Ground response and failure mechanism of gob-side entry by roof cutting with hard main roof

This study is the result of long-term efforts of the authors’team to assess ground response of gob-side entry by roof cutting(GSERC)with hard main roof,aiming at scientific control for GSERC deformation.A comprehensive field measurement program was conducted to determine entry deformation,roof fracture zone,and anchor bolt(cable)loading.The results indicate that GSERC deformation presents asymmetric characteristics.The maximum convergence near roof cutting side is 458 mm during the primary use process and 1120 mm during the secondary reuse process.The entry deformation is closely associated with the primary development stage,primary use stage,and secondary reuse stage.The key block movement of roof cutting structure,a complex stress environment,and a mismatch in the supporting design scheme are the failure mechanism of GSERC.A controlling ideology for mining states,including regional and stage divisions,was proposed.Both dynamic and permanent support schemes have been implemented in the field.Engineering practice results indicate that the new support scheme can efficiently ensure long-term entry safety and could be a reliable approach for other engineering practices.

Comparison of large deformation failure control method in a deep gob-side roadway: A theoretical analysis and field investigation

Under the dual influence of the mining disturbance of the previous working face and the advanced mining of the working face,the roadway is prone to large deformation,failure,and rockburst.Roadway stabilization has always significantly influenced deep mining safety.In this article we used the research background of the large deformation failure roadway of Fa-er Coal Mine in Guizhou Province of China to propose two control methods:bolt-cable-mesh+concrete blocks+directional energy-gathering blasting(BCM-CBDE method)and 1st Generation-Negative Poisson’s Ratio(1G NPR)cable+directional energy-gathering blasting+dynamic pressure stage support(πgirder+single hydraulic prop+retractable U steel)(NPR-DEDP method).Meantime,we compared the validity of the large deformation failure control method in a deep gob-side roadway based on theoretical analysis,numerical simulations,and field experiments.The results show that directional energy-gathering blasting can weaken the pressure acting on the concrete blocks.However,the vertical stress of the surrounding rock of the roadway is still concentrated in the entity coal side and the concrete blocks,showing a’bimodal’distribution.BCM-CBDE method cannot effectively control the stability of the roadway.NPR-DEDP method removed the concrete blocks.It shows using the 1G NPR cable with periodic slipping-sticking characteristics can adapt to repeated mining disturbances.The peak value of the vertical stress of the roadway is reduced and transferred to the deep part of the surrounding rock mass,which promotes the collapse of the gangue in the goaf and fills the goaf.The pressure of the roadway roof is reduced,and the gob-side roadway is fundamentally protected.Meantime,the dynamic pressure stage support method withπgirder+single hydraulic prop+retractable U steel as the core effectively protects the roadway from dynamic pressure impact when the main roof is periodically broken.After the on-site implementation of NPR-DEDP method,the deformation of the roadway is reduced by more than 45%,and the deformation rate is reduced by more than 50%.

Stress environment of entry driven along gob-side through numerical simulation incorporating the angle of break

Angle of break(AOB)is the acute angle created by the coal seam bedding plane and caving line formed by roof strata movement after extraction of a longwall panel.It has a significant influence on stress redistribution both in the gob and abutment.Throughout numerical simulation investigations up to now,little attention has been paid to it or an AOB of 90°was used,which however,is not realistic.This paper presents a detailed numerical modelling incorporating the AOB against Zhenchengdi Coal Mine.The AOB was obtained through cross-measure boreholes.Hoek-Brown constitutive model was used to simulate the rock masses.Double-yield constitutive model,which was best fitted by Salamon's model,was used to simulate the gob.The results show that a‘‘/\shape"shear failure zone develops around the gob.The shear failure in the floor along the panel edge is due to opposite shear of rock mass on two sides of the caving line,and the number of yielded zones within the gob floor close to the gob edge is smaller.According to the research,the entry was determined to be driven under the gob edge employing splitlevel longwall panel layout(SLPL).The other numerical simulation for SLPL shows that stress around the god-side entry is much smaller than pre-mining stress,and the area of intact rock mass at the elevating section is larger than conventional layout.Numerical modelling was then validated by field observation.

Rock burst mechanism analysis in an advanced segment of gob-side entry under different dip angles of the seam and prevention technology

In order to investigate the frequent occurrences of rock burst in gob-side entry during the mining process of the mining zone No. 7, the mechanical model of main roof of fully-mechanized caving mining before breaking was established by the Winkler foundation beam theory, and the stress evolution law of surrounding rock with different dip angles of the seam during the mining process was analyzed by using FLAC3 D. The results show that: with the dip angle changing from 45° to 0°, the solid-coal side of gobside entry begins to form an L-shaped stress concentration zone at a dip angle of 30°, and the stress concentration degree goes to higher and higher levels. However, the stress concentration degree of the coalpillar side goes to lower and lower levels; the influence range and peak stress of the abutment at the lateral strata of adjacent gob increase with dip angle decreasing and reach a maximum value at a dip angle of 0°, but the tailgate is not affected; the abutment pressure superposition of two adjacent gobs leads to stress concentration further enhancing in both sides of gob-side entry. With the influence of strong mining disturbance, rock burst is easily induced by dynamic and static combined load in the advanced segment of gob-side entry. To achieve stability control similar to that in the roadway, the key control strategy is to reinforce surrounding rock and unload both sides. Accordingly, the large-diameter drilling and high-pressure water injection combined unloading and reinforced support cooperative control technology was proposed and applied in field test. The results of Electromagnetic Emission(EME) and field observation showed that unloading and surrounding rock control effect was obvious.

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.

Surrounding rock control of gob-side entry driving with narrow coal pillar and roadway side sealing technology in Yangliu Coal Mine

Gob-side entry driving can increase coal recovery ratio, and it is implied in many coal mines. Based on geological condition of 10416 working face tailentry in Yangliu Coal Mine, the surrounding rock deformation characteristics of gob-side entry driving with narrow coal pillar is analysed, reasonable size of coal pillar and reasonable roadway excavation time after mining are achieved. Surrounding rock control technology and effective roadway side sealing technology are proposed and are taken into field practice. The results showed that a safer and more efficient mining of working face can be achieved. In addition, results of this paper also have important theoretical significance and valuable reference for surrounding rock control technology of gob-side entry driving with narrow coal pillar under special geological condition.

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.

Control mechanism and technique of floor heave with reinforcing solid coal side and floor corner in gob-side coal entry retaining

Floor heave is the most common convergence in gob-side entry retaining.The paper analyzes the form,process and characteristics of gob-side entry retaining with the comprehensive methods of theoretical analysis,numerical simulation and the field trial.Research results present that bending and folding floor heave is the main factor in the stage of the first panel mining;squeezing and fluidity floor heave plays a great role in the stable stage of gob-side entry retaining;the combination of the former two factors affects mainly the stage of the second mining ahead;abutment pressure is a fundamental contribution to the serious floor heave of gob-side entry retaining,and sides corners of solid coal body are key part in the case of floor heave controlling of gob-side entry retaining.Floor heave of gob-side entry retaining can be significantly controlled by reinforcing sides and corners of solid coal body,and influence rules on the floor heave of gob side entry retaining of sides supporting strength and the bottom bolt orientation in solid coal side are obtained.Research results have been successfully applied in gob-side entry retaining of G20-F23070 face haulage roadway in #2 coal mine of Pingmei Group,and the field observation shows that the proposed technique is an effective way in controlling the floor heave of gob-side entry retaining.

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.

Spatiotemporal evolution rule of rocks fracture surrounding gob-side roadway with model experiments

A series of plane-strain physical model experiments are carried out to study the spatiotemporal evolution rule of rocks fracture surrounding gob-side roadway, which is subjected to the pressure induced by the mining process. The digital photogrammetry technology and large deformation analysis method are applied to measure the deformation and fracture of surrounding rocks. The experimental results indicate that the deformation and fracture of coal pillars are the cause to the instability and failure of the surrounding rocks. The spatiotemporal evolution rule of the rock deformation and fracture surrounding gob-side roadway is obtained. The coal pillar and the roof near coal pillar should be strengthened in support design. The engineering application results also can provide a useful guide that the combined support with wire meshes, beam, anchor bolt and cable is an effective method.

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.

Cable-truss supporting system for gob-side entry driving in deep mine and its application

In order to solve the large deformation controlling problem for surrounding rock of gob-side entry driving under common cable anchor support in deep mine, site survey, physical modeling experiment, numerical simulation and field measurement were synthetically used to analyze the deformation and failure characteristics of surrounding rock. Besides, applicability analysis, prestress field distribution characteristics of surrounding rock and the control effect on large deformation of surrounding rock were also further studied for the gob-side entry driving in deep mine using the cable-truss supporting system. The results show that, first, compared with no support and traditional bolt anchor support, roof cable-truss system can effectively restrain the initiation and propagation of tensile cracks in the roof surrounding rock and arc shear cracks in the two sides, moreover, the broken development of surrounding rock, roof separation and extrusion deformation between the two sides of the roadway are all controlled; second, a prestressed belt of trapezoidal shape is generated in the surrounding rock by the cable-truss supporting system, and the prestress field range is wide. Especially, the prestress concentration belt in the shallow surrounding rock can greatly improve the anchoring strength and deformation resisting capability of the rock stratum;third, an optimized support system of ‘‘roof and side anchor net beam, roof cable-truss supporting system and anchor cable of the narrow coal pillar" was put forward, and the support optimization design and field industrial test were conducted for the gob-side entry driving of the working face 5302 in Tangkou Mine, from which a good supporting effect was obtained.

Failure laws of narrow pillar and asymmetric control technique of gob-side entry driving in island coal face

In allusion to the problems of complex stress distribution in the surrounding rock and deformation failure laws, as well as the difficulty in roadway supporting of the gob-side entry driving in the island coal face, 2107 face in Chengjiao Colliery is researched as an engineering case. Through physical mechanical test of rock, theoretical and numerical simulation analyses of rock, the analysis model of the roadway overlying strata structure was established, and its parameters quantified. To reveal the deformation law of the surrounding rock, the stability of the overlying strata structure was studied before, during and after the roadway driving. According to the field conditions, the stress distribution in coal pillar was quantified, and the surrounding rock deformation feature studied with different widths of the pillars in gob-side entry driving. Finally, the pillar width of 4 m was considered as the most reasonable. The research results show that there is great difference in support conditions among roadway roof, entity coal side and narrow pillar side. Besides, the asymmetric control technique for support of the surrounding rock was proposed. The asymmetric control technique was proved to be reasonable by field monitoring, support by bolt-net, steel ladder and steel wire truss used in narrow pillar side.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Non-harmonious deformation controlling of gob-side entry in thin coal seam under dynamic pressure

The behavior of gob-side entry under dynamic pressure is totally different from the one driven after the movement of overlying strata above the adjacent coalface goal. The gob-side entry will experience severe roof lateral structural adjustments caused by adjacent coalface mining. Thus the deformation and failure characteristics of narrow coal pillar along the gob should be carefully considered. On the basis of the data of the gob-side entry obtained in a thin coal seam under dynamic pressure, the measures to reinforce the narrow coal pillar are put forward. In addition, the non-harmonious controlling of the rock structures and non-equilibrium gob-side entry deformation is proposed to avoid potential failure. Field practices show that the supporting problems of the gob-side entry under dynamic pressure can be well addressed, which could be used in other similar minin~ cases.

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.