Influence Analysis of Mining’s Effect on Failure Characteristics of a Coal Seam Floor with Faults: A Numerical Simulation Case Study in the Zhaolou Coal Mine

Abstract

A fluid–solid coupled numerical simulation was carried out for the Zhaolou coal mine using Flac3D software. The results showed that: (1) when the failure depth of the floor exceeded the extension depth of the floor rock mass and the hydrostatic seepage pressure of the fractured structure surface exceeded the stress state of the fractured element, floor water inrush will occur. (2) With other factors being equal, if the footwall is mined first, the pore pressure concentration near the fault is more obvious, and the floor-confined water is lifted 10–25 m higher than when the hanging-wall is mined first. Mining the floor adversely affects its plastic zone, and the failure depth is ≈ 10 m greater than when the hanging wall is mined first. (3) When advancing against the fault dip, the pore pressure concentration near the fault is more obvious, and the floor confined water is lifted 5–20 m higher than when the mine advances along the fault dip. Again, mining the floor first disrupts the floor plastic zone, and the failure depth is approximately 5 m greater than when the mine is advanced along the fault dip. (4) The risk of floor-water inrush is minimized when the hanging-wall is mined first and the mine advances along the fault dip; the risk is greatest when the footwall is mined first and is advanced against the fault dip. These results provide a theoretical basis for preventing mine water inrush.