The influence of subsidence attributable to coal mining on the environment, development and restoration; some examples from Western Europe and South Africa

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. G. Bell ◽  
D. D. Genske
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mining ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Longwall Mining ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Potential Hazard ◽  
Existing Buildings ◽  
Working Face ◽  
Abandoned Coal Mines ◽  
Problems And Solutions ◽  
Total Extraction

Abstract Coal mining has been practised in some parts of the world, notably western Europe, for centuries and this type of mining has evolved over time as mines became deeper and larger. Today coal is worked primarily by room-and-pillar, and by longwall methods. One of the consequences of mining is subsidence, and it is associated with past and present mine workings. Indeed, old abandoned coal mines worked by the room-and-pillar method, which occur at shallow depth, often present a potential hazard as pillars collapse or voids migrate to the surface. Frequently, the situation is compounded by the fact that such workings are unrecorded. Subsidence prediction in such cases is impossible. In longwall mining, the total extraction of panels takes place, the working face being supported, while support is removed from behind the working face allowing the roof to collapse. Subsidence consequent on longwall mining can be regarded as more or less contemporaneous with mining and is normally predictable. This means that it is possible to develop an area after subsidence due to longwall mining has occurred or to incorporate features into the design of buildings and structures that will accommodate ground movements generated by subsidence. The nature of subsidence can be affected by discontinuities in the surface strata or the presence of superficial deposits. Of course, subsidence can adversely affect existing buildings and structures which do not incorporate special design features. In severe cases of subsidence damage, buildings may have to be demolished. Important buildings may be restored. Another problem associated with subsidence is flooding due to notable lowering of the ground surface. Examples of such problems and solutions are highlighted by the examples given.

Chapter 11 Coal mining subsidence in the UK

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 291-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurance Donnelly
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mining ◽  
Longwall Mining ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Mining Subsidence ◽  
Ground Movement ◽  
Working Face ◽  
Mine Roadway ◽  
Coal Mining Subsidence ◽  
The Uk

AbstractOne of the geohazards associated with coal mining is subsidence. Coal was originally extracted where it outcropped, then mining became progressively deeper via shallow workings including bell pits, which later developed into room-and-pillar workings. By the middle of the 1900s, coal was mined in larger open pits and underground by longwall mining methods. The mining of coal can often result in the subsidence of the ground surface. Generally, there are two main types of subsidence associated with coal mining. The first is the generation of crown holes caused by the collapse of mine entries and mine roadway intersections and the consolidation of shallow voids. The second is where longwall mining encourages the roof to fail to relieve the strains on the working face and this generates a subsidence trough. The ground movement migrates upwards and outwards from the seam being mined and ultimately causes the subsidence and deformation of the ground surface. Methods are available to predict mining subsidence so that existing or proposed structures and land developments may be safeguarded. Ground investigative methods and geotechnical engineering options are also available for sites that have been or may be adversely affected by coal mining subsidence.

scholarly journals Comparative analysis of the mine pressure at non-pillar longwall mining by roof cutting and traditional longwall mining

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 423-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Zhou ◽  
Yajun Wang ◽  
Guolong Zhu ◽  
Yubing Gao
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Distribution ◽  
Coal Mining ◽  
Longwall Mining ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Mine Pressure ◽  
Mining Method ◽  
Working Face ◽  
Distribution Features ◽  
Mining Pressure ◽  
The Stability

Abstract Non-pillar coal mining has been developed and implemented in the recent decades in China's coal mining industry. The non-pillar longwall mining by roof cutting without pre-excavated entry (N00 mining method) is one of the latest non-pillar mining methods and this method has the advantages of reduced roadway drivage ratio and increased resource recovery ratio. Previous studies show that the mining pressure during the working face advancing is one of the main factors that affect the stability of underground structures and the safety production. However, there is no evaluation or analysis of the mining pressure at the mining face using entry retaining with roof pre-cutting and an absence of pre-excavated tail entry. In this paper, both field monitoring and numerical simulation approaches are employed in the analysis of the mining pressure distribution characteristics within a range of the whole working face during the face advancing. The results are compared with the field data and simulation results from the traditional mining method performed in the same coal mine. Results supported the idea that the N00 mining method can generate a low-stress area for the retained entry. The stability of the working face and retained entry can be well maintained due to the mine pressure optimization. This paper can aid in the understanding of structural mechanic modeling and mine pressure distribution features, structural mechanic analysis and mine pressure distribution features of the N00 mining method.

scholarly journals Stress and deformation analysis of gob-side pre-backfill driving procedure of longwall mining: a case study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Wu ◽  
Penghui Zhang ◽  
Pinnaduwa H. S. W. Kulatilake ◽  
Hao Luo ◽  
Qingyuan He
Keyword(s):  
Rock Mass ◽  
Stress Distribution ◽  
Coal Seam ◽  
Abutment Pressure ◽  
Longwall Mining ◽  
Vertical Stress ◽  
Floor Level ◽  
Working Face ◽  
Floor Heave ◽  
Stress And Deformation

AbstractAt present, non-pillar entry protection in longwall mining is mainly achieved through either the gob-side entry retaining (GER) procedure or the gob-side entry driving (GED) procedure. The GER procedure leads to difficulties in maintaining the roadway in mining both the previous and current panels. A narrow coal pillar about 5–7 m must be left in the GED procedure; therefore, it causes permanent loss of some coal. The gob-side pre-backfill driving (GPD) procedure effectively removes the wasting of coal resources that exists in the GED procedure and finds an alternative way to handle the roadway maintenance problem that exists in the GER procedure. The FLAC3D software was used to numerically investigate the stress and deformation distributions and failure of the rock mass surrounding the previous and current panel roadways during each stage of the GPD procedure which requires "twice excavation and mining". The results show that the stress distribution is slightly asymmetric around the previous panel roadway after the “primary excavation”. The stronger and stiffer backfill compared to the coal turned out to be the main bearing body of the previous panel roadway during the "primary mining". The highest vertical stresses of 32.6 and 23.1 MPa, compared to the in-situ stress of 10.5 MPa, appeared in the backfill wall and coal seam, respectively. After the "primary mining", the peak vertical stress under the coal seam at the floor level was slightly higher (18.1 MPa) than that under the backfill (17.8 MPa). After the "secondary excavation", the peak vertical stress under the coal seam at the floor level was slightly lower (18.7 MPa) than that under the backfill (19.8 MPa); the maximum floor heave and maximum roof sag of the current panel roadway were 252.9 and 322.1 mm, respectively. During the "secondary mining", the stress distribution in the rock mass surrounding the current panel roadway was mainly affected by the superposition of the front abutment pressure from the current panel and the side abutment pressure from the previous panel. The floor heave of the current panel roadway reached a maximum of 321.8 mm at 5 m ahead of the working face; the roof sag increased to 828.4 mm at the working face. The peak abutment pressure appeared alternately in the backfill and the coal seam during the whole procedure of "twice excavation and mining" of the GPD procedure. The backfill provided strong bearing capacity during all stages of the GPD procedure and exhibited reliable support for the roadway. The results provide scientific insight for engineering practice of the GPD procedure.

scholarly journals A Practical Nonprobabilistic Reliability Assessment Method on Key Strata Shear Failure in Longwall Mining

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hebing Luan ◽  
Jiachen Wang ◽  
Guowei Ma ◽  
Ke Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Structural Reliability ◽  
Shear Failure ◽  
Longwall Mining ◽  
Reliability Assessment ◽  
Friction Angle ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Mechanical Tests ◽  
Potential Hazard ◽  
Support Design ◽  
Key Strata

Roof cutting has long been a potential hazard factor in longwall panels in some diggings in China. Meanwhile, the key strata structural reliability, which provides an assessment on the stability of overlying roof strata, may be a significant reference for support design in underground coal mines. This paper aims to investigate a practical nonprobabilistic reliability assessment method on key strata. The mechanical tests and the hollow inclusion triaxial strain tests were conducted to measure relevant mechanical parameters and in situ stress. Furthermore, against the typical failure features in Datong Diggings, China, a shear failure mechanical model of key strata is proposed. Then, an allowable-safety-factor based nonprobabilistic stability probability assessment method is given. The sensitivity of geometrical dimensions and uncertainty levels of friction angle and cohesion are further studied. It is found that thickness and span of key strata have more dominative effect on key strata’s stability compared with the other factor and the increase of uncertainty levels results in decrease of stability probability.

The Adaptation Analysis of the Fully Mechanized Coal Mining Face of Huopu Mine’s Third Soft Coal Seam

2014 ◽  
Vol 1049-1050 ◽  
pp. 335-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fa Quan Liu ◽  
Xue Wen Geng ◽  
Yong Che ◽  
Xiang Cui
Keyword(s):  
Coal Seam ◽  
Coal Mining ◽  
Geological Condition ◽  
Soft Coal ◽  
Working Face ◽  
Mining Face ◽  
Soft Coal Seam ◽  
Working Resistance

To get the maximum coal in front of the working face of the 17# coal seam, we installed a longer beam which is 1.2m in length in the leading end of the original working face supports ZF3000/17/28, and know that working face supports’ setting load and working resistance are lower .We changed the original supports with shield supports ZY3800/15/33 that are adaptable in the geological condition and got the favorable affection.

3D Visual Technology of Geo-Deformation Disasters Induced by Mining Subsidence Based on ArcGIS Engine

2012 ◽  
Vol 500 ◽  
pp. 428-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ke Ming Yang ◽  
Jun Ting Ma ◽  
Bo Pang ◽  
Yi Bin Wang ◽  
Ran Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mining ◽  
Surface Deformation ◽  
Ground Deformation ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Horizontal Displacement ◽  
Mining Subsidence ◽  
Underground Coal Mining ◽  
Vertical Movements ◽  
Probability Integral Method ◽  
Arcgis Engine

Mining subsidence often produces significant horizontal and vertical movements at the ground surface, the surface deformation induced by underground coal mining can be predicted by probability integral method, and the surface geo-deformation disasters can be visualized based on GIS components. A three dimensional (3D) visualizing system of surface geo-deformation information is designed and developed with ArcGIS Engine and C# in the study. According to the surface deformation-predicted data induced by underground coal mining in Guobei Coalmine of Huaibei mine field, the extents and degrees of ground deformation disasters are visualized in 3D views for surface vertical subsidence, slope, curvature, horizontal displacement and horizontal strain based on the GIS-developed application platform.

scholarly journals A Mechanical Model of the Overlying Rock Masses in Undersea Coal Mining and a Stress-Seepage Coupling Numerical Simulation

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Fang ◽  
Lei Tian ◽  
Yanyan Cai ◽  
Zhiguo Cao ◽  
Jinhao Wen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Coal Seam ◽  
Coal Mining ◽  
Water Inrush ◽  
Mining Area ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Fractured Zones ◽  
Working Face ◽  
Seam Mining ◽  
Overlying Strata

The water inrush of a working face is the main hidden danger to the safe mining of underwater coal seams. It is known that the development of water-flowing fractured zones in overlying strata is the basic path which causes water inrushes in working faces. In the engineering background of the underwater mining in the Longkou Mining Area, the analysis model and judgment method of crack propagation were created on the basis of the Mohr–Coulomb criterion. Fish language was used to couple the extension model into the FLAC3d software, in order to simulate the mining process of the underwater coal seam, as well as to analyze the initiation evolutionary characteristics and seepage laws of the fractured zones in the overlying strata during the advancing processes of the working face. The results showed that, during the coal seam mining process, the mining fractured zones which had been caused by the compression-shear and tension-shear were mainly concentrated in the overlying strata of the working face. Also, the open-off cut and mining working face were the key sections of the water inrush in the rock mass. The condition of the water disaster was the formation of a water inrush channel. The possible water inrush channels in underwater coal mining are mainly composed of water-flowing fractured zones which are formed during the excavation processes. The numerical simulation results were validated through the practical engineering of field observations on the height of water-flowing fractured zone, which displayed a favorable adaptability.

scholarly journals Study on the Fracture Law of Inclined Hard Roof and Surrounding Rock Control of Mining Roadway in Longwall Mining Face

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 5344
Author(s):  
Feng Cui ◽  
Shuai Dong ◽  
Xingping Lai ◽  
Jianqiang Chen ◽  
Chong Jia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Release ◽  
Longwall Mining ◽  
Coal Pillar ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Mechanical Analysis ◽  
Engineering Practice ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Hard Roof ◽  
Working Face ◽  
The Stability

In the inclination direction, the fracture law of a longwall face roof is very important for roadway control. Based on the W1123 working face mining of Kuangou coal mine, the roof structure, stress and energy characteristics of W1123 were studied by using mechanical analysis, model testing and engineering practice. The results show that when the width of W1123 is less than 162 m, the roof forms a rock beam structure in the inclined direction, the floor pressure is lower, the energy and frequency of microseismic (MS) events are at a low level, and the stability of the section coal pillar is better. When the width of W1123 increases to 172 m, the roof breaks along the inclined direction, forming a double-hinged structure, the floor pressure is increased, and the frequency and energy of MS events also increases. The roof gathers elastic energy release, and combined with the MS energy release speed it can be considered that the stability of the section coal pillar is better. As the width of W1123 increases to 184 m, the roof in the inclined direction breaks again, forming a multi-hinged stress arch structure, and the floor pressure increases again. MS high-energy events occur frequently, and are not conducive to the stability of the section coal pillar. Finally, through engineering practice we verified the stability of the section coal pillar when the width of W1123 was 172 m, which provides a basis for determining the width of the working face and section coal pillar under similar conditions.

scholarly journals Calculation of Residual Surface Subsidence Above Abandoned Longwall Coal Mining

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ximin Cui ◽  
Yuling Zhao ◽  
Guorui Wang ◽  
Bing Zhang ◽  
Chunyi Li
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mining ◽  
Longwall Mining ◽  
Land Reclamation ◽  
Surface Subsidence ◽  
Mining Subsidence ◽  
First Year ◽  
Longwall Coal Mining ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Ecological Reconstruction

Exhausted or abandoned underground longwall mining may lead to long-term residual subsidence on surface land, which can cause some problems when the mined-out land is used for construction, land reclamation and ecological reconstruction. Thus, it is important to assess the stability and suitability of the land with a consideration of residual surface subsidence. Assuming a linear monotonic decrease in the annual residual surface subsidence, the limit of the sum of the annual residual subsidence factor, and continuity between surface subsidence in the last year of the weakening period and the residual surface subsidence in the first year, we establish a model to calculate the duration of residual subsidence and the annual residual surface subsidence factor caused by abandoned longwall coal mining. The duration of residual surface subsidence increases with the increase in mining thickness as well as the factor of extreme residual subsidence. The proposed method can quantitatively calculate the annual residual subsidence, the accumulative residual subsidence, and the potential future accumulative residual subsidence. This approach can be used to reasonably evaluate the stability and suitability of old mining subsidence areas and will be beneficial for the design of mining subsidence land reclamation and ecological reconstruction.

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