Large Deformation Mechanics of Gob-Side Roadway and Its Controlling Methods in Deep Coal Mining: A Case Study

Maintaining surrounding rock mass stability of roadways is essential to the safety of deep coal mining. In this study, the No. 2-2092 roadway of the No. 2-209 mining face in Ganhe coal was taken as the target roadway for field analysis. The selected region can be considered a typical area with dominating geological tectonic stress, based on the geological survey and in situ stress results. A mechanical model of roadway overburdens was developed to analyse the large deformation and stress field distribution. It is found that the large deformation is caused by the combined superposed stress field including laterally transferred stress formed in structures at overlying strata, mining-induced advanced abutment pressure, and the regional in situ stress. Thus, a Two-Direction Hydrofracturing Technique (TDHT) was proposed to reduce the pressure of the No. 2-2092 roadway by altering the roof structure in the influenced zones. Compared with the original roadway without fracturing, it is found that the roof to floor convergence has dropped by nearly 47% after fracturing; the displacement of sidewalls has reduced by almost 31%, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method in pressure relief. Results from this study can provide guidance on controlling the large deformation of roadways in deep underground mines.

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