Controlled reconstruction and application research of lateral overlying strata structure in high-gas mines with thick-hard roofs for a fully-mechanized top-caving face

Abstract

Due to the large mining area, the fully-mechanized top-caving mining with thick-hard roof is easy to form cantilever structure on the lateral roof of the working face, which on the one hand causes high stress level of adjacent roadway and serious deformation of roadway, on the other hand causes gas accumulation in corners, which brings severe challenges to safe and efficient mining of the mine. In this study, a mine facing such problems in Jincheng, China was taken as the research object. Based on the mechanical characteristics of coal and rock, the characteristics of overlying strata activity in the mining process of working face are mastered, and the dual effects of controlled transformation of lateral overlying strata structure on stress field and gas field were revealed. On this basis, roadway reinforcement and gas drainage schemes were put forward and applied. The results showed that the strength of the hard rock stratum was high in the triaxial stress environment, and it was not easily destroyed. However, once the strata exceed their strength threshold, they break down. In addition, the strength of coal is relatively low, and it is continuously deformed when the force exceeds its strength. The overlying strata structure after thick-hard roof fully-mechanized top-caving mining evolves in the following manner: “long cantilever length formed by the main roof being broken in the initial stage, voussoir beam formed by the upper hard roof being broken in the middle stage, and double cantilever beam formed by overlying strata compaction.” The stress carried by upper hard rock stratum is transferred to coal pillars, which is the main reason for the high stress environment of multi-purpose roadway with large coal pillars. The controlled transformation of lateral overlying strata structure by pre-splitting and roof cutting can realize the "transfer-unloading" of coal pillar stress and the "plugging and driving" of corner gas. Based on the hydraulic fracturing reconstruction of lateral overburden structure, the grouting reinforcement scheme of roadway and dynamic gas drainage scheme were put forward. The results demonstrated that after roof cutting, the maximum deformation of the surrounding rock in the multi-purpose roadway was reduced by approximately 90 %, and the maximum concentration of corner gas was decreased by 15.28 %. This approach successfully achieved a collaborative control effect on roadway surrounding rock stability and gas emission well within the safety limits.