Compaction and seepage properties of crushed limestone particle mixture: an experimental investigation for Ordovician karst collapse pillar groundwater inrush

Abstract

As mining activity rapidly develops to deeper and deeper ground, there have been an increasing number of groundwater inrush events occurring in China. The Ordovician limestone karst collapse pillar (KCP), which contains a lot of crushed rocks, usually functions as a channel for groundwater inrush. The factors, such as the geological conditions, groundwater flow and extraction percentage of coal seam in underground mines, are the main causes of recompaction and permeability change of crushed rock particles in KCP. The high permeability of rock will cause large volumes of groundwater flow, thus posing a great threat of loss of lives in the mines. It is important to take into account the compaction and seepage behaviors of the crushed rocks in Ordovician limestone KCP. The MTS815.02 system and a self-designed water flow apparatus were used to investigate the effect of particle size distribution on compaction and seepage behavior of crushed limestone particle mixture. The Reynolds number calculation of particle mixture shows that the seepage has been influenced by non-Darcy flow. Testing results indicate that the effective porosity of crushed limestone sample is strongly influenced by compaction and particle size distribution. The effective porosity decreases with the increase in compaction and decrease in larger particle size, respectively. Particle crushing during compaction is a main cause of size 0–2.5 mm materials, whereas some fine particles are washed away due to the effect of water seepage, which is a main cause of weight loss. Non-Darcy seepage properties of the crushed limestone are strongly influenced by compaction and particle size distribution. In general, during the compaction, the permeability decreases while the non-Darcy coefficient increases with the decreasing of effective porosity. The effective porosity, particle crushing and seepage properties of crushed limestone are not only related to compaction levels and mixture sizes but also to style of arrangement and initial pore structure.