Study on the mechanism and prevention system of creep induced instability of isolated coal pillars considering time effect

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 26270 - 14
• Main Authors: Song, Weihua, Yu, Shiqi, Rong, Hai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.11.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 704/2151; 704/2151/213; 704/2151/330; 704/2151/431; 704/2151/562; 704/4111; Accidents; Acoustic emission; Anti impact measures; Blasting; Coal; Coal mines; Coal mining; Creep instability; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hysteresis type impact ground pressure; Instability; Isolated coal pillar; Mathematical models; Mechanical properties; Mining; Mountain regions; multidisciplinary; Pressure; Prevention; Rocks; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Timeliness; Unloading; Hysteresis type impact ground pressure; Isolated coal pillar; Creep instability; Anti impact measures; Timeliness
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-76888-8

In response to the frequent occurrence of impact events in isolated coal pillars between the upper (lower) mountain areas of mining areas under conditions without obvious mining disturbance, this study takes multiple isolated coal pillar impact events that occurred in Zhaolou Coal Mine and Gengcun Coal Mine as examples. It conducts a mechanism study on the creep-induced impact ground pressure of isolated coal pillars considering the time effect. The occurrence of such impact ground pressure accidents often exhibits significant “lag” and “spontaneity”. Due to the unclear mechanism of occurrence and the difficulty in grasping the unloading timing, this type of impact ground pressure has become a typical hidden disaster, posing a serious threat to the deep mining of coal mines. Based on the analysis of the creep mechanical properties of coal and rock mass, the uniaxial compression acoustic emission creep test of coal body, and the FLAC3D numerical simulation, a creep instability impact mechanical model of coal and rock mass is established. This model reveals the mechanism of creep instability impact and the stress evolution law of coal and rock mass during creep. The mechanical and energy criteria for the occurrence of impact ground pressure in isolated coal pillars under the action of unstable creep are proposed. The study shows that the action of high ground stress is a necessary condition for the occurrence of "lag-type" impact ground pressure in isolated coal pillars. Long-term unstable creep will weaken the support strength of the entry. When the elastic energy accumulated in the isolated coal pillar exceeds its ultimate bearing capacity, impact instability will occur. Based on the mechanism of occurrence of such impact accidents, targeted deep hole blasting unloading measures are proposed, providing a good reference value for the prevention and control of "lag-type" impact ground pressure accidents in isolated coal pillars.