Rockburst Mechanism Research Articles

Study on hydraulic fracturing prevention and control of rock burst in roof of deep extra-thick coal seam roadway group

Rock bursts in roadway groups of deep mining workfaces are more likely to occur due to concentrated static loads, posing significant threats to mining safety and efficiency. In this study, the coal mine roadway groups in western China are taken as an engineering case to investigate the occurrence mechanism of rock bursts in deep mining workfaces caused by concentrated static loads. A novel prevention and control method based on hydraulic fracturing is proposed, and a sensitivity analysis is conducted on key parameters, including in-situ stress, roof firmness coefficient, flow increment, and borehole spacing, to assess their influence on the hydraulic fracturing effect. The results reveal that the failure energy and peak stress of coal pillars within the roadway group gradually increase due to the continuous pressure exerted by the overlying roof, eventually reaching the conditions necessary to trigger rock bursts. The application of a super-long horizontal staged hydraulic fracturing technology transforms the thick, hard roof into a plastic cushion, which absorbs energy and weakens the stress transfer from the overlying roof. This process effectively reduces the stress concentration in the coal pillars. Furthermore, the hydraulic fracturing effect improves with increasing in-situ stress difference and decreasing borehole spacing, while the effect of flow increment is relatively limited. The study also highlights that higher roof firmness coefficients hinder the effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing, as greater water pressure is required for fracture propagation. Field application of the hydraulic fracturing technique, with parameters including an in-situ stress difference (λ), rock strata firmness coefficient, flow rate of 50 m3/day, borehole spacing of 60 m, and a borehole horizontal level of 40–50 m above the roadway, led to a significant reduction in microseismic events and ground audio frequency, demonstrating a remarkable anti-impact effect on-site. This research provides a theoretical framework and practical insights for the prevention and mitigation of concentrated static load-induced rock bursts in similar mining roadway groups.

Research on Occurrence Law and the Prevention of Rockbursts in Main Roadways Affected by Mining Activities: Two Case Studies from Gaojiapu and Cuimu Coal Mines, Shaanxi, China

Rockburst, one of the leading types of disaster in mining and rock engineering causing serious injuries and the loss of property, frequently occurs, involving various features and complex evolutionary mechanisms. Compared to rockbursts occurring at mining faces, those occurring in main roadways cause more serious problems for mine production. This paper first analyzes the characteristics of rockbursts in main roadways using two case studies involving the Gaojiapu and Cuimu coal mines. The causes of rockbursts in main roadways were studied using microseismic monitoring, energy density cloud maps, and seismic velocity tomography. During the mining of the 22306 working face in the Cuimu coal mine, targeted measures, such as deep-hole blasting of the roof strata and deep-hole blasting of the coal seam, were implemented to prevent rockbursts in the main roadways. The effectiveness of these measures was verified through long-term analysis of tremor activities. The study found that the influence of mining at two working faces on both sides of main roadways was significantly greater than that from a single-sided working face. The intensity of the tremor activities occurring near the main roadways was correlated with the distance from the working face to the main roadways. The closer the working face was to the main roadways, the stronger the tremor activities were near the main roadways. According to the distribution range of the tremors, the influence area of working face mining exceeded 800 m, with tremors distributed linearly along the main roadways. Even five months after the completion of working face mining, there were still a large number of tremors near the main roadways, which gradually disappeared after another five months. Mining activities were the main reason for the occurrence of main roadway rockbursts and the stress concentration within the main roadways themselves was another reason for the occurrence of rockbursts. The influence of working face mining could be reduced by deep-hole blasting of roof strata and the stress concentration within main roadways themselves could be reduced by large-diameter drilling. Those joint preventive measures effectively prevented the occurrence of rockbursts in main roadways. This study is of important theoretical and practical significance for further studies of rockburst mechanisms and prevention in regard to main roadways in coal mines, and the findings are significant in terms of the enhancement of safety in coal mines.

Research on the attenuation characteristics of seismic energy in multicoal seam mining and the warning method of rock burst

AbstractThe mechanism of rock burst induced by the superposition of dynamic and static loads in multicoal seam mining is unique. To investigate the propagation attenuation law of large‐energy microseismic events and the induced mechanism of rock burst under this condition, this study employs FLAC3D's dynamic module to simulate and analyze the influence of propagation distance, overburden structure in multicoal seam mining, and interlayer plastic zone on vibration wave attenuation. Results indicate that when coal seams are mined at close distances, vibration waves experience significant attenuation while passing through the plastic zone between two layers of coal. At equal attenuation distances, multicoal seam mining structures exhibit greater effects on vibration wave attenuation. Considering differences between rock‐burst induction mechanisms in close‐distance coal seam group mining versus single coal seam mining, a discriminant criterion for rock bursts induced by superimposed dynamic and static loads in multicoal seam mining is established along with a monitoring and early warning method suitable for such conditions.

Study on the Development Mechanism of Time-Delayed Strain Rockbursts in Deep Granite Tunnels Excavated by TBM

Study on the Development Mechanism of Time-Delayed Strain Rockbursts in Deep Granite Tunnels Excavated by TBM

Experimental and simulation investigation on failure characteristic of granite considering the effect of intermediate principal stresses

This study performs one-sided lateral unloading- and three-way five-sided force-vertical continuous loading experiments with different intermediate principal stresses (IPS) to investigate the effect of the IPS on deformation, strength, failure modes, and acoustic emission (AE) signals of rock and to elucidate the role of the IPS on the rock strength. The inoculation, occurrence, development, and failure of rockburst as well as the AE evolution characteristics are discussed. The findings indicate that the rockburst ejection includes localized ejections of particles, spalling of rocks into plates, shearing of rocks into fragments, and ejections of rock fragments. The formation mechanism of rockburst involves three progressive processes, i.e., tensile, shear, and tensile-shear composite destruction. The peak stress of sample increases with increasing IPS, while the deformation modulus decreases exponentially as the unloading progresses. The sample properties under true triaxial unloading condition with different IPS can be described by the Mogi-Coulomb criterion. The evolution curves of ringing impact ratio (CH) and cumulative absolute energy can be divided into four stages. The crystal-scale refined model that considers mineral components efficiently simulate the rockburst. The simulated stress-strain (SS) curves of samples are in good agreement with those obtained from laboratory tests.

Mechanism of rockburst induced by the microseismic event in the floor strata of high tectonic stress zones: A case study

With the increase of mining scope, rockburst occurs frequently, but its generation mechanism has not been understood comprehensively. Based on a rockburst in the coal pillar area of high tectonic stress zones (HTSZs), this study analyzed the distribution characteristics of large-energy microseismic (MS) events by using data statistics. The mechanical cause of the MS event that induced the rockburst was revealed by means of seismic moment tensor inversion. On this basis, by using numerical simulation, this study explored the distribution characteristics of static load in rockburst area and the effect of dynamic load in the floor, and then proposed the rockburst mechanism. The results show that under the squeezing action, the floor strata in HTSZs implode and transmit energy outward in the form of stress waves. This causes the cumulative damage and stress of the coal body in the fast track of coal pillar area increase in a short time. Since the coal in this area has already been in the critical stress state, small stress changes may lead to coal failure and rockburst. In this case of rockburst, the high static load of coal is the main force source, and the dynamic load plays a role in increasing coal body damage and inducing rockburst. Combined with seismic moment tensor inversion and numerical simulation, this paper proposes a rockburst research scheme, which makes the simulation of dynamic load more reasonable. The results provide the theoretical basis for rockburst control under similar conditions.

Stress Evolution and Rock Burst Prevention in Triangle Coal Pillars under the Influence of Penetrating Faults: A Case Study

The occurrence of rock bursts due to penetrating faults are frequent in China, thereby limiting the safe production of coal mines. Based on the engineering background of a 501 working face in a TB coal mine, this paper investigates stress and energy evolution during the excavation of this working face due to multiple penetrating faults. Utilizing both theoretical analysis and numerical simulations, this study reveals the rock burst mechanism within the triangular coal pillar influenced by the penetrating faults. Based on the evolution of stress within the triangular coal pillar, a stress index has been devised to categorize both the rock burst danger regions and the levels of rock burst risks associated with the triangular coal pillar. Furthermore, targeted stress relief measures are proposed for various energy accumulation areas within the triangular coal pillar. The results demonstrate that: (1) the superimposed tectonic stress resulting from the T6 and T5 penetrating faults exhibits asymmetric distribution and has an influence range of about 90 m in the triangular coal pillar, reaching a peak value of 11.21 MPa at a distance of 13 m from the fault plane; (2) affected by the barrier effect of penetrating faults, the abutment stress of the working face is concentrated in the triangular coal pillar, and the magnitude of the abutment stress is positively and negatively correlated with the fault plane barrier effect and the width of the triangular coal pillar, respectively; (3) the exponential increase in abutment stress and tectonic stress as the width of the triangular coal pillar decreases leads to a high concentration of static stress, which induces pillar burst under the disturbance of dynamic stress from fault activation; (4) the numerical simulation shows that when the working face is 150 m away from the fault, the static stress and accumulated energy in the triangle coal pillar begins to rise, reaching the peak at 50 m away from the fault, which is consistent with the theoretical analysis; (5) the constructed stress index indicates that the triangular coal pillar exhibits moderate rock burst risks when its width is between 73 to 200 m, and exhibits high rock burst risks when the width is within 0 to 73 m. The energy accumulation pattern of the triangular coal pillar reveals that separate stress relief measures should be implemented within the ranges of 50 to 150 m and 0 to 50 m, respectively, in order to enhance the effectiveness of stress relief. Blasting stress relief measures for the roof and coal are proposed, and the effectiveness of these measures is subsequently verified.

The mechanism and prevention of rockburst induced by the instability of the composite hard-roof coal structure and roof fractures

Despite the implementation of prevention and control measures, rockburst still occur. The characteristics of composite coal were analyzed by combining monitoring and early warning means. Two types of composite coal in the hard roof were distinguished based on their distinct initiation and destruction processes despite experiencing the same rockburst event. Rockburst caused by structural instability was studied in different mining stages, and the following conclusions were considered. 1) The mechanical model of the instability of composite coal in hard roof was established for different mining stages to reveal rockburst mechanisms. The high-speed advance of working faces changed the fractured structure of upper hard rocks in the pressure-relief protection range. The sudden fracture of long cantilever structures caused dynamic load disturbance to high-stress coal, which resulted in rockburst in the insufficient mining stage. The failure and deformation of coal under high-stress static loads created conditions for the instability and fractures of roof. The disturbance of low hard rock strata aggravated the deformations of damaged coal. Therefore, rockburst appeared in the full mining stage. 2) Structural instability and roof fracture caused by different factors were the main causes of rockburst for composite coal in hard roof in different mining stages. Relevant prevention and control measures were formulated to ensure the safety of working faces, which provided references for the prevention and control of rockburst in working faces under similar conditions.

Experimental study on the failure characteristics and mechanism between spalling failure and rockburst

To reveal the differences in the failure characteristics and mechanisms between rockburst and spalling failure, the comparison experiment between spalling failure and rockburst occurred in a circular cavity were carried out. Experiment results reveal that rockburst is accompanied by the intense ejection of fragments, whereas spalling failure features with the slow detachment of fragments. Additionally, besides the plate and flaky fragment, the rockburst fragment exhibits more pronounced blocky features. In terms of strength and deformation characteristics, the peak stress for rockburst is 1.04 times that of spalling failure, whereas the plastic deformation of spalling failure is 1.75 times that of rockburst. Furthermore, considering the micro failure and energy evolution process, three interpretations were proposed to elucidate the distinct mechanisms between rockburst and spalling failure, including: (i) The swift invasion of shear cracks triggers the buckling failure of pre-existing plate-like fractures, causing the fragment ejection observed in rockburst. When shear cracks not substantially contribute to the evolutionary process, the continuous penetrating of the pre-existing tensile cracks will culminate in the gradual delamination and spalling failure of the sidewall. (ii) The energy dissipating behavior determines the distinct mechanisms of rockburst and spalling failure. Almost all of the energy input preceding rockburst is converted into the elastic strain energy of rock units, whereas the energy input preceding spalling failure results in greater energy dissipation (about 1.85 times that of rockburst). (iii) under the framework of Mohr-Coulomb strength criterion, it has been revealed that the rock units of spalling failure adhere to the minimum failure energy criterion. However, the energy accumulated by the rock units prior to rockburst surpasses the minimum energy necessary for failure. This residual energy provides the fractured rock mass with kinetic energy, ultimately leading to a violent ejection phenomenon of rockburst.

Mechanical mechanism analysis of rockburst in deep-buried tunnel with high in-situ stress

The Qinling water conveyance tunnel has a large buried depth and high in-situ stress level, and rockburst disasters frequently occurred during excavation. In order to find out the mechanical mechanism of rockburst, the research work in this paper is as follows: (1) In-situ three-dimensional hydraulic fracturing method was used to measure the in-situ stress of the deep buried tunnel crossing the ridge. (2) Based on the measured in-situ stress results, the stress distribution characteristics of the tunnel crossing the ridge were obtained by the multiple linear regression method, and the rockburst tendency during construction was predicted. (3) A three-dimensional numerical model of tunnel excavation was established to analyze the dynamic adjustment characteristics of the surrounding rock stress and elastic strain energy during TBM excavation, and to clarify the mechanical mechanism of rockburst. The research results show that the maximum principal stress of the deep-buried tunnel crossing the ridge of Qinling is 40–66 MPa, which belongs to extremely high in-situ stress level, and medium-strong rockburst may occur during excavation. In the process of TBM excavation, the stress of the surrounding rock in the range of 2.6 times the diameter of the tunnel before and after the working face is adjusted violently, and the concentrated zones after the stress redistribution are mainly distributed in the arch roof and arch bottom, and the stress concentration coefficient can reach 2.06. The arch roof, arch waist, and arch bottom are susceptible to immediate rockburst due to stress transient unloading at the moment of excavation. After the elastic strain energy of the surrounding rock at the arch roof and the arch bottom is released and accumulated, it is easy to cause time delayed rockburst, and the depth of the rockburst pit can reach 3.5 m, which is consistent with the rockburst phenomenon in the field.

Mechanism and Prevention of Rock Burst in a Wide Coal Pillar under the Superposition of Dynamic and Static Loads

To address the frequent occurrence of rock burst disasters in areas with wide coal pillars during mining in the western mining area of China, the wide coal pillar area of the Tingnan coal mine in Shanxi Province was used as the research background. Theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and field tests were used to establish the mechanical criterion and the energy criterion for the dynamic instability of wide coal pillars. The process and mechanism of wide coal pillar dynamic instability under dynamic and static load disturbances were revealed, and a wide coal pillar rock burst prevention and control scheme was proposed. The results indicated that when the load above a coal pillar reached the stress failure index and the energy failure index was met, the coal pillar reached the critical conditions for rock burst. With increasing static load, the stress, energy, and range of the plastic zone all showed increasing trends on both sides of the coal pillar. Under a given dynamic load, the stress and plastic zone range of the coal pillar significantly increased compared to those without a dynamic load. Under a given static load, the greater the dynamic load, the more likely the coal pillar was to undergo dynamic instability. The evolution of coal pillar dynamic instability was divided into three stages: energy accumulation, local instability, and dynamic instability. When the critical stress and energy conditions for coal pillar dynamic instability are exceeded, rock burst will occur. To reduce the static and dynamic loads of coal pillars, a rock burst prevention and control scheme of energy release and load reduction was proposed and applied onsite. The monitoring results showed that this control plan effectively reduced the stress of the coal pillar and the dynamic load generated by the fracture of the overlying rock layer, indicating safe mining in this area of wide coal pillars.

Understanding energy transformation mechanism of rockbursts through experimental and theoretical methods

Understanding the energy transformation mechanism in rockbursts is essential for predicting and mitigating potentially catastrophic rock failures. In this study, Double Springs Release Tests (DSRTs) were proposed in a laboratory setting to investigate the energy transformation of rockbursts from inception to development. High-speed cameras and image processing algorithms were utilized to calculate different types of energy throughout the duration of the burst. Theoretical analyses, grounded in structural dynamics and stress wave equations, was conducted and cross-referenced with the experimental results. The study found that wave impedance ρE is a key indicator of burst intensity. The research demonstrated that the impact energy in DSRTs originates from both the impact medium and the surrounding medium, and explored how these two components contribute to the total impact energy of the impact medium.

Experimental investigation on rockburst characteristics of highly stressed D-shape tunnel subjected to impact load

Rockburst has always been a challenge for the safe construction of deep underground engineering. This study investigated the rockburst characteristics in highly-stressed D-shape tunnels under impact loads from rock blasting and other mining-related dynamics disturbances. The biaxial Hopkinson pressure bar was utilized to apply varying biaxial prestress and the same impact loads to cube specimens with D-shape hole. High-speed camera and digital image correlation (DIC) were used to capture the failure process and strain field of specimen. The test results demonstrate that the D-shape hole specimen experience rockburst under coupled static stress and impact load. Under this circumstance, the rockburst mechanism of the D-shaped hole specimens involves spalling in sidewall induced by impact load, indicating dynamic tensile failure. The high static prestress provides the initial stress field, while the impact load disrupts the stress equilibrium, result in the stress or strain concentration in the sidewall of the D-shape hole, inducing rockburst. Moreover, the rockburst process can be divided into (1) calm stage, (2) crack initiation, propagation, and coalesce stage, (3) spalling stage and (4) rock fragments ejection stage. Impact load triggers rockburst occurrence, while vertical stress further determines the rockburst characteristics. The influence range and magnitude of strain concentration zone and displacement deformation of the tunnel surrounding rock increases with increasing vertical stress, thus inducing more severe rockburst.

Occurrence mechanism and prevention technology of rockburst, coal bump and mine earthquake in deep mining

Rockburst, coal bump, and mine earthquake are the most important dynamic disaster phenomena in deep mining. This paper summarizes the differences and connections between rockburst, coal bumps and mine earthquakes in terms of definition, mechanism, phenomenon, evaluation index, etc. The definition and evolution progress of the three disaster categories are summarized, as well as the monitoring, early warning, and prevention measures are also presented. Firstly, by combining theoretical research with specific technologies and engineering field cases, the main categories and failure mechanisms of rockburst, coal bumps and mine earthquakes are introduced. Then, the evaluation indexes of coal bump and mine earthquake are summarized, and a new evaluation index of rockburst is given. Finally, the characteristics of monitoring, early warning technologies and prevention methods of rockburst, coal bumps, and mine earthquakes are discussed in technology and application. At last, the future directions of rockburst, coal bump and mine earthquake are put forward.

Mechanism of radial chain rockbursts in a deep granite TBM tunnel under the influence of weak band

Radial chain rockbursts (RCRs) in deep-buried TBM tunnels have prolonged durations and can pose significant safety risks. Further research is needed to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms of recurrence of rockbursts under the influence of structure plane. In this study, the geological characteristics, occurrence characteristics, microseismic (MS) activity laws, and rock mass fracture mechanism of several RCRs influenced by weak band were summarized to reveal the mechanism of recurrence of RCRs. Research shows that under the influence of weak band, (1) RCRs tends to occur in the area where the dip angle is large, and the strike intersects with the tunnel direction at a large angle and forms a small angle with the maximum principal stress. The width of the weak band typically ranges from 0.01 to 1 m, which is positively correlated with the final depth of rockburst pit. The strength of the weak band is relatively “soft” compared to the surrounding bedrock. (2) The depth of each rockburst pit in RCRs gradually decreases, the time interval between adjacent rockbursts gradually increases, and the maximum thickness of rock block in each rockburst gradually increases. (3) The maximum MS energy of MS events and the maximum apparent stress gradually decreased in the development process of RCRs. The region of stress concentration gradually extended to deeper zone, and the distance difference between stress concentration region and sidewall during each rockburst occurrence stage gradually decreased. (4) The effect of weak band on RCRs attributes to the excavation induced local stress concentration near the weak band, and the interface between the weak band and surrounding rock controls the boundary of the rockburst body. The “chain effect” of RCRs mainly shows that the promotion effect of the previous rockburst on the subsequent rockburst, by promoting the stress and rock fracture transferring to the deep zone, and the proportion of shear fractures increases.

Influence of pre-existing crack on rockburst characteristics in coal-rock combination: A laboratory investigation

The existing cracks in the roof rock are critical to stability of the coal-rock combination structure during mining activities, which is vital for safe exploitation in coal mines. However, the physical mechanisms by which pre-existing crack in the roof rock induces rockburst in coal mines are still poorly understood. In this study, to investigate the rockburst characteristics in an underground mine, triaxial compressive experiments on coal-rock combinations containing a pre-existing crack in the roof rock were carried out. Both mechanical and failure behaviours of composite specimen containing a pre-existing crack were analysed. The testing results showed that a pre-existing crack in roof significantly affects mechanical properties of combinations. The average peak stress and average elastic modulus of specimen exhibit an M-shaped change trend when dip angle is in a range of 0°–90°. The average peak strain increases before decreasing with increase in dip angle. In addition, the roof rock is more likely to fail when it contains a pre-existing crack. Both the initial failure location and failure pattern of combinations are highly related to angle of pre-existing crack. A novel rockburst model considering in-situ stress and pre-existing crack was proposed to determine the physical mechanism of rockburst. The findings are useful to understand characteristics and physical mechanism of rockburst in mine engineering.

Damage Evolution and Energy Catastrophe Behavior during Quasi-static Loading Process of Rockburst

Rockburst pose a serious hazard to deep underground engineering. The damage evolution and energy transformation of rockburst under quasi-static load are the key to reveal the mechanism of rockburst. Based on the instability theory and stiffness theory, the burst rock and surrounding rock combination specimens are designed in this study. Then a constitutive model for simulating the whole process of rockburst is established by statistical damage of rock. The law of damage deformation and energy evolution during rockburst is revealed, and the key factors affecting rockburst intensity are analyzed. The results indicate that the damage mechanism of rockburst is related to the sudden change of damage before and after the peak stress of the burst rock, and the volume ratio of surrounding rock to burst rock. The evaluation index of rockburst proneness based on energy evolution can reflect the energy conversion and transmission relationship between the surrounding rock and burst rock in the combination system, which is of great significance for the evaluation of rockburst proneness.

Experimental Study on the Self-Initiated Static-Dynamic State Transition Mechanism of Strain Rockburst

During the entire processes of rockburst catastrophe, the self-initiated static-dynamic state transition behaviour is a turning point in the development of strain rockburst from static deformation to dynamic failure. However, its dynamic process and triggering mechanism have not yet received sufficient attention and accurate revelation. This study focuses on the scientific issue, by designing experiment we have successfully achieved the physical simulation of rockburst under quasi-static displacement loading conditions. Then, the static-dynamic state transition process was studied on a millisecond time scale, and rockburst triggering mechanism was investigated from mechanical perspectives. Through experiment, the self-initiated elastic rebound dynamic behaviour of the surrounding rock is discovered and identified as the key to triggering rockburst. Mechanically, this behaviour directly causes an impact load on the burst rock, which can be considered the direct cause of rockburst.

Tunnel rockbursts induced by dynamic disturbances: mechanism and mitigation

Rockbursts are characterized by violent rock fractures and pose a significant threat to hard-rock tunnels, potentially resulting in casualties and damage to excavation spaces. Globally recognized as one of the least understood and most feared challenges in underground excavations, rockbursts are often triggered by dynamic disturbances such as engineering activities or nearby vibrations. This study conceptualizes rockbursts as dynamic buckling or instability issues inherent in rock structures. It specifically investigates the mechanism of tunnel rockbursts induced by ambient blasting. The derivation of the governing equation of motion, which incorporates shear deformation and rotary inertia of the rock column, results in coupled Mathieu equations. By employing the proposed numerical method, the conditions triggering rockburst were established using instability diagrams. The study examines the effects of static components, dynamic loading, and frequency on a tunnel example, revealing that the amplitude and frequency of dynamic disturbances are critical in influencing the occurrence of tunnel rockbursts through perturbation effects and parametric resonance mechanisms. These insights offer valuable understanding into the mechanisms, mitigation, and control of tunnel rockbursts.

Research on the mechanism of rockburst induced by mined coal-rock linkage of sharply inclined coal seams

Research on the mechanism of rockburst induced by mined coal-rock linkage of sharply inclined coal seams