Management of the longwall face advance on the stress-strain state of rock mass

Abstract

Purpose is to study influence of a longwall face advance on the geomechanical situation in the neighbourhood of a mining site based upon determination of changes in standard and critical subsidence of the immediate roof rocks. Methods. To study a geomechanical situation in the neighbourhood of a mining site the authors have applied software product GeoDenamics Lite developed at Dnipro University of Technology. The software product relies upon a calculation procedure of stress-strain state of rocks by Professor O.V. Savostianov. Expediency of the software selection is based upon the supported control and adaptation of a coal mining technique to changes in geodynamic stress fields in the anisotropic rock-coal medium impacting temporal and spatial changes in the technological parameters. Findings. The basic problems have been singled out connected with certain changes in a longwall face advance. For the first time, an analytical scheme of tangential stresses within the immediate roof rocks has been developed for Lisova mine of SE Lvivvuhillia under the conditions of coal seam mining by means of the paired longwalls which makes it possible to determine both physical and geometrical parameters of standard loads within the formation. Originality. Dependencies of temporal and spatial changes in subsidences and horizontal displacements of rock layers of the immediate roof have been defined being 5.2 m for the upper rock pack and 3.9 m for the lower pack if the longwall longwall face advance is 1.9 up to 4.8 m/day. Both physical and geometrical parameters of the reference pressure have been defined as well as the parameters of lower sandstone pack in the process of the main roof subsidence. Impact of the extra pressure forces on the immediate roof rocks has been analyzed at the moment of critical lowerings of the immediate roof rocks. In this context, standard loading from the overlying formation in addition to tangential stresses in the roof result in rock failure due to vertical cracks above a longwall face. Practical implications. The engineering methods have been developed making it possible to identify impact parameters of a longwall face advance on the geomechanical situation in the neighbourhood of a mining site. In future, it will help forecast changes in the reference pressure around a longwall face while preventing emergency settlement of the powered support.