Investigating the Width of Isolated Coal Pillars in Deep Hard-Strata Mines for Prevention of Mine Seismicity and Rockburst

Bo Wang, Sitao Zhu, Fuxing Jiang, Jinhai Liu, Xiaoguang Shang and Xiufeng Zhang
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Bo Wang: School of Civil and Resources Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Sitao Zhu: School of Civil and Resources Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Fuxing Jiang: School of Civil and Resources Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Jinhai Liu: Hebei State Key Laboratory of Mine Disaster Prevention, North China Institute of Science and Technology, Beijing 101601, China
Xiaoguang Shang: School of Civil and Resources Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Xiufeng Zhang: Shandong Energy Group Company Limited, Jinan 250014, China

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 17, 1-18

Abstract: In deep mines, a reasonable design of the widths of isolated coal pillars (ICPs) is critically important, particularly for hard-strata mines. This is because the frequent occurrence of mine seismicity (MS) and rockburst in deep mines often arises from the inappropriate widths of the remnant ICPs. To address this problem, this paper takes the ICP of Yingpanhao Coal Mine in Inner Mongolia in China as the engineering case study and then presents a mechanical model to illuminate the occurrence mechanism of MS induced by the mining on both sides of ICPs. The results indicate that, after the mining on both sides of ICPs, the ICPs will produce a vertical compressive deformation, and the overlying high main key stratum (MKS) will experience a flexure deformation. When the limited deflection of MKS is less than the compression of ICPs, the MKS will be fractured, and the released energy may lead to MS. Based on the mechanism model, a design criterion is proposed for ICP widths; this criterion can effectively reduce the risk of the induced rockburst and MS. Then the occurrence mechanism of MS and the design basis for ICP width are verified by numerical simulation and field microseismic monitoring. The results in this paper may be used as a theoretical guidance for rational ICP design in deep mines and may help mitigate the risk of rockburst and MS from early mining stages.

Keywords: isolated coal pillar; mine seismicity; rockburst; microseismic monitoring; limited deflection; compression (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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