3D mine pillar design information from 2D FEM analysis

This paper described a technique for obtaining three-dimensional mine design information using a two-dimensional finite element program where the mining geometry consists of an extensive array of underground rooms and pillars. The technique is based upon a simple augmentation of forces in a two-dimensional analysis to produce the same average pillar stress that would occur in a full three dimensional analysis. Detailed comparisons between a three-dimensional analysis, a two-dimensional analysis (plane stress and plane strain) and an augmented two-dimensional analysis (also plane stress and plane strain) of stress about a typical coal mine pillar are presented. A local factor of safety is defined and then mapped over the pillar midplane, the immediate roof and immediate floor using the results from the full three-dimensional analysis. Comparisons of roof and pillar safety factor distributions obtained by the three-dimensional, two-dimensional and augmented two-dimensional analyses show that the minimum safety factors in the pillar (at the pillar sides) are predicted quite closely by the augmented two-dimensional techniqe (plane stress). The same is true of the immediate roof, although the three-dimensional safety factor tends to be higher in the roof (over the room) than that calculated by the augmented twodimensional technique. The augmented loading procedure appears to hold considerable promise as a very efficient and cost reducing techniqe for mine pillar design.     

矿柱稳定性影响因素敏感性分析及其应用研究

为研究矿柱稳定性影响因素的敏感程度,以招金大尹格庄金矿为研究背景,从矿柱载荷、强度、失稳形式及影响因素确定四方面推导出两种矿柱形式的安全系数计算公式,设计采用6因素5水平正交试验对矿柱稳定性影响因素敏感性进行分析,并研究主要影响因素与矿柱安全系数之间的函数关系。研究表明,矿柱宽度、矿体开采深度和矿房宽度3个主要因素对矿柱稳定性影响程度是最为剧烈的;矿柱安全系数随着矿柱宽度地增加呈指数形式递增且递增速率不断加大,随矿体开采深度地增加呈幂函数形式递减且递减速率逐渐变缓,随矿房宽度地增加呈负指数形式递减且降低速率逐渐变慢。利用DPS和Matlab建立的矿柱安全系数回归方程得出保证安全生产的合理矿柱尺寸,矿房宽度应不超过8 m,布置条形矿柱宽度应不小于3.6 m,布置方形矿柱宽度应不小于5.9 m。结合采场矿柱布置实际,应用效果较为理想,可为下中段矿体回采矿块布置提供较好的依据。     

矿柱安全留设尺寸的宽度折减法与应用

从岩石强度理论出发,提出房柱式开采中矿柱安全留设尺寸的宽度折减法思想,通过不断折减矿柱宽度,研究矿柱由稳定状态向临界失稳状态演化过程,从而得到矿柱的临界宽度,引入矿柱安全系数,获得矿柱安全留设尺寸。采用宽度折减法对磨坊矿3#井房柱法开采矿柱安全留设尺寸进行研究,获得不同矿房跨度下矿柱的安全留设宽度。将宽度折减法得到的安全矿柱宽度与Lunder经验公式比较,研究发现,宽度折减法得到的安全矿柱宽度和Lunder经验公式的计算结果较为吻合且偏安全。结合磨坊矿3#井的开采条件和矿柱宽度折减法分析结果,确定矿房基本参数为：矿房跨度为13 m左右,矿柱宽度为5.0～5.5 m。通过对磨坊矿3#井采空区上覆岩层移动规律的监测,发现岩层相对稳定,地表沉降量控制在120～150 mm之间,用宽度折减法分析得到的矿房基本参数是合理的。     

Effect of pillar reinforcement on long-term stability of an oil shale mine

Summary Stability in Exxon's Colony Pilot Mine in the Piceance Creek Basin, Colorado has been monitored by periodic pillar stress determinations and roof to floor convergence measurements since 1971. Pillar failure has caused marginal stability in some areas of the mine. Measurements taken during the process of failure provided valuable information on thein situ pillar strength and long-term behaviour of the mine structure. Four pillars were reinforced by 32 mm (1.25 in.) diameter tensioned grouted bolts to increase long-term stability in the northern area of the mine. Stability of this area is necessary because future plans envisage its use as an exit/access and ventilation exhaust.Computer analyses were performed to help evaluate the effect of pillar reinforcement on long-term stability. Results indicate that bolting is particularly useful in stabilizing failed pillars, but its effects are significant only in the immediate area of the pillar. The projected significant decrease in deformation of two extensively failed pillars near a main entry indicates that bolting reinforcement will assist the long-term stability of the opening.     

A study of surface subsidence and coal pillar safety for strip mining in a deep mine

Some villages and bridges are located on the ground surface of the working district no. 7 in the Wanglou Coal Mine. If longwall mining is adopted, the maximum deformation of the ground surface will exceed the safety value. Strip mining is employed for the working district no. 7 which is widely used to reduce surface subsidence and the consequent damage of buildings on the ground surface. To ensure the safety of coal pillars and improve the recovery coefficient, theoretical analysis and numerical simulation (FLAC 3D) were adopted to determine the coal pillar and mining widths and to discuss the coal pillar stress distribution and surface subsidence for different mining scenarios. The results revealed that the width of coal pillars should be larger than 162 m, and the optimized mining width varies from 150 to 260 m. As the coal seam is exploited, vertical stress is mainly applied on the coal pillar, inducing stress changes on its ribs. The coefficient of mining-induced stress varies from 2.02 to 2.62 for different mining scenarios. The maximum surface subsidence and horizontal movement increase as the mining width increases. However, when the mining width increases to a certain value, increasing the pillar width cannot significantly decrease the maximum subsidence. To ensure the surface subsidence less than 500 mm, the mining width should not be larger than 200 m. Considering the recovery coefficient and safety of the coal pillar, a pillar width of 165 m is suggested.     

基于突变和流变理论的采空区群系统稳定性

为预防地下矿山采空区群系统高应变能的突然释放引发的灾害,通过构建顶板-矿柱三维空间力学模型,利用突变理论和流变力学理论对其稳定性及突变倾向性作定量与定性分析,推导出系统在不同时刻突变并释放能量的数学判据和力学条件,提出系统稳定性的分析算法并验证了其有效性和实用性,在此基础上探讨各影响因子对该系统稳定性的影响。结果表明：随着矿柱流变,系统突变倾向性减小,但顶板整体性逐渐破坏且边界条件依次进入固支、简支和自由边3个阶段,维持系统稳定的矿柱有效承载面积比率临界值 仅在各阶段内连续减小,在顶板简支和自由边的阶段起点处 值突跳增大,3个阶段 值的平均减小速率依次降低;顶板刚度D、上覆岩层荷载 、矿柱面积比率 和空区群尺寸之间的数值关系对系统稳定性起主导作用。该研究结果可为矿山安全开采规划和采空区群系统稳定性评判及调控提供新思路和新方法。     

A Comparative Analysis of Pillar Design Methods and its Application to Marble Mines

Summary. The methods for designing pillars in underground mines are fundamentally based on empirical formulae that do not take into account the quality of the rock mass as an input parameter. This makes them difficult to apply in other types of ground that are different to those used to establish each empirical formula. To avoid this inconvenience, the present paper examines existing empirical formulae to then propose a modification of these formulae adjusting the resistance of the pillars on the basis of the RMR (Bieniawski’s Rock Mass Rating). The compression safety factor of the pillars is analyzed for each modified formula and a study is carried out of shear failure if planes of weakness exist in the pillars. Finally, the safety factors of the pillars in a marble mine situated in Alicante (Southern Spain) were calculated in order to validate the new formulae. From the results obtained, it is concluded that this new formulation determines the safety factor of pillars of the mine with greater reliability, provided that the pillars are isolated. At the same time, the introduction of the RMR in the formulae results in a better fit of the strength of each pillar to the characteristics of the rock mass.     

Numerical Study of Failure Mechanism of Serial and Parallel Rock Pillars

Using a numerical modelling code, rock failure process analysis, 2D, the progressive failure process and associated acoustic emission behaviour of serial and parallel rock samples were simulated. Both serial- and parallel sample models are presented for investigating the mechanism of rock pillar failure. As expected, the numerical results show that not only the stiffness, but also the uniaxial compressive strength of the rock plays an important role in pillar instability. For serial pillars, the elastic rebound of a rock pillar with higher uniaxial compressive strength can lead to the sudden failure of an adjacent rock pillar with lower uniaxial compressive strength. The failure zone forms and develops in the pillar with lower uniaxial compressive strength; however, the failure zone does not pass across the interface of the two pillars. In comparison, when two pillars have the same uniaxial compressive strengths but different elastic moduli, both serial pillars fail, and the failure zone in the two pillars can interact, passing across the interface and entering the other pillar. For parallel pillars, damage always develops in the pillar having the lower uniaxial compressive strength or lower elastic modulus. Furthermore, in accordance with the Kaiser effect, the stress-induced damage in a rock pillar is irreversible, and only when the previous stress state in the failed rock pillar is exceeded or the subsequent applied energy is larger than the energy released by the external loading will further damage continue to occur. In addition, the homogeneity index of rock also can affect the failure modes of parallel pillars, even though the uniaxial compressive strength and stiffness of each pillar are the same.     

Research on reasonable coal pillar width of roadway driven along goaf in deep mine

Driving roadway along a goaf is commonly adopted for mining face of thick seam in a deep mine. Determining a reasonable width of coal pillar is a key scientific problem for driving roadway along a goaf in a deep mine. The paper took a roadway driven along a goaf at Zhaolou coal mine which is a typical kilometer-deep mine in China as engineering background. Field monitoring, model test, and numerical experiment are conducted. Stress and displacement evolution mechanism are analyzed with different pillar widths. The test results show that with the increase of coal pillar width, the peak stress value at the coal pillar working slope and integrated coal beside the roadway increases firstly and then tends to be stable, its position is transferred to the side of the roadway, and the deformation of coal pillar decreases gradually during roadway excavation. The coal pillar deformation and roadway vertical displacement increased as the coal pillar width increases under high abutment pressure. In order to reduce the waste of non-renewable resources and meet the requirements of bearing capacity and stability of coal pillars, a method is proposed for setting a reasonable width of coal pillars and the specific width of coal pillars is designed and applied in engineering practices based on the above research. All the tests are significant in the study of driving roadway along a goaf in a deep mine.     

Empirical Approaches for Design of Web Pillars in Highwall Mining: Review and Analysis

Pillar design is of paramount importance to any underground mine design. Oversized pillars may lead to loss of coal while undersized pillars may lead to instability. While underground pillars are mostly square and rectangular, highwall mining pillars are long and narrow, as they are formed after driving parallel entries in the seam from the highwall. These pillars are termed as web pillars. The overall stability of highwall depends upon these pillars as no other supports are provided in the entries. Web pillar differs from usual coal pillars in respect of w/h ratio being <3.0, with an exceptionally longer length compared to its width, to the tune of 50–500 m. Several empirical coal pillar strength equations developed for rectangular pillars are still being used with some modifications to adapt to web pillars. Review and analysis of these empirical approaches for determining web pillar strength along with a numerical approach for web pillar design are discussed in this paper. Their application to some Indian case studies is also discussed.     

Probabilistic analysis of underground pillar stability

The majority of geotechnical analyses are deterministic, in that the inherent variability of the materials is not modelled directly, rather some ‘factor of safety’ is applied to results computed using ‘average’ properties. In the present study, the influence of spatially varying strength is assessed via numerical experiments involving the compressive strength and stability of pillars typically used in underground construction and mining operations. The model combines random field theory with an elasto‐plastic finite element algorithm in a Monte‐Carlo framework. It is found that the average strength of the rock is not a good indicator of the overall strength of the pillar. The results of this study enable traditional approaches involving factors of safety to be re‐interpreted as a ‘probability of failure’ in the context of reliability based design. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Yield pillars for stress control in longwall mines — case study

Summary The demand for increased productivity and the problems associated with mining at greater depths have increased the interest in using the yield pillar concept in the United States. This paper summarizes chain pillar behaviour in a mine that historically experienced coal bumps in both room-and-pillar and longwall sections. Results indicate that, generally, the chain pillars yield as designed, but that yielding occurred either after development or with approach of the longwall face. The Bureau of Mines investigated several yield pillar design approaches to possibly explain observed differences in pillar behaviour. These approaches suggest that very localized conditions, such as coal and rock properties, cover depth, and extraction height, may influence the behaviour of any one pillar. At this mine, yielding chain pillars result in de-stressing of the longwall entries and the transfer of potentially dangerous stress concentrations to adjacent panels. Pre-longwall-mining behaviour indicates the existence of a pressure arch, the width of which increases with depth. Results indicate that use of yield pillars improves stress control, reduces bump potential, and increases resource recovery.     

Pressure-Relief Mining of the Working Face Under the Coal Pillar in the Close Distance Coal Seams

Intensive strata behaviors are generated when the No. 8707 working face of the 8# coal seam in a coal mine is advanced by way of the pillars left over of the upper part of 7# close distance coal seam. The theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and filed measurement were utilized to obtain the rule of the stress change when the 8707 working face of the 8# coal seam passes the pillars left over of the 7# coal seam. Meanwhile, a pressure-relief mining (PRM) technology was put forward. According to the research results, when the 8707 working face in the 8# coal seam was advanced to the position that was 20 m in front of the pillar left over, the abutment pressure reached the maximum for 26 MPa and the stress concentration factor was 3.25, which was likely to give rise to the rock burst. With the advance of the working face, the abutment pressure was reduced slowly. As the 8707 working face advanced 15 m away the pillar left over, the transfixed shear failure region of 45° was found in the bedrocks of the upper and lower coal seams, which was readily to give rise to the shear rupture, leading to the rock burst. Based on the aforementioned research, this research carried out the PRM by applying the hydraulic fracturing technology on the coal roof and pillar, which can ensure the safety and efficient mining of working faces.     

基于GIS的边坡稳定性计算方法研究

结合GIS（地理信息系统）的空间分析能力和滑动面正应力分布假定模型,建立了基于栅格单元的三维边坡极限平衡模型,提出了基于GIS的边坡稳定性计算方法。该方法首先建立了基于栅格柱体单元的三维边坡稳定性分析模型,给出了模型参数在GIS中的空间表达式;其次,在极限平衡条件下,推导出滑体在GIS中的3个力平衡方程式和1个力矩平衡方程式,形成了用于求解三维安全系数的方程组;最后,基于摩尔-库仑强度准则,以及滑动面正应力分布的假定,求解三维安全系数。同时利用COM（组件对象模型）技术开发出一个基于GIS的三维边坡稳定性分析扩展模块,该模块可实现复杂的算法计算以及多种组合荷载下的稳定性计算,并通过算例验证了该模块的正确性和便利性。     

断层保护煤柱合理留设的数值模拟分析

考虑某典型煤矿特殊地质条件,采用ANSYS建立二维有限元模型,对于断层存在情况下煤柱的合理留设进行了数值模拟计算。分析了留设不同断层保护煤柱情况下开采对工作面前方煤柱及断层的影响,并对开采区顶板的支承压力进行了模拟,提出了断层保护煤柱的合理留设长度,为实际开采提供了可靠的科学依据。     

大采高综放面区段煤柱合理留设研究

侧向支承压力分布、资源回收率以及煤柱和巷道的稳定性是大采高综放面区段煤柱宽度留设要兼顾的因素,为了确定大采高综放面区段煤柱宽度,以某矿8103面为工程背景,首先,采用理论计算和现场应力监测等方法确定大采高综放工作面倾向支承压力分布规律,得出应力降低区宽度约为8 m,原岩应力区为巷帮侧28 m外。其次,采用工程类比方法确定大采高综放工作面巷帮外侧煤体严重破裂区宽度约为4 m。最后,采用FLAC3D数值软件分析了下区段工作面回采时窄煤柱（6、8 m）和宽煤柱（28、30 m）的应力场、位移场及塑性区特征,获得不同煤柱宽度时巷道和煤柱力学特征。研究表明：当煤柱宽度6 m和8 m时,在采动支承压力下煤柱几乎无承载能力,且巷道变形量较大;当煤柱宽度28 m和30 m时,在采动支承压力下煤柱中央仍有一定的弹性核,煤柱保持稳定且巷道变形量较小。综合考虑资源回收、巷道稳定性、次生灾害控制等因素,确定大采高综放工作面区段煤柱宽度为28 m。     

三维边坡最不利滑裂面的遗传算法搜索

将遗传算法引入到三维边坡稳定分析中。由于三维边坡滑裂面的复杂性,需对滑裂面作适当简化。认为滑裂面为椭球面,用7个控制参数来模拟生成滑裂面,再运用遗传算法来搜索滑坡的最不利的滑裂面。对于存在确定滑裂面的滑坡,7以将此滑裂面作为整体滑裂面,计算其整体稳定安全系数,然后在整体稳定的基础上,运用遗传算法搜索滑坡内部的最不利滑裂面,得出滑坡最小的稳定安全系数。     

Study on Progressive Instability Characteristics of Coal-Rock Composite Structure with the Different Height Ratios

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - To ensure the safety of coal mining, lots of coal pillars were reserved in the coal mine. The stability of coal pillar and roof composite structures...     

煤柱下底板偏应力区域特征及案例

选取某煤矿近距离煤层为工程背景,采用FLAC3D模拟了8#煤层残余煤柱底板偏应力场分布特征。结果表明：（1）底板的偏应力呈扩散状向底板传递,距离煤柱越远扩散范围越广,煤柱边缘偏应力呈45°向底板传播;（2）煤柱较窄时,中线和边缘处偏应力影响深度浅,随煤柱宽度增加,底板偏应力变化和影响深度较大,当煤柱宽度足够大时,影响深度又变浅,中部趋于原岩应力;（3）同一水平面上,偏应力呈马鞍状分布,随煤柱宽度增加,煤柱中线处和边缘处偏应力经历了先增大后减小的过程,煤柱边缘处偏应力峰值位置变化不大;（4）同一煤柱宽度,煤柱边缘偏应力峰值向深部递减且趋势减慢,同时,峰值远离煤柱且趋势加快。在自由边界受均布载荷、底板垂直应力、水平应力、切应力解析解的基础上,推导了底板偏应力解析公式,解析与模拟结果基本吻合。具体到该工程的地质条件,9205轨道巷距离煤柱边缘20 m、9205回风巷在煤柱边缘、9205运输巷在煤柱中线处,9205轨道巷维护效果最好,证明了内错式巷道且距离煤柱足够远时,偏应力较小,宏观应力环境更适合巷道围岩自稳。     

Buckling failures of reserved thin pillars under the combined action of in-plane and lateral hydrostatic compressive forces

The reasons that pillars with small width-to-height ratios fail remain unclear. This study established a mechanical model for the buckling failure of a thin pillar subjected to compressive forces to investigate the stability of reserved thin pillars (RTPs) on both sides of mining units during barrier pillar recovery. The critical buckling stress of the thin pillar was obtained using the energy variational method, and its relationship to the aspect ratio (length-to-width ratio) was investigated. The buckling instability of RTPs can be determined by comparing the RTP stress obtained from numerical simulations with the buckling stress derived from the mechanical model.