A Simulation Study of Support Break-Off and Water Inrush during Mining under the High Confined and Thick Unconsolidated Aquifer
- 1 School of Earth Science & Environmental Engineering, Anhui University of Science & Technology, Huainan, China
- 2 School of Earth Science & Environmental Engineering, Anhui University of Science & Technology, Huainan, China
- 3 School of Earth Science & Environmental Engineering, Anhui University of Science & Technology, Huainan, China
- 4 Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
- 5 School of Earth Science & Environmental Engineering, Anhui University of Science & Technology, Huainan, China
Abstract
The thick Cenozoic unconsolidated aquifer is deposited under Sunan syncline core in Huaibei coalfield, the water yield property of unconsolidated bottom aquifer is strong and water pressure is high in some areas (up to 4 MPa in some areas). Water inrush accident often occurs during mining under unconsolidated aquifer, the biggest characteristic is abnormal mine pressure and support break-off during water inrush accident comparing with normal condition. In order to study mechanism of support break-off and water inrush during mining under the high confined thick unconsolidated aquifer, a simulation of similar material was designed. The experimental results indicated that, under normal condition, the compound breakage sequence of water-resisting key strata between coal seam and high confined thick unconsolidated aquifer is from top to bottom and the basic reason of synchronous fracture is the load of bottom key strata increased suddenly when the breakage of top key strata happened. Because of high confined thick unconsolidated aquifer, surface acts on the bottom key strata soil layer in the form of uniformly distributed load, which is the load-transfer mechanism of confined thick unconsolidated aquifer. Once the overlying key strata compound breaks, the height of unstable strata will reach far more than 30 meters and exceed support capability of current fully-mechanized mining supporter, which leads to support break-off accident during mining process under confined unconsolidated aquifer.
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