Ground subsidence mechanism of a filling mine with a steeply inclined ore body

Long-term field monitoring finds that serious surface subsidence can still occur even if the high strength cemented fill method is adopted.Combining the results of numerical simulations with global position system(GPS)monitoring,we took a typical filling mining mine with a steeply inclined ore body as an example,and explored its ground subsidence mechanism.The results show that the ground subsidence caused by the mining of steep ore body is characterized by two settlement centers and a significantly uneven spatial distribution,which is visibly different from ground subsidence characteristic of the coal mine.The subsidence on the hanging wall is much larger than that on the footwall,and the settlement center tends to move to the hanging wall with the increase of mining depth.The backfill improves the strength and surrounding rock bearing capacity,which leads to a lag of about 3 years of the subsidence.However,under the actions of continuous and repeated mining disturbances,the supporting effect of the backfill can only reduce the amplitude of the deformation,but it cannot prevent the occurrence of settlement.

Finite Element Numerical Simulation of Ground Subsidence in Liangjia Colliery

Being aimed at the ground subsidence due to underground coal mining,a numerical model of rock was established and an appropriate method of numerical simulation was put forward.Using the measured subsidence data on the ground,the equivalent mechanical parameters of the rock stratums can be back-calculated by the properly treatment of coal excavation area,then the ground subsidence of other coal mining area can be predicted by FFM.It provided reference for the treatment of the buildings on the ground of this colliery.

The role of potential soil cavity on ground subsidence and collapse in coal mining area

Based on five basic assumptions, of the ground subsidence and collapse was using theoretical analysis method, the nature revealed from the mechanics point. Divided into four phases as groundwater level descent, soil cavity formation, soil cavity expansion, and ground collapse emersion, the whole process of ground subsidence and collapse was analyzed in detail. The study shows that ground subsidence and collapse is the macro- scopic performance and inevitable result of the soil cavity expansion and development, and the dynamic mechanics is the spalling force induced by the groundwater falling. The activities of underground water play a very important role in the process from the formation of soil cavity to the production of ground subsidence.

Seepage effects of groundwater and its make-up water on triggering ground subsidence

The functioning mechanism of groundwater and its make-up water in the process of ground subsidence was studied from such three aspects as osmotic corrasion, osmotic pressure effect and concretion effect, As to osmotic corrasion, its forming conditions, mechanical mechanism and process were analyzed, As to osmotic pressure effect, it was mainly studied from hydrostatic pressurizing effect, sop softening effect and negative pressure sealing effect. Through concretion and saturation of soil, the factors of concretion settlement were analyzed. The results showed that both groundwater and its make-up water are important triggering factors to ground subsidence.

Monitoring of reclamation-induced ground subsidence in Macao (China) using PSInSAR technique

The long-term reclamation-induced ground subsidence in Macao, a coastal city of southern China was investigated. Persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) technique was applied to retrieve the deformation rate in Macao during the period from April 2003 to August 2010 with a total of 41 scenes of descending ASAR data sets. The PSI-retrieved results show a relatively stable pattern in Macao Peninsula, Taipa Island and Coloane Island, with an average subsidence velocity of -3 mm/a. In contrast, relatively large subsidence rates are highlighted in Cotai area, a new reclamation land in 1990s, in which an average subsidence velocity is about -10 mm/a. A consistent relationship between the PSI results and the leveling measurements indicate that this PSI technique is an effective tool to monitor the reclamation-induced ground subsidence with a high accuracy and adequate spatial details. Accordingly, the valuable ground subsidence results generated by PSI can be used not only for early detection and remedial activities of potential settlement of building, but also for helping the local government to formulate regional sustainable development planning and decision-making in disaster prevention and mitigation.

Ground Subsidence in Areas of Loose Porous Aquifers

Groundwater is one of the important water resources in northern China's plain areas. Many severe geological hazards have occurred in these areas due to ground subsidence which is caused by over exploitation of groundwater. This paper introduces and analyses the ground subsidence caused by groundwater exploitation and its mechanism in the northern China's plains. A ground subsidence prediction model has been developed based on the consolidation theory. The authors have tested this model in a case study of Fuyang City, Anhui Province, where ground subsidence is a severe environmental problem. In the case study, the model results match very well with those of the actual measurement. Two schemes of groundwater exploitation are assessed. The conclusion from the study could be used in the long-term water and economical management planning. The strategies for the control of ground subsidence are discussed.

Field Investigation and FEM Analysis of Ground Subsidence in a Chinese Underground Gold Mine

Ground subsidence in a Chinese underground gold mine is remarkable. To find out reasons and regularities of the subsidence, following research work was carried out: (1) systemetical investigations of engineering geological conditions, including in situ stress sta- te, locstion and size of old river beds, ponds and unfilled mined-out areas, (2) in situ monitoring of strata movement by multi-point ex tensometers in 3 vertical boreholes; (3) FEM (Finite Element Method) analysis to study the relationship between the ground subsidence and mining excavation, especially to inspect the influence of unfilled mined-out areas at shallow depth on the subsidence. Based on the research results, measures to control the ground subsidence and to prevent buildings from damage are provided.

Subsidence rules of underground layer thickness： Lu＇an Coal Base coal mines for different soil as an example, China

Damage caused by underground coal mining is a serious problem in mining areas in China; therefore, studying and obtaining the rules of ground movement and deformation under different geological conditions is of great importance. The numerical software ANSYS was used in this study to simulate mining processes under two special geological conditions： （1） thick unconsolidated soil layer and thin bedrock; （2） thin soil layer and thick bedrock. The rules for ground movement and deformation for different soil layer to bedrock ratios were obtained. On the basis of these rules, a prediction parameter modified model of the influence function was proposed, which is suitable for different values of unconsolidated soil layer thickness. The prediction results were verified using two sets of typical field data.

Finite layer and triangular prism element method to subsidence prediction and stress analysis in underground mining

The application of the finite layer & triangular prism element method to the 3D ground subsidence and stress analysis caused by mining is presented. The layer elements and the triangular prism elements have been alternatively used in the numerical simulation system, the displacement pattern, strain matrix, elastic matrix, stiffness matrix, load matrix and the stress matrix of the layer element and triangular prism element have been presented. By means of the Fortran90 programming language, a numerical simulation system based on finite layer & triangular prism element have been built up, and this system is suitable for subsidence prediction and stress analysis of all mining condition and mining methods. Comparing with the infinite element method, this approach dramatically reduces the size of the set of equations that need to be solved, and greatly reduces the amount of data preparation required. It not only saves the internal storage, and the computation time, but also decreases the cost.

Spatial-Temporal Ground Deformation Study of Baotou Based on the PS-InSAR Method

Ground subsidence is an emerging geological hazard in Baotou,Inner Mongolia.Four areas of Baotou with relatively large subsidence range and rate were selected for analysis.Focusing on investigation of ground subsidence using PS-In SAR technology,a total of 43 frames of ALOS PALSAR images yielded a SAR data span from December 2006 to January 2011,allowing ground subsidence scope,subsidence velocity,time-series deformation to be obtained.Major causes and influencing factors of the ground subsidence are closely related to soft soil consolidation and compaction and the decrease in the level of groundwater caused by increased development and utilization of groundwater.

Ground fissure hazards in USA and China

Tremendous losses were caused by ground fissure hazard both in USA and China. Six states of southwestern USA and seven provinces of central China were affected by the destructive ground fissures. The aseismic ground fissure hazards usually take place in land subsidence area. The comparison of the two countries' ground fissures were given including ground fissure formation, evolution, mechanics of destruction and countermeasures against them. The destructive ground fissures occurred about a half century earlier in USA than in China The mechanisms of various ground fissures were analyzed with interdisciplinary studies. It has been found that the preexisted faults are serving as the bases of forming modem ground fissure, and human activities, e.g. over pumping ground water, or oil, can accelerate the creeping of the fissures and make them destructive to many kinds of civil engineering. The countermeasures to mitigate ground fissure hazard were put forward, not only in science and technology but also in social administration. The successful practices in the two countries were introduced as examples.

Twenty years of coal mining-induced subsidence in the Upper Silesia in Poland identified using InSAR

The paper presents the results of terrain subsidence monitoring in Poland's Upper Silesian Coal Basin(USCB)mining area using Differential Interferometry Synthetic Aperture Radar(DInSAR)and Persistent Scatterer Interferometry(PSI).The study area accounts for almost three million inhabitants where mining which started in the 19th century,has produced severe damage to buildings and urban infrastructures in past years.The analysis aimed to combine eight different datasets,processed in two techniques,coming from various sensors and covering different periods.As a result,a map of areas that have been exposed to subsidence within 3045 square kilometers was obtained.The map covers a period of twenty years of intensive mining activities,i.e.1992-2012.A total of 81 interferograms were used in the study.The interferograms allowed not only to determine subsidence troughs(basins)formed from 1992 to 2012 but also to observe subsidence development over time.The work also included five sets of PSI processing,covering different temporal and spatial ranges,which were used to determine zones of residual subsidence.Based on InSAR datasets,an area of 521 square kilometers under the influence of mining activities were determined.Within the subsiding zones,an area of 312.5 square kilometers of the rapid increase in subsidence was identified on the interferograms.The study of combined different InSAR datasets provided large-area and long-term information on the impact of mining activities in the Upper Silesia Coal Basin.

Strata consolidation subsidence induced by metro tunneling in saturated soft clay strata

To choose the optimum construction method of metro tunneling, we conducted research with numerical simulation on strata consolidation subsidence by dewatering, dynamic dewatering, and non-dewatering construction method, taking the integrated effects of fluid-solid coupling and tunneling mechanics into account. We obtained the curved surfaces of ground surface subsidence and strata consolidation subsidence. The results show that the quantity of ground surface subsidence is 31 mm for the non-dewatering method, 39 mm for the dynamic dewatering method, and 105 mm for the dewatering method. Their ratio is 1：1.3：3.4; and the percentages of strata consolidation subsidence to whole ground surface subsidence of each construction method is 27% （no-dewatering）, 50% （dynamic dewatering）, and 79% （dewatering）. It is obvious that the non-dewatering construction method is the most effective method to control the strata consolidation subsidence induced by metro tunneling in saturated soft clay strata, and it has been successfully applied to the construction of the Shenzben metro line 1.

Spatio-temporal variation of vegetation in an arid and vulnerable coal mining region

Environmental assessment in an arid coal mining area requires an understanding of the influences of coal mining,the arid climate and ecological remediation.To that end,we selected vegetation as the key environmental factor to observe.Remote sensing approaches to monitoring the spatio-temporal variation of vegetation caused by mining activities,the arid climate and ecological remediation in the Shengdong coal mining area are described.Over a large regional scale it was found that the vegetation was improved as a result of ecological remediation activities.At the local scale,however,the vegetation coverage and soil moisture in the mined areas were slightly lower than those in un-mined areas due to mining subsidence.These differences are partly attributed to ground fissures that injure root systems and increase the depletion of soil moisture.It is recommended that fissures be reduced and filled to lessen their adverse effects on the environment.

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.

Impact of Sea-Level-Rise and Human Activities in Coastal Regions:An Overview

Coastal regions are becoming increasingly vulnerable to flooding because of accelerating sea-level-rise(SLR),local ground subsidence,and the changes in topography and morphology.Moreover,coastal areas are usually highly urbanized and increased human activities have an effect on the stability and preservation of the environment.For instance,the growing demand for new lands to accommodate the population and the industrial facilities in China has required the design and the deployment of land-reclamation projects from the ocean,with a marked impact on fragile coastal eco-systems.Specifically,the Yangtze River and Pearl River Estuary,two major estuaries of the world,have long been subject to intensive human activities over the past decades.Long-term ground subsidence evolution,topographic changes,and morphological variation of the coastal regions have drawn great attention.This paper provides an overview of well-established Earth Observation(EO)remote sensing(RS)technologies that are employed to continuously monitor the changes of urbanized regions.The combined use of EO-based DInSAR analyses along with the knowledge of the geomorphology of the coastal regions allows a more precise picture of the SLR risk in the investigated coastal regions.In this paper,we will concentrate on remote sensing technologies that allow the gathering of heterogeneous information,such as those based on the use of synthetic aperture radar(SAR),satellite altimeters and tide gauge data.We will underline how human activities trigger changes in the living environment of coastal zones and the associated risks for the population.Observed coastline changes,coastal regions terrain subsidence,and offshore bathymetry have a pronounced effect on the increasing risk of flooding.Accordingly,we also present insights into some inundation model projections employed for evaluating the potential flooding risk in coastal regions.

Vertical deformation and tectonic activity in Tianjin area

Vertical deformation in Tianjin area during 1992 -2008 was calculated from leveling data. The effect of large surface subsidence caused by extensive groundwater pumping was removed by fitting the data along each survey line with a polynomial function. The results are fitted with crustal blocks individually in this area. Vertical deformation rates are mapped, vertical rates of the main fault zones were calculated, and the activities of the blocks and fault zones were investigated. The observed vertical deformation shows that some of the blocks tilted and some blocks rose or subsided as a whole. The vertical rates at fault zones in the area vary within the range of 0. 13-0. 48 mm/a,with an average value of 0.29 mm/a.

A novel ground surface subsidence prediction model for sub-critical mining in the geological condition of a thick alluvium layer

A substantial number of the coal mines in China are in the geological condition of thick alluvium layer. Under these circumstances, it does not make sense to predict ground surface subsidence and other deformations by using conventional prediction models. This paper presents a novel ground surface subsidence prediction model for sub-critical mining in the geological condition of thick alluvium layer. The geological composition and mechanical properties of thick alluvium is regarded as a random medium, as are the uniformly distributed loads on rock mass; however, the overburden of the rock mass in the bending zone is looked upon as a hard stratum controlling the ground surface subsidence. The different subsidence and displacement mechanisms for the rock mass and the thick alluvium layer are respectively considered and described in this model, which indicates satisfactory performances in a practical prediction case.

An analytical model to predict the volume of sand during drilling and production

Over the past few decades, many optical fiber sensing techniques have been developed. Among these available sensing methods, optical fiber Bragg grating（FBG） is probably the most popular one. With its unique capabilities, FBG-based geotechnical sensors can be used as a sensor array for distributive（profile） measurements, deployed under water（submersible）, for localized high resolution and/or differential measurements. The authors have developed a series of FBG-based transducers that include inclination, linear displacement and gauge/differential pore pressure sensors. Techniques that involve the field deployment of FBG inclination, extension and pore-pressure sensor arrays for automated slope stability and ground subsidence monitoring have been developed. The paper provides a background of FBG and the design concepts behind the FBG-based field monitoring sensors. Cases of field monitoring using the FBG sensor arrays are presented, and their practical implications are discussed.