Fractured zone height of longwall mining and its effects on the overburden aquifers

As mining depth becomes deeper and deeper,the possibility of undermining overburden aquifers is increasing.It is very important for coal miners to undertake studies on the height of fractured zone during longwall mining and the effects of longwall mining on the underground water while mining under surface water bodies and underground aquifers.In order to study this problem,piezometers for monitoring underground water levels were installed above the longwall panels in an American coalmine.Large amounts of pre-mining,during mining and post-mining monitoring data were collected.Based on the data,the heights of fractured zones were obtained and the effects of longwall mining on the underground water were studied.The results demonstrate that when the piezometer monitoring wells had an interburden thickness of less than 72.7 m,the groundwater level decreased immediately to immeasurable levels and the wells went dry after undermining the face of longwall.The height of the fractured zone is 72.7-85.3 m in the geological and mining conditions.The results also show that the calculated values of fractured zones by the empirical formulae used in China are smaller than the actual results.Therefore,it is not always safe to use them for analyses while mining under water bodies.

Migration and speciation transformation mechanisms of mercury in undercurrent zones of the Tongguan gold mining area, Shaanxi Loess Plateau and impact on the environment

In order to study the migration and transformation mechanism of Hg content and occurrence form in subsurface flow zone of gold mining area in Loess Plateau and its influence on water environment,the field in-situ infiltration test and laboratory test were carried out in three typical sections of river-side loess,alluvial and proluvial strata in Tongguan gold mining area of Shaanxi Province,and the following results were obtained:(1)The source of Hg in subsurface flow zone is mainly caused by mineral processing activities;(2)the subsurface flow zone in the study area is in alkaline environment,and the residual state,iron and manganese oxidation state,strong organic state and humic acid state of mercury in loess are equally divided in dry and oxidizing environment;mercury in river alluvial or diluvial strata is mainly concentrated in silt,tailings and clayey silt soil layer,and mercury has certain stability,and the form of mercury in loess is easier to transform than the other two media;(3)under the flooding condition,most of mercury is trapped in the silt layer in the undercurrent zone where the sand and silt layers alternate with each other and the river water and groundwater are disjointed,and the migration capacity of mercury is far less than that of loess layer and alluvial layer with close hydraulic connection;(4)infiltration at the flood level accelerates the migration of pollutants to the ground;(5)the soil in the undercurrent zone is overloaded and has seriously exceeded the standard.Although the groundwater monitoring results are safe this time,relevant enterprises or departments should continue to pay attention to improving the gold extraction process,especially vigorously rectify the small workshops for illegal gold extraction and the substandard discharge of the three wastes,and intensify efforts to solve the geological environmental problems of mines left over from history.At present,the occurrence form of mercury in the undercurrent zone is relatively stable,but the water and soil layers have been polluted.The risk of disjointed groundwater pollution can not be ignored while giving priority to the treatment of loess and river alluvial landform areas with close hydraulic links.The research results will provide a scientific basis for water conservancy departments to groundwater prevention and control in water-deficient areas of the Loess Plateau.

Time-lapse geophysical technology-based study on overburden strata changes induced by modern coal mining

To study the impact of modern coal mining on overlying strata and its water bearing conditions,integrated time-lapse geophysical prospecting integrating 3D seismic,electrical and ground penetrating radar method were used.Through observing and analyzing the geophysical data variations of all stages of pre-mining,mining and post-mining as well as post-mining deposition stable period,impacts of coal mining on stratigraphic structure and its water bearing were studied and modern coal mining induced stratigraphic change pattern was summarized.The research result shows that the stratigraphic structure and the water bearing of surface layer during modern coal mining have self-healing pattern with mining time;the self-healing capability of near-surface strata is relatively strong while the roof weak;water bearing selfhealing of near-surface strata is relatively high while the roof strata adjacent to mined coal beds low.Due to integrated time-lapse geophysical prospecting technology has extra time dimension which makes up the deficiency of static analysis of conventional geophysical methods,it can better highlight the dynamic changes of modern coal mining induced overburden strata and its water bearing conditions.

Investigation of overburden behaviour for grout injection to control mine subsidence

This paper describes a field and numerical investigation of the overburden strata response to underground longwall mining, focusing on overburden strata movements and stress concentrations.Subsidence related high stress concentrations are believed to have caused damage to river beds in the Illawarra region, Australia. In the field study, extensometers, stressmeters and piezometers were installed in the overburden strata of a longwall panel at West Cliff Colliery. During longwall mining, a total of1000 mm tensile deformation was recorded in the overburden strata and as a result bed separation and gaps were formed. Bed separation was observed to start in the roof of the mining seam and gradually propagate toward the surface as the longwall face advanced. A substantial increase in the near-surface horizontal stresses was recorded before the longwall face reached the monitored locations. The stresses continued to increase as mining advanced and they reached a peak at about 200 m behind the longwall face. A numerical modelling study identified that the angle of breakage(i.e., the angle of the boundary of caved zone) behind the longwall face and over the goaf was 22–25° from vertical direction. This is consistent with the monitoring results showing the high gradient of stresses and strains on the surface150–320 m behind the mining face.

Height of fractured zone inside overlying strata under high-intensity mining in China

The height of fractured zone(HFZ) at the high-intensity longwall mining panel plays a vital role in the safety analysis of coal mining under bodies of water. This paper described definitions of the highintensity mining. The processes of overburden failure transfer(OFT) were analyzed, which were divided into the development stage and the termination stage. Through theoretical analysis, the limited suspension-distance and the limited overhanging distance were proposed to judge the damage of each stratum. Mechanical models of strata suspended integrity and overhanging stability were established.A theoretical method to predict the HFZ at the high-intensity longwall mining panel was put forward based on the processes of OFT. Taking a high-intensity longwall mining panel(No. 11915 panel) as an example, the theoretical method proposed, the engineering analogy and the empirical formulas in the Regulation were used to predict the HFZ. The results show that the theoretical result is consistent with the engineering analogies' result and empirical formulas' result. The rationality and reliability of the theoretical method proposed is verified.

Predicting the height of water-flow fractured zone during coal mining under the Xiaolangdi Reservoir

It is very important to determine the extent of the fractured zone through which water can flow before coal mining under the water bodies.This paper deals with methods to obtain information about overburden rock failure and the development of the fractured zone while coal mining in Xin'an Coal Mine.The risk of water inrush in this mine is great because 40%of the mining area is under the Xiaolangdi reservoir.Numerical simulations combined with geophysical methods were used in this paper to obtain the development law of the fractured zone under different mining conditions.The comprehensive geophysical method described in this paper has been demonstrated to accurately predict the height of the water-flow fractured zone.Results from the new model, which created from the results of numerical simulations and field measurements,were successfully used for making decisions in the Xin'an Coal Mine when mining under the Xiaolangdi Reservoir.Industrial scale experiments at the number 11201,14141 and 14191 working faces were safely carried out.These achievements provide a successful background for the evaluation and application of coal mining under large reservoirs.

Selection of overburden surface mining method in West Virginia by analytical hierarchy process

The broad objective of this research was to improve current surface mining practices and reduce negative environmental impact of overburden removal in West Virginia(WV).The specific objectives were to(i)compare conventional surface mining method(drilling,blasting,digging,and loading)to a surface miner(SM)method,and(ii)apply the analytical hierarchy process(AHP)to help select the optimal mining method based on production,cost and environmental criteria.The design and the procedures used in this research involve five interrelated modules:(i)rock properties of overburden in WV,(ii)drilling and blasting,(iii)digging and loading,(iv)SM method,and(v)comparative analysis and selection of the optimal mining method by AHP.Results of this research indicate that application of SM method would yield higher cost of overburden removal than conventional mining methods in rocks with a high unconfined compressive strength and abrasivity.A significant advantage of SM method,where applicable,is the elimination of the negative environmental impacts associated with blasting.

Model test of the overburden deformation and failure law in close distance multi-seam mining

Based on characteristic of the associated mining of multi-coal seam and the engineering geological characteristics of overburden,the mining impact pattern of multi- seam mining and the dynamic fracture mechanism of overburden were characterized by applying the engineering geological mechanical model test.The related strata movement parameters and influence area of multi-seam mining were obtained,the strike boundary angle is 61°,the full extraction coefficient is 0.93,the greatest subsidence angle is 81°,the horizontal movement factor is 0.38,the deviation of inflection point/mining deep is 0.11. The development height of caving zone and water flowing fractured zone of multi-seam mining were calculated,is 32 m and 81.5 m separatly.The assess of influence degree of coal layer safety mining is that,there exists the possibility of water and sand inflow when mining,some messures for mine water prevention and control should be used,and the mining thickness should be local strictly limit.

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.

Experimental study on the deformation and failure mechanism of overburden rock during coal mining using a comprehensive intelligent sensing method

Understanding the spatiotemporal evolution of overburden deformation during coal mining is still a challenge in engineering practice due to the limitation of monitoring techniques. Taking the Yangliu Coal Mine as an example, a similarity model test was designed and conducted to investigate the deformation and failure mechanism of overlying rocks in this study. Distributed fiber optic sensing(DFOS), highdensity electrical resistivity tomography(HD-ERT) and close-range photogrammetry(CRP) technologies were used in the test for comprehensive analyses. The combined use of the three methods facilitates the investigation of the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of overburden deformation, showing that the mining-induced deformation of overburden strata was a dynamic evolution process. This process was accompanied by the formation, propagation, closure and redevelopment of separation cracks.Moreover, the key rock stratum with high strength and high-quality lithology played a crucial role in the whole process of overburden deformation. There were generally three failure modes of overburden rock layers, including bending and tension, overall shearing, and shearing and sliding. Shear failure often leads to overburden falling off in blocks, which poses a serious threat to mining safety. Therefore, realtime and accurate monitoring of overburden deformation is of great significance for the safe mining of underground coal seams.

Surveying on two-zone height of sublevel strip mining

The site drilling packer permeability test and TEM to the 2100 workface in Gucheng coalmine determined the two-zone height under sublevel strip mining.The conclusion considers that the lying strata deterioration law of the strip mining is similar to that of the sublevel mining.Thus, against that the actually measured data lacked, it is feasible to refer to the reservation of the waterproof coal pillar in the neighbor coalmine under sublevel situation.However, it is necessary to further launch the research on lying strata deterioration law under sublevel striping mining for the purpose of providing the right foundation for the layout of the workface not mined so far and the reservation of the waterproof coal pillar in the mining area.

Field application of non-blasting mechanized mining using high-frequency impact hammer in deep hard rock mine

A non-blasting mechanized mining experiment was carried out with a high-frequency impact hammer,and the daily mining performance was recorded to explore the applicability of the high-frequency impact hammer in deep hard rock mines.Before the field application,the scope of the excavation damage zone was monitored,and rock samples were obtained from the ore body to be mined to carry out a series of laboratory experiments.Field application results show that the overall excavation efficiency reaches 50.6 t/h,and the efficiency of pillar excavation after excavating stress relief slot reaches 158.2 t/h.The results indicate that the non-blasting mechanized mining using high-frequency impact hammer has a good application in deep hard rock mines,and the stress relief slot is conducive to mechanical excavation.In addition,the high-frequency impact hammer also exhibits the advantages of high utilization rate of labor hours,small lumpiness of spalling ore,little dust,and little excavation damage.Finally,according to the field application and laboratory experiment results,a non-blasting mechanized mining method for hard rock mines based on high-frequency impact hammer is proposed.

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.

Longwall mining under gateroads and gobs of abandoned small mine

Due to the use of outdated mining technology or room and pillar mining process in small coal mines, the coal recovery ratio is only 10–25%. In many regions of China, the damage area caused by the small coal mines amounted to nearly one hundred square kilometers. Therefore, special mining techniques must be taken to reclaim the wasted resource in disturbed coal areas. This paper focuses on the different mining methods by analyzing the longwall panel layout and abandoned gateroad(AG) distribution in the abandoned area of Cuijiazhai coal mine in northwestern China. On the basis of three-dimensional geological model, FLAC3 D numerical simulation was employed. The abutment pressure distribution was simulated when the panel face passed through the disturbed areas. The proper angle of the inclined face was analyzed when the panel face passed through the abandoned gateroads. The results show that the head end of the face should be 13–20 m ahead of the tail end. The pillars on both sides of abandoned gateroads had not been damaged at the same time, and no large-area stress concentration occured above the main roof.Therefore, the coal reserves of disturbed areas can be successfully recovered by using underground longwall mining.

Research on ＂three zone＂ classification of spontaneous combustion and its numerical simulation in gob of mines under the sea

According to the classification standard of spontaneous combustion ＂three zone＂ in gob and the analysis of aerodynamics and energy equation of relax loose coal body, the paper used the method of computer simulation analysis to get the air distribution. The paper also determined the three zone area of H2103 fully mechanized caving face in Beizao Mine.

Experiment Study on Movement and Damage of Overburden Under MiningFace Crossing Fault

Based on similar material model experiment, this paper studies the subsidence difference of fault hanging wall and lying wall when mining face crosses fault and the normal relative movement regularity of a fault zone. The change in bulking coefficients of fault zone, hanging wall and lying wall are given, the difference of mean bulking coefficients of two fault walls are discussed and the dynamic development pattern of fissure zone during mining face crossing fault is obtained.

Experimental study on the movement law of overlying rock non-pillar coal overhead mining

Pillarless coal mining technology is a new practical technology.Based on the compensating mechanical behavior of the Negative Poisson’s Ratio(NPR)anchor cable on the roof,the roadway was successfully retained by the top cutting and pressure relief technology.This study utilizes the Digital Speckle Monitoring(DIC monitoring),stress-strain monitoring,and infrared thermal imaging systems to conduct physical model experiment of similar materials from the displacement,stress-strain,and temperature fields to investigate in depth the fracture change law of the overlying rock.In addition,it uses FLAC3D numerical simulation to invert the surface displacement settlement.The results show that the non-pillar overhead mining under the 110 mining method has little influence on the rock crack in the middle of the coal seam,and the crack development area is mainly concentrated in the overlying rock mass of the upward coal seam.The compensatory mechanical behavior of NPR anchor cable and the dilatation characteristics of rock mass have a good effect of retaining roadway along goaf,and can also reduce surface settlement.The 110 mining method provides a scientific basis for ecological environment protection and the development of other kilometer deep soft rock high ground stress underground projects.

Hyporheic Zone Hydrochemistry of the Mine-Polluted River

Intensity of stream waters mixing with groundwaters and lateral extent of these processes in the hyporheic zone were investigated in a near-bank sandbar and an adjacent floodplain through the comparison of groundwaters and stream water chemistry of the Bia?a Przemsza River in southern Poland. The stream waters were polluted by the discharge of mine waters from “Boles?aw” lead and zinc mine. The investigated waters were several times more mineralized than the natural spring waters of the river valley. The concentration of: potassium, sodium, and the pH, as well as cadmium, lead, and zinc decreased in the hyporheic zone towards the stream bank, whereas conductance, calcium, magnesium, sulphates, as well as silica contents were the highest on the floodplain, diminishing towards the stream. The changes observed in the chemical composition of groundwaters were apparent in mixing stream waters below the depth of 2 m with shallow groundwaters draining the valley slope. Hyporheic mixing also takes place in the 10-meter-wide, marginal zone of the sandbar, whereas in the 5-meter-wide stream-side zone of the sandbar groundwaters represent weakly transformed stream water.

Research on relations between failure heights of overburden strata and ~] / mining face parameters and forecasting method

The commercial FEM software ANSYS was used to analyze the failure characteristics of overburden strata under the conditions of different lengths of mining faces. It was shown that the parameters of mining faces, especially the length was the important factor to the failure heights and shapes of overburden strata. Fuzzy mathematics and statistical methods were used to analyze the forecasting method of the failure height of overburden strata influenced by the parameters of mining face based on the measured data under the conditions of fully-mechanized mining of general hardness cover rocks. On the basis of these analyses, a new forecasting formula was gotten. The forecasting result conforms to the in situ measured value. The result has a very important application value in safe and high-efficient mining, and has a very important advancing function to theoretical studies.

Deformation of mining caving zone grouting compound rock under overlying strata pressure

To solve the problem of surface subsidence caused by mining,the main method is to reasonably process coal mining space.'Mining caving zone high-pressure grouting pulverized coal ash hydromass controlling roof and overlying strata movement' technology is one of processing methods.After grouting pulverized coal ash hydromass in mining caving zone,formed one kind of special material which is used to support roof and effec- tively control the subsidence of overlying strata.For the accurate calculation of roof mining subsidence at grouting state,based on the characteristics of such materials,established its constitutive equation based on certain assumptions,gave deformation calculation method when the compound rock supports overlying strata,lay foundation for the actual calculation of subsidence of overlying strata after grouting and the promotion of mining caving zone grouting technology.