Abstract
While surface movement regularities have been sufficiently understood in the mining practices of eastern China, the case seems to be very different in western China where the super-thick and weak cementation (STWC) overburden exists. To better understand such knowledge, we compared geomining conditions and surface subsidence data for 16 coal mines and developed a carefully calibrated numerical model, with primary concern the relationship between subsidence rate and mining scale. We find that mining under the STWC overburden is characterized by the extremely small subsidence rate compared to the deep mining cases in eastern China, and the unusual subsidence phenomenon should be regional rather than an isolated case. We also find that the critical subsidence basin can be formed only when the goaf length and width both reach about 3.3 h (h is the average mining depth), which is far beyond the conventional understanding. We suggest that the large-scale mining under the STWC overburden carries enormous risks, which require great attention. The reported data, findings, and suggestions in this paper should be quite useful for coal mines with similar geomining conditions, and are also important for ecological protection and sustainable development of western China.
Highlights
Accepted: 4 February 2022Underground coal mining induces strata movement and in turn causes ground surface subsidence or cracking [1]
Such knowledge has been sufficiently understood in the mining practices of eastern China, the case seems to be completely different in western China, where exists the so-called super-thick and weak cementation (STWC) [4,5] rock strata
Recall that the objective of this paper is to study the surface movement regularities under the super-thick and weak cementation (STWC) overburden with the primary concern on the subsidence rate
Summary
Underground coal mining induces strata movement and in turn causes ground surface subsidence or cracking [1]. The regularities behind surface movement are the keys to evaluating ground damage and are the basis of engineering design. Such knowledge has been sufficiently understood in the mining practices of eastern China, the case seems to be completely different in western China, where exists the so-called super-thick and weak cementation (STWC) [4,5] rock strata. As China’s major coal producing areas are moving westward, the study on the surface movement regularity of the STWC overburden, as will be presented in this paper, is necessary and important. To guide engineering practice and as a summary of knowledge, the Published: 6 February 2022
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