Search Results (4)

Mining activities conducted above aquifers run the risk of groundwater outburst through fractured floor strata. However, the failure mechanism of the seam floor and the variability in its stability with varying dips remain unclear. Considering the influence of excavation-induced pressure, hydraulic pressure and strata dip, two kinds of analytical models were proposed in this study, which mainly included the hydraulic mechanical model and the key stratum model. These models were applied to comparatively investigate the failure characteristics and inrush risk of horizontal and inclined floors, and then confirmed by numerical simulation. The theoretical calculations reveal that the vertical failure ranges of horizontal and inclined floor strata exhibit approximate “inverted saddle” shapes along the inclination, and have the characteristics of symmetrical distribution and “lower-large/upper-small”, respectively, which is generally consistent with the simulated and measured observations. The theoretical maximum depths of damage within horizontal and inclined floor strata are roughly 12 m and 15 m, slightly lower than the result of numerical simulation. Compared with the remaining horizontal layer, the zone close to the lower boundary of the inclined key strata beneath the goaf incurs the most damage, which corresponds well to the distribution of vertical disturbance ranges. Therefore, the theoretical risk of groundwater outburst from the inclined floor after coal extraction is relatively higher than that from the horizontal floor. The mechanical models established in this study could elucidate the mechanism inducing floor failure and water inrush above a confined aquifer, and thus provide valuable insights for the risk assessment of water-related disasters in underground engineering. Full article

On 22 May 2017, a groundwater inrush accident occurred in the gob area of coal floor at Dongyu Coal Mine in Qingxu County, Shanxi Province, China. The water inrush accident caused great damage, among which six people died and the direct economic loss was about CNY 5.05 million. An elliptical permeable passage appeared at the floor of the water inrush point, and the lithology of the outburst is mainly fragmented sandy mudstone and siltstone of coal roof No.2 in the lower layer of coal seam No.3, which is currently being mined, with a peak inflow of 500 m³/h. The water inrush happened due to following reasons: There is an abandoned stagnant water-closed roadway in coal seam No.2, which is the lower mine group of coal seam No.3. The abandoned roadway of coal seam No.2 is an inclined roadway. The water level of the roadway far away from the accident point is higher than the floor elevation of coal seam No.3. Under the joint action of water pressure, mining disturbance, and weakening of goaf water immersion, the original equilibrium state was broken, resulting in the destruction of the only 7 m water-barrier rock pillar between coal seam No.3 and coal seam No.2. The water in the goaf led upward along the roof crack, gradually evolved from seepage to gushing water, and a large amount of goaf water poured into the roadway in the working face of the 03304 panel, finally leading to the occurrence of catastrophic water inrush. Technically, the miners did not implement the technical provisions of the coal mine water control regulations, leading to the accident. In addition, the failure to arrange evacuees to a safe location after apparent signs of water inrush also increased the catastrophic level of the accident. Full article

In order to explore the catastrophic evolution process for karst cave water inrush in large buried depth and high water pressure tunnels, a model test system was developed, and a similar fluid–solid coupled material was found. A model of the catastrophic evolution of water inrush was developed based on the Xiema Tunnel, and the experimental section was simulated using the finite element method. By analyzing the interaction between groundwater and the surrounding rocks during tunnel excavation, the law of occurrence of water inrush disaster was summarized. The water inrush process of a karst cave containing high-pressure water was divided into three stages: the production of a water flowing fracture, the expansion of the water flowing fracture, and the connection of the water flowing fracture. The main cause of water inrush in karst caves is the penetration and weakening of high-pressure water on the surrounding rock. This effect is becoming more and more obvious as tunnel excavation progresses. The numerical simulation results showed that the outburst prevention thickness of the surrounding rock is 4.5 m, and that of the model test result is 5 m. Thus, the results of the two methods are relatively close to each other. This work is important for studying the impact of groundwater on underground engineering, and it is of great significance to avoid water inrush in tunnels. Full article

The stability of underground openings is pivotal to sustainable safe mining in underground coal mines. To determine the stability and tunneling safety issues in 800-m-deep underground openings through large fault zones in argillaceous rocks in the Guqiao Coal Mine in East China, the pilot industrial test, laboratory experimentation, and field measurements were used to analyze the large deformations and failure characteristics of the surrounding rock, the influence factors of safe excavation and stability of underground openings, and to study the stability control countermeasures. The main factors influencing the stability and tunneling safety include large fault zones, high in situ stress, poor mechanical properties and engineering performance of the argillaceous rock mass, groundwater inrush and gas outburst. According to the field study, the anchor-ability of cables and the groutability of cement-matrix materials in the argillaceous rock in the large fault zones were extremely poor, and deformations and failure of the surrounding rock were characterized by dramatic initial deformation, high long-term creep rate, obviously asymmetric deformations and failure, rebound of roof displacements, overall loosened deformations of deep surrounding rock on a large scale, and high sensitivity to engineering disturbance and water immersion. Various geo-hazards occurred during the pilot excavation, including roof collapse, groundwater inrush, and debris flow. Control techniques are proposed and should be adopted to ensure tunneling safety and to control the stability of deep underground openings through large fault zones, including regional strata reinforcement technique such as ground surface pre-grouting, primary enhanced control measures, floor grouting reinforcement technique, and secondary enclosed support measures for long-term stability, which are critical for ensuring the sustainable development of the coal mine. Full article