pillar = the first working face of gob-side entry retaining with roof cutting (50107) > working face of gob-side entry retaining with roof cutting (50109);on the side close to the return airway, conventional working face of reserved coal pillar > the first working face of gob-side entry retaining with roof cutting (50107) > working face of gob-side entry retaining with roof cutting (50109).

Floor heave mechanism for gob-side entry retaining with concrete blocks and control method:A case study

The issue of significant floor heave deformation in gob-side entry retaining has long been a challenging problem in the context of longwall mining.This paper studies the floor heave failure mechanism and control method for gob-side entry retaining with concrete blocks in Guizhou Faer Coal Mine in China.Based on Rankine’s earth pressure theory,the effective shear stress equation for the plastic slip of roadway floor is established.The deformation mechanism of floor heave in a retaining roadway with a block wall is revealed in this study.The new comprehensive control method is proposed,encompassing roof pre-splitting blasting for pressure relief,reinforcing cables for roof control,double directions control bolts for concrete block,and pliability cushion yielding pressure.FLAC3D numerical calculation model is established,which shows that the new method can effectively reduce the average vertical stress peak value of the entity coal floor by 34.6%and significantly reduce the pressure source causing the roadway floor heave.Besides,a multi-parameter real-time online monitoring system for mine pressure was designed,and field tests were carried out.The results show that the maximum value of roadway floor heave under the new method is 163 mm,reduced by 66.9%,and the roadway floor heave is effectively controlled.These research findings offer a fresh perspective and new ideas for controlling floor heave in mining operations.

Stability control of gob-side entry retained under the gob with close distance coal seams

In multi-seam mining,the interlayer rock strata between the upper coal seam(UCS)and the lower coal seam(LCS)appear damage and strength weakening after mining the UCS.Ground stability control of the gob-side entry retaining(GER)under the gob with close distance coal seams(CDCS)is faced with difficulties due to little attention to GER under this condition.This paper focuses on surrounding rock stability control and technical parameters design for GER under the gob with CDCS.The floor rock strata damage characteristics after mining the UCS is first evaluated and the damage factor of the interlayer rock strata below the UCS is also determined.Then,a structural mechanics model of GER surrounding rock is set up to obtain the main design parameters of the side-roadway backfill body(SBB)including the maximum and minimum SBB width calculation formula.The optimal SBB width and the water-to-cement ratio of high water quick-setting material(HWQM)to construct the SBB are determined as 1.2 m and 1.5:1.0,respectively.Finally,engineering trial tests of GER are successfully carried out at#5210 track transportation roadway of Xingwu Colliery.Research results can guide GER design under similar mining and geological conditions.

Experimental study on supporting technology of gob-side entry with different roof conditions

Aiming to effectively solve the problem of deep mining with safety and high efficiency, according to geological conditions, production and stress analysis in roadway surrounding rock, experimental studies on roadway supporting of workface 103 under three types of roof conditions with different supporting technologies and parameters were carried out based on the theory of supporting technology of gob-side entry. The results show the supporting of gob-side entry retaining is successful, and the deep surrounding rock is effectively controlled by field monitoring and drilling-hole photos. After stress in surrounding rock of roadways restores stable, the final roadway deformation of surrounding rock of haulage roadway and air-roadway are both about 300 mm; width of gob-side entry is 3.8-4.0 m and average height is 2.0-2.2 m; roadway section is above 8.0 m^2, which solves the problems of gob-side entry retaining support strength and safe mining; necessary conditions of mining safety in workface 103 are met.

Analysis and application in controlling surrounding rock of support reinforced roadway in gob-side entry with fully mechanized mining

In order to optimize gob-side entry in fully-mechanized working face in moderate-thick-coal seams, we adopt a new attempt to pack roadside by pumping ordinary concrete, which is very important for the development of gob-side entry technology. The concrete has a long initial setting time and a low initial strength. So it is difficult to control the surrounding rock. In this paper, we analyze the effect of using roadside cable to reinforce supporting in gob-side entry surrounding rock controlling based on elas-tic-plastic and material mechanics knowledge. And then we propose a scheme that cable is used to reinforce roadside supporting and a single hydraulic prop is used as the temporary supporting in gob side. Using the numerical simulation software FLAC2D, we numerically simulated supporting scheme. Results of both the 2D modeling and the industrial test on No.3117 face in Jingang Mine prove that the scheme is feasible. The results show that the technology of protecting the roadway in gob-entry retained efficiently make up the deficiency of roadside packing with ordinary concrete, effectively control the roof strata and acquire a good result of retaining roadway.

An Innovative Non-Pillar Coal-Mining Technology with Automatically Formed Entry: A Case Study

A non-pillar coal-mining technology with an automatically formed entry is proposed,which reduces the waste of coal resources and the underground entry drivage workload.Three key techniques in this technology cooperate to achieve automatic formation and retaining of the gob-side entry,and to realize nonpillar mining.Constant-resistance large deformation(CRLD)support ensures the stability of the entry roof;directional presplitting blasting(DPB)separates the entry roof and the gob roof;and a blockinggangue support system(BGSS)integrates the caved rock material as an effective entry rib.An industrial test was conducted to verify the engineering effects of these key techniques.The field application results showed that the retained entry was under the pressure-relief zone due to the broken-expansion nature of the caved rock mass within the DPB height.After going through a provisional dynamic pressure-bearing zone,the retained entry entered the stability zone.The final stable entry meets the requirements of safety and production.The research results demonstrate the good engineering applicability of this technology.By taking the framework of the technology design principles into consideration and adjusting the measures according to different site conditions,it is expected that the proposed non-pillar coal-mining technology can be popularized on a large scale.