• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.153-167
• /
• 2022

This study proposes a method to analyze the distribution of coal porosity disturbances after the excavation of ultra-large-diameter water jet boreholes using a coal wetting and softening model. The high-pressure jet is regarded as a short-term high-pressure water injection process. The water injection range is the coal softening range. The time when the reference point of the borehole wall is shocked by the high-pressure water column is equivalent to the time of high-pressure water injection of the coal wall. The influence of roadway excavation with support and borehole diameter on the ultra-large-diameter jet drilling excavation is also studied. The coal core around the borehole is used to measure the gas permeability for determining the porosity disturbance distribution of the coal in the sampling plane to verify the correctness of the simulation results. Results show that the excavation borehole is beneficial to the expansion of the roadway excavation disturbance, and the expansion distance of the roadway excavation disturbance has a quadratic relationship with the borehole diameter. Wetting and softening of the coal around the borehole wall will promote the uniform distribution of the overall porosity disturbance and reduce the amplitude of disturbance fluctuations.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.529-543
• /
• 2022

The lattice-spring-based synthetic rock mass model (LS-SRM) technique has been extensively employed in large open-pit mining and underground projects in the last decade. Since the LS-SRM requires a complex and time-consuming calibration process, a robust approach was developed using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to optimize the calibration procedure. For this purpose, numerical models were designed using the Box-Behnken Design technique, and numerical simulations were performed under uniaxial and triaxial stress states. The model input parameters represented the models' micro-mechanical (lattice) properties and the macro-scale properties, including uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), elastic modulus, cohesion, and friction angle constitute the output parameters of the model. The results from RSM models indicate that the lattice UCS and lattice friction angle are the most influential parameters on the macro-scale UCS of the specimen. Moreover, lattice UCS and elastic modulus mainly control macro-scale cohesion. Lattice friction angle (flat joint fiction angle) and lattice elastic modulus affect the macro-scale friction angle. Model validation was performed using physical laboratory experiment results, ranging from weak to hard rock. The results indicated that the RSM model could be employed to calibrate LS-SRM numerical models without a trial-and-error process.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.303-316
• /
• 2023

With the development and utilization of urban underground space, the artificial ground freezing technology has been widely used in the construction of underground engineering in soft soil areas. The mechanical properties of soft clay changed greatly after freezing and thawing, which affected the seismic performance of underground structures. In this paper, a series of triaxial tests were carried out to study the dynamic response of the freezing-thawing clay under the seismic load considering different dynamic stress amplitudes and different confining pressures. The reduction factor of dynamic shear stress was determined to correct the amplitude of the seismic load. The deformation development mode, the stress-strain relationship and the energy dissipation behavior of the soft clay under the seismic load were analyzed. An empirical model for predicting accumulative plastic strain was proposed and validated considering the loading times, the confining pressures and the dynamic stress amplitudes. The relevant research results can provide a theoretical reference to the seismic design of underground structures in soft clay areas.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.35 no.6
• /
• pp.593-601
• /
• 2023

In this paper, an analytical solution of large-strain cylindrical cavity expansion in compaction grouting problem under temperature field is given. Considering the stress increment caused by temperature, the analytical solution of cavity expansion under traditional isothermal conditions is improved by substituting the temperature stress increment into the cavity expansion analysis. Subsequently, combined with the first law of thermodynamics, the energy theory is also introduced into the cylindrical cavity expansion analysis, and the energy dissipation solution of cylindrical cavity expansion is derived. Finally, the validity and reliability of solution are proved by comparing the results of expansion pressure with those in published literatures. The results show that the dimensionless expansion pressure increases with the increase of temperature, and the thermal response increases with the increase of dilation angle. The higher the exothermic temperature of grouting slurry, the greater the plastic deformation energy of the surrounding soil, that is, the greater the influence on the surrounding soil deformation and the surrounding environment. The proposed solution not only enrich the theoretical system of cavity expansion, but also can be used as a theoretical tool for energy geotechnical engineering problems, such as CPT, nuclear waste disposal, energy pile and chemical grouting, etc.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.529-540
• /
• 2020

Water inrush is a major hazard for mining and excavation in deep coal seams or rock masses. It can be attributed to the coalescence of rock fractures in rock mass due to the interaction of fractures, hydraulic flow and stress field. One of the key technical challenges is to understand the course and mechanism of fluid flows in rock joint networks and fracture propagation and hence to take measures to prevent the formation of water inrush channels caused by possible rock fracturing. Several case observations of fluid flowing in rock joint networks and coupled fracture propagation in underground coal roadways are shown in this paper. A number of numerical simulations were done using the recently developed flow coupling function in FRACOD which simulates explicitly the fracture initiation and propagation process. The study has demonstrated that the shortest path between the inlet and outlet in joint networks will become a larger fluid flow channel and those fractures nearest to the water source and the working faces become the main channel of water inrush. The fractures deeper into the rib are mostly caused by shearing, and slipping fractures coalesce with the joint, which connects the water source and eventually forming a water inrush channel.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.51-59
• /
• 2020

In this paper, the WEKA platform was used to mine and analyze measured data of floor failure depth and a prediction system of floor failure depth was developed with Java. Based on the standardization and discretization of 35-set measured data of floor failure depth in China, the grey correlation degree analysis on five factors affecting the floor failure depth was carried out. The correlation order from big to small is: mining depth, working face length, floor failure resistance, mining thickness, dip angle of coal seams. Naive Bayes model, neural network model and decision tree model were used for learning and training, and the accuracy of the confusion matrix, detailed accuracy and node error rate were analyzed. Finally, artificial neural network was concluded to be the optimal model. Based on Java language, a prediction system of floor failure depth was developed. With the easy operation in the system, the prediction from measured data and error analyses were performed for nine sets of data. The results show that the WEKA prediction formula has the smallest relative error and the best prediction effect. Besides, the applicability of WEKA prediction formula was analyzed. The results show that WEKA prediction has a better applicability under the coal seam mining depth of 110 m~550 m, dip angle of coal seams of 0°~15° and working face length of 30 m~135 m.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.337-344
• /
• 2018

The study of the mining effect influenced by a normal fault has great significance concerning the prediction and prevention of fault rock burst. According to the occurrence condition of a normal fault, the stress evolution of the working face and fault plane, the movement characteristics of overlying strata, and the law of fault slipping when the working face advances from footwall to hanging wall are studied utilizing UDEC numerical simulation. Then the inducing-mechanism of fault rock burst is revealed. Results show that in pre-mining, the in situ stress distribution of two fault walls in the fault-affected zone is notably different. When the working face mines in the footwall, the abutment stress distributes in a "double peak" pattern. The ratio of shear stress to normal stress and the fault slipping have the obvious spatial and temporal characteristics because they vary gradually from the higher layer to the lower one orderly. The variation of roof subsidence is in S-shape which includes slow deformation, violent slipping, deformation induced by the hanging wall strata rotation, and movement stability. The simulation results are verified via several engineering cases of fault rock burst. Moreover, it can provide a reference for prevention and control of rock burst in a fault-affected zone under similar conditions.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.297-314
• /
• 2016

With the mining depth continuously increasing, gas emission behaviors become more and more complex. Gas emission is an important basis for choosing the method of gas drainage, gas controlling. Thus, the accurate prediction of gas emission is of great significance for coal mine. In this work, based on the sources of gas emission from the heading faces and the fluid-solid coupling process, we established a gas continuous dynamic emission model, numerically simulated and applied it to the engineering. The result was roughly consistent with the actual situation and shows the model is correct. We proposed the measures of reducing the excavation distance and borehole gas drainage based on the model. The measures were applied and the result shows the overproof problem of gas emission disappears. The model considered the influence factors of gas emission wholly, and has a wide applicability, promotional value. The research is of great significance for the controlling of gas disaster, gas drainage and pre-warning coal and gas outbursts based on gas emission anomaly at the heading face.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.105-114
• /
• 2019

In this paper, simulation tests were conducted with similar materials to study the distribution of residual voids in longwall goaf. Short-time step loading was used to simulate the obvious deformation period in the later stage of arch breeding. Long-time constant loading was used to simulate the rheological stage of the arch forming. The results show that the irregular caving zone is the key area of old goaf for the subsidence control. The evolution process of the stress arch and fracture arch in stope can be divided into two stages: arch breeding stage and arch forming stage. In the arch breeding stage, broken rocks are initially caved and accumulated in the goaf, followed by the step deformation. Arch forming stage is the rheological deformation period of broken rocks. In addition, under the certain loads, the broken rock mass undergoes single sliding deformation and composite crushing deformation. The void of broken rock mass decreases gradually in short-time step loading stage. Under the water lubrication, a secondary sliding deformation occurs, leading to the acceleration of the broken rock mass deformation. Based on above research, the concept of equivalent height of residual voids was proposed, and whose calculation equations were developed. Finally, the conceptual model was verified by the field measurement data.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.259-272
• /
• 2022

Rockburst is a dynamic, multivariate, and non-linear phenomenon that occurs in underground mining and civil engineering structures. Predicting rockburst is challenging since conventional models are not standardized. Hence, machine learning techniques would improve the prediction accuracies. This study describes decision based uncertainty models to predict rockburst in underground engineering structures using gradient boosting algorithms (GBM). The model input variables were uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), uniaxial tensile strength (UTS), maximum tangential stress (MTS), excavation depth (D), stress ratio (SR), and brittleness coefficient (BC). Several models were trained using different combinations of the input variables and a 3-fold cross-validation resampling procedure. The hyperparameters comprising learning rate, number of boosting iterations, tree depth, and number of minimum observations were tuned to attain the optimum models. The performance of the models was tested using classification accuracy, Cohen's kappa coefficient (k), sensitivity and specificity. The best-performing model showed a classification accuracy, k, sensitivity and specificity values of 98%, 93%, 1.00 and 0.957 respectively by optimizing model ROC metrics. The most and least influential input variables were MTS and BC, respectively. The partial dependence plots revealed the relationship between the changes in the input variables and model predictions. The findings reveal that GBM can be used to anticipate rockburst and guide decisions about support requirements before mining development.