Predictive models for pot-hole depth in underground coal mining—some Indian experiences

Ground subsidence induced by extraction of coal seam belowground brings about changes in territorial environment. This occurs in two forms, namely, trough and pot-hole subsidence. Pot-hole subsidence is extremely hazardous as it does not give any prior indication before its occurrence. Several pot-holes have occurred in the recent past in the coal mines of South Eastern Coalfields Limited and called for a specific study to develop an in-depth understanding of various parameters influencing the pot-hole occurrence for formulating the basis of different predictive models. These critical parameters have been compiled and analysed for seven mines located in different areas of SECL, a subsidiary of Coal India Limited. Multiple regression and artificial neural network (ANN) techniques were used for the preparation of the predictive models to calculate pot-hole depth under different conditions. Different conditions considered in the study are development and depillaring, presence and absence of faults and water bodies. This paper presents the results of the studies carried out in Indian mines representing different geo-mining conditions along with the pot-hole depth prediction models developed. The developed models were validated for a few new cases with the model results matching (within 10 % error in the case of ANN model) with the actual pot-hole depth measured. More varied data sets can fine tune the developed models further.     

Pot-hole subsidence in Son-Mahanadi Master Coal Basin

Pot-hole subsidence is an abrupt depression of local ground surface, which occurs due to sudden collapse of the overburden into an underground void. Pot-hole subsidence is a common form of subsidence in Jamuna and Kotma, Hasdeo and Bisrampur areas of Son-Mahanadi Master Coal Basin. Data of 34 cases of pot-hole subsidence were collected from the above areas and analysed from stand point of their causative factors, prediction, mechanism, and suggested mitigative measures. Analysis of these cases revealed that shallow depth, geological discontinuities, weak and saturated overburden are the main causative factors for the pot-holing phenomenon. Movement of eroded materials from saturated and weathered overburden with water along a fault plane into the underground bord and pillar development led to the formation of a pot-hole. Risk of pot-hole subsidence is high when the pot-hole potential ratings of causative factors are between 80 and 100. Suggested mitigative measures of pot-hole subsidence in bord and pillar development as well as unapproachable depillared workings include maintaining a minimum of 15 m un-weathered hard cover, controlled width and height of drivages, installation of suitable support system, back-filling, grouting of underground voids, etc.     

Sinkhole subsidence due to mining

This paper reviews the modes of formation of sinkhole subsidence associated with mining activities, drawing on examples in India. Sinkhole (pot-hole) subsidence is an abrupt local depression at the surface which can be hazardous to life and property due to its tendency to occur without warning. Shallow extraction, weak overburden and geological discontinuities are the main factors which cause them. Sinkholes occur due to the failure of a mine roof which migrates through the overlying strata until the failure zone intercepts the unconsolidated overburden. Alternatively they may occur by the creation of cavities in the overburden following the inflow of sand and soil from the overlying weathered and friable strata through faults. Overburden cavities eventually cave in and sinkholes appear at the surface. Sinkholing phenomena can be controlled to some extent by proper design of mining supports and construction of walls to create a barrier around an area prone to sinkholes in bord and pillar workings. Backfilling and grouting can be used to stabilize abandoned underground workings.     

基于InSAR三维分解技术的贵州省贞丰某煤矿地下采空区反演

贵州是我国主要煤炭产地之一, 成本与地方条件的限制使贵州贞丰县山区出现大量的非法小煤窑, 其大多开采一年、半年便废弃煤矿, 调查其地下开采范围对矿区生态修复、土地资源再利用、煤矿越界开采监测等有一定意义。本文利用升、降轨观测共16期3 m空间分辨率的L波段PALSAR-2影像为数据源, 在贵州省贞丰县采用InSAR技术对煤矿采空区开展了短期动态地表沉降监测, 结合研究区地质条件、地下开采条件、开采时间、范围等信息, 计算了该地区煤矿开采沉陷影响角的规律与变形时间滞后关系; 而后利用上述参数及地表变形信息, 在其附近一处废弃煤矿, 对其地下采空范围及开采时间进行反演:(1)研究区煤炭开采走向影响角为83°、上山影响角75°、下山影响角80°, 地表变形时间与地下开采时间差约1个月; (2)计算反演出研究区废弃煤矿地下开采范围为380 m×150 m; (3)在反演煤矿采区, 对比FLAC3D数值模拟计算结果和野外现场调查, 验证了InSAR计算结果基本准确, 验证了此方法对煤矿采区反演的合理性与可靠性。     

厚覆盖层矿山地下开采地表塌陷机制分析

随着矿山开采深度的不断增加,厚覆盖层成为部分深部地下矿山的主要特点。以物探调查、变形监测以及理论分析为手段,对某典型厚覆盖层金属矿山地下开采初期地表塌陷的成因与机制进行了分析。结果表明,厚覆盖层中存在的大面积采空区为地表塌陷变形提供了空间,采空区顶板厚度较小为地面塌陷的发展提供了条件,采空区的存在是地表塌陷的主要原因。地表出现塌陷以后,塌陷范围以塌坑为中心继续向外扩展,受覆盖层内采空区走向,断层和岩层分界面等地质缺陷影响,塌坑向西、向南与向北三个方向上的扩展较向东快得多。降雨会增大塌坑向外扩展的速度,因为地表水的下渗加快了塌坑周围岩土体向塌坑方向的移动和下沉。     

Validation of RMR-based support design using roof bolts by numerical modeling for underground coal mine of Monnet Ispat, Raigarh, India—a case study

In underground coal mines, a lot of major fatalities have occurred due to roof fall in the newly developed faces or galleries of coal mines during the development or production of coal. There are around 500 underground coalmines in India, and continuous production or development or exploitation of coal depends upon the stability of the gateways developed in the form of galleries, which are supported in such a manner so that they can last up to that period, unless it has been finally extracted out with an operation called depillaring. A system of support design with roof bolting, resin bolting, and cable bolting for the aforesaid galleries is presently being decided on the basis of rock mass rating (RMR). The same support design has been attempted with the use of 3D numerical modeling technique—a tool nowadays very extensively used in geotechnical engineering to predict the stability of structures to be built or for the structures which are built against nature, i.e., underground mines. In this study, the support design system on the basis of RMR has also been validated with a numerical modeling technique for three locations of Monnet Ispat underground coalmine. After the study, it has been found that the numerical modeling technique can give better design of support system in underground coal mines in comparison with RMR-based support design system, and it will also play a major role in reducing the total cost incurred in coal exploitation from the underground coal mines.     

基于InSAR技术的缓倾煤层开采诱发顺层岩体地表变形模式研究

贵州贞丰县某煤矿开采煤层以向斜缓倾的三叠系上统火把冲组（T3h）为主,与贵州省大部分煤矿开采的背斜反倾煤层不同,其采矿活动诱发的地面沉降和滑坡风险亦表现出不同的变形破坏模式(背斜反倾煤层易诱发倾倒崩塌、顺层缓倾煤层易诱发地面塌陷与滑坡)。论文利用升、降轨观测的共15期3 m空间分辨率L波段PALSAR -2 SAR为数据源,开展了多期地表变形D -InSAR测量,确定出变形发生的位置、范围与滞后时间。经实地调查验证,InSAR解算结果较好地吻合了矿区开采范围和地表破坏情况,证实了InSAR在煤矿区识别时序性地表形变的准确性。进而分解计算了地表三维变形,并通过与地下开采范围和过程的相关性分析,深化了对该地区缓倾煤层地下开采诱发的顺层滑坡变形模式的认识:（1）InSAR可以识别计算出采矿区地表变形的范围与沉降量,矿区变形在干涉影像中表现为以采空区地表为中心向四周扩散的圆环状变形条纹;（2）地表变形区域覆盖地下采空区上方及附近地表区域,根据地表变形情况与地下采空区范围计算出该地区上山边界角约70°、下山边界角约58°;（3）地下采空与地表沉降变形存在约30 d的时间滞后;（4）顺层地下采空引发的地表水平移动方向受地层产状、地表坡向共同作用,水平向为沿层面的顺层滑移与向沉降中心汇聚的合成运动结果;（5）沿层面的顺层滑移与地表坡度因素叠加造成采空区地表上山侧岩石受拉产生拉裂缝,下山侧则易产生塌陷坑及裂缝。     

复杂地质条件下矿山地下开采地表变形规律的研究

地质条件是矿山开采岩层移动的基础,复杂的地质条件常使得地表移动角、沉陷角预测不准,导致灾难性后果。以典型复杂地质矿山程潮铁矿东区为例,以多年地表变形监测结果为依据,对在其特殊地质条件下地表变形和岩层移动的机制进行了分析研究。结果表明,地下采矿是矿区岩体破坏的直接诱因,地下水产生的静水压力和动水压力强化了岩体的变形与破坏;矿区岩体中断层、节理等特殊地质结构是岩体破坏的基础;构造应力场的存在是围岩向采空区产生较大移动变形的主要影响因素;在采矿之初,地表塌陷主要是由地下水疏干引起的;地表大规模塌陷形成以后,地下采空区的扩大是引起地表塌陷的主要原因,但矿区特殊的地质条件对地表塌陷范围的扩展速度有重要影响。     

Sensitivity analysis for the GIS-based mapping of the ground subsidence hazard near abandoned underground coal mines

Ground subsidence around abandoned underground coal mines can cause much loss of life and property. We analyze factors that can affect ground subsidence around abandoned mines in Jeongahm in Kangwon-do by sensitivity analysis in geographic information system (GIS). Spatial data for the subsidence area, topography and geology and various ground engineering data were collected and used to make a factor raster database for a ground subsidence hazard map. To determine the importance of extracted subsidence-related factors, frequency ratio model and sensitivity analysis were employed. Sensitivity analysis is a method for comparing the combined effects of all factors except one. Sensitivity analysis and its verification showed that using all factors provided 91.61% accuracy. The best accuracy was achieved by not considering the groundwater depth (92.77%) and the worst by not considering the lineament (85.42%). The results show that the distance from the lineament and the distance from the drift highly affected the occurrence of ground subsidence, and the groundwater depth, land use and rock mass rating had the least effects. Thus, we determined causes of ground subsidence in the study area and this information could help in the prediction of ground subsidence in other areas.     

地下水位下降对采矿覆岩下沉影响探析

地下采煤会导致地表下沉盆地的形成。然而地下水尤其是承压水的流失即水位降低对地表下沉盆地的形成存在不可忽视的影响，而对两者之间的关系及其过程的力学机理是岩移领域亟待研究的课题之一。矿区地下水位降低的主要原因为承压水通过采动裂隙向下渗流、煤层开采前顶板岩溶含水岩层的疏干以及地面人为钻井取水。根据对一具体矿区地下水位下降对地表沉陷影响实测数据的分析得出，在以采煤为主导条件导致地表下沉的过程中，几乎全部的开采沉陷量中均包含有由于含水层释水而造成的沉陷量。通过对上覆岩层力学机理分析，指出水位降低对覆岩移动、地表下沉的影响是由于一定地质条件下可渗水性岩石的物理力学特性、渗水对其它岩石的软化、释水后原冲积层的压密固结以及水渗透过程中的水岩耦合作用等因素综合作用所致。同时，在以上理论的基础上还探讨性地建立了地下水位下降对地表下沉贡献模型，在此模型基础上可以建立2个或2个以上影响因素对地表下沉的贡献模型。最后以框图形式概括了地下水位下降及其对地表下沉影响的综合过程。     

Research and application of roadway backfill coal mining technology in western coal mining area

In China’s western coal mining area, the traditional room mining technology is facing coal pillar instability, mine earthquake, large-area roof subsidence in the goaf, surface subsidence, water and soil loss, vegetation deterioration, and other environmental problems. To solve the aforementioned problems and to improve coal recovery, the roadway backfill coal mining (RBCM) method was proposed as a solution and its technical principle and key equipment were presented in this paper. In addition, the microstructure and mechanical behavior (strain-stress relation in confined compressive test) of aeolian sand and loess backfill materials were studied for a rational backfill design for underground mines. Further, coal pillar stress, plastic zone change, and surface deformation of the RBCM schemes were studied using the FLAC^3D numerical simulation software, and a reasonable mining scheme of “mining 7 m and leaving 3 m” was determined. The engineering application in Changxing Coal Mine shows that the RBCM method with loess and aeolian sand as backfill materials allows a stable recovery of coal pillars with a recovery ratio of more than 70 %. The maximum accumulated surface subsidence and the maximum horizontal deformation were measured to be 15 mm and 0.8 mm/m respectively, indicating that the targeted backfilling effect can help protect the environment and also control surface subsidence.     

地下采矿引起的地表下沉的动态过程模型

分析了由地下采矿引起地表下沉的动态过程的Knothe时间函数模型的不足,在原Knothe时间函数中增加了一个以常数k为参数的幂指数,增加参数后的时间函数模型经理论分析符合地表点下沉的动态过程、速度变化过程和加速度变化过程;改进后的时间函数模型中参数c决定地表点下沉过程时间的长短,参数k决定地表点在时间轴上的下沉路径及达到最大速度所需的时间;用改进后的时间函数模型对某矿沉陷盆地倾向主断面上下沉量最大点的下沉过程的观测资料进行了拟合,即用经验方法确定参数c后,再用最小二乘法确定参数k。研究结果表明,该模型可较准确地拟合实测曲线。用改进后的时间函数模型结合沉陷盆地主断面的剖面函数模型,建立了主断面地表下沉曲线变化的动态过程模型,该模型可求出沉陷主断面或沉陷盆地某一点在某一时刻的下沉量、下沉速度和加速度。     

河北省沙河市北掌勘探区地质灾害预评价

通过对北掌勘探区地质构造、水文地质条件、各煤层赋存情况及钻孔取样试验成果的分析研究,评价了本区在将来开采过程中出现地面塌陷与地裂缝、矿区荒漠化、地下工程地质灾害、瓦斯爆炸与煤层自然和矿井突水等主要地质灾害类型的可能性,以及对人们正常生产生活和矿井安全生产等环境方面的影响,并提出了预防和减轻各类地质灾害的措施建议。     

利用光学卫星遥感数据监测抚顺地区煤矿开采引起的地貌变化

抚顺市是中国重要的采煤城市之一,100多年的煤矿开采已经使抚顺地区的地貌特征发生了重大变化。由于长期的露天开采,抚顺西露天矿形成了一个海拔约为-300m的深坑;煤矿的地下开采造成了大面积的地表沉陷;与此同时,煤矸石的露天堆积形成了3个排土场。本研究利用多时相的美国Landsat MSS（Multispectral Scanner）,TM（Thematic Mapper）,ETM⁺（Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus）,以及日本ASTER（Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer）卫星遥感数据分析过去近30年来抚顺地区煤矿开采所引起的地貌变化。多时相卫星遥感图像的对比分析显示,由于地面沉陷引起的地表积水面积在近5年（2001～2006年）内出现明显增大的趋势,增加了1.73km。同期的ASTER DEM数据对比分析还发现,西露天矿的开采深度在不断增加,最大增加量为55m,与此同时出现的新增排土场造成地面高程增加量最大为25m。这一研究表明利用遥感技术可以定量监测人类矿产开发活动所引起的地貌特征变化及其过程。     

可描述地表沉陷动态过程的时间函数模型探讨

分析了地下采矿引起的地表沉陷的w-t曲线为一近似的“S”型曲线。地表点沉陷的物理过程是一个先加速后减速的过程,且速度曲线的起点和终点的数值为0。因此,能描述地表点沉陷动态过程的时间函数模型不但能较好地拟合沉陷的w-t曲线,而且由此函数模型求出的v-t曲线和a-t曲线也要符合地表沉陷随时间变化的物理过程。通过分析目前常用的预测地基或路基沉降的时间函数模型如指数时间函数模型、双曲线时间函数模型、Gompertz时间函数模型、logistic曲线时间函数模型和Weibull曲线时间函数模型的w-t、v-t和a-t曲线,得出,只有Weibull曲线时间函数模型能完整地描述地表沉陷的动态过程,并且用2个煤矿地表的沉陷观测实例进行了验证。     

基于弹性薄板理论的煤矿采空区地表沉陷预测

采煤沉陷已成为煤矿区危害范围最广、影响程度最大、延续时间最长的一种工程地质灾害,在对赵各庄煤矿矿山地质环境调查的基础上,分析采空沉陷区地质灾害发育及成因特征,基于弹性薄板理论的规划开采区域采空区地表沉陷预计,可初步预计采空区地表沉陷特征并对其引发地质灾害进行预测。     

山西省煤矿采空地下空间评估与再利用研究

山西省煤炭资源丰富,年煤炭产量占全国产量的近1/4,煤炭资源开采形成大量的采空地下空间。随着碳中和目标的提出和山西风电、光伏发电的大力发展,如何合理利用煤矿采空地下空间,尤其是将地下空间与新能源结合将成为煤炭产业低碳发展的关键。本次研究运用比例系数法和采空地下空间守恒定律,测算出2022年山西省开采煤矿井巷可利用空间为1.54亿m3,“十五”到“十三五”期间关闭/退出煤矿的井巷可利用空间为1.05亿m3,估算1949至2021年山西省煤矿因工作面开采形成的采空地下空间约38.98亿m3,预测到2030年山西省煤矿工作面开采还可形成采空地下空间约19.56亿m3。根据山西省能源低碳发展需求提出了山西省煤矿采空地下空间未来可利用的四种模式：煤矿地下旅游或地下仓储、煤矿地下抽水蓄能、煤矿地下压缩空气储能和煤矿地下封存二氧化碳等。     

开采引起的含水层失水对地表下沉的影响

为了改善矿区开采沉陷预计精度,解释华东矿区地表下沉系数大于1的原因,减小采动损害,本文基于现场钻孔水位动态观测结果,获得了覆岩破坏与含水层水位变化的3种对应关系。根据含水层失水后固相颗粒有效应力增加引起岩土体孔隙比的变化,建立了含水层失水固结沉降机理,利用叠加原理,导出了地下开采与含水层失水共同引起的地面沉降计算方法。研究实例表明,失水下沉占煤层开采下沉的25%。      

山东省平邑左庄石膏矿区非采空致塌机理与治理方法

平邑左庄石膏矿区曾发生过3次地面塌陷,但井下实地调查发现,该矿区地面塌陷并非地下采空塌陷波及地表后而引发的地面塌陷。根据矿区地质环境条件、采矿方法及井巷工程布置等因素,分析认为地面塌陷原因是矿山布置的第一开采中段未预留出足够的顶柱厚度,致使井下回采时揭穿矿房顶柱接触到上覆第四纪松散盖层,第四纪孔隙水携带泥砂泄入矿坑发生潜蚀作用,在矿房顶柱与第四纪松散盖层之间形成“天窗式”砂漏,第四纪松散盖层中逐渐形成土洞,土洞扩大并塌陷后引发地面塌陷。     

Grout injection into bed separation to control surface subsidence during longwall mining under villages: case study of Liudian coal mine,China

Surface subsidence can cause many environmental problems and hazards (including loss of land area and damage to buildings), and such hazards are particularly serious in coal mining districts. Injecting grout into the bed separation in the overburden has been proposed as an effective control measure against surface subsidence during longwall mining. However, no field trials of this technique have been implemented in mines under villages in China, and thus, its ability to control subsidence in such areas has yet to be demonstrated. In this study, field trials using this technique were carried out during longwall mining under villages in the Liudian coal mine, China. The maximum surface subsidence observed after the extraction was only 0.298 m, which accounts for 10 % of the mining height and is 79 % less than the predicted subsidence. Moreover, no damage occurred to the village buildings either during or after extraction and these buildings remain stable. Thus, this study represents the first successful attempt to control surface subsidence under villages in China using grout injection during longwall mining.