Mining Hazards to the Safety of Segment Lining for Tunnel Boring Machine Inclined Tunnels

The segment lining is a new type of support structure for mining tunnels. The disturbance of coal excavation leads to the deformation of segment lining and has great hazards to the safety of the tunnels. Based on the tunnel boring machine (TBM) inclined tunnels in Xinjie mine, the ultimate span L0 of the rock beam on the top slab of the coal seam was calculated according to the bending (tension) damage theory. A numerical model was built to simulate the bottom area of the inclined tunnels. During the coal mining, the additional displacements and additional stresses of the segment lining were analyzed, and then the safety factors of the support structure were calculated. Finally, the width of the coal pillar to protect the inclined tunnels was determined. The results showed that the ultimate span of the rock beam on the top of the coal seam is 31.7 m, the deformation of the inclined tunnel has a fish-belly shape, and the deformation leads to the increase of maximum axial force and bending moment. For the inclined tunnels in Xinjie coalmine, a total width of 91.3 m of coal pillar must be reserved to keep the safety factor of the structure higher than 2.0 and prevent the inclined tunnels from the mining hazards.

Radar Imaging of Fractures and Voids behind the Walls of an Underground Mine

2-D and 3-D rock-penetrating radar data were acquired on the wall of a pillar in an underground limestone mine. The objective was to test the ability of radar to image fractures and karst voids and to characterize their geometry, aperture, and fluid content, with the goal of mitigating mining hazards. Strong radar reflections in the field data correlate with fractures and a cave exposed on the pillar walls. Large pillar wall topography was included in the steep-dip Kirchhoff migration algorithm because standard elevation corrections are inaccurate. The depth-migrated 250 MHz radar images illuminate fractures, karst voids, and the far wall of the pillar up to ~25 m depth into the rock, with a spatial resolution of lt;0.5 m. Higher-frequency radar improved image resolution and aided the interpretation, but at the cost of shallower depth of penetration and extra acquisition effort. Due to the strong contrast in physical properties between rock and fracture fluid, fractures with apertures as thin as a fiftieth of a radar wavelength were imaged. Water-filled fractures with mm-scale aperture and air-filled fractures with cm-scale aperture produce strong reflections at 250 MHz. Strong variation in reflection amplitude along each fracture is interpreted to represent both variable fracture aperture and non-planar fracture structure. Fracture apertures were quantitively measured, but distinguishing water- from air-filled the fractures was not possible due to the complex radar wavelet and fracture geometry. Two conjugate fracture sets were imaged. One of these fracture sets dominates rock mass stability and water inrush challenges throughout the mine. All of the detected voids and a large cave are at the intersection of two fractures, indicating preferential water flow and dissolution along conjugate fracture intersections. Detecting, locating, and characterizing fractures and voids prior to excavation can enable miners to mitigate potential collapse and flood hazards before they occur.

Water Infusion on the Stability of Coal Specimen under Different Static Stress Conditions

Underground coal mines are frequently subjected to water infusion, resulting in many mining hazards. This study investigated the effect of water infusion on the stress and energy evolution characteristics of coal specimens representing isolated pillars under different initial axial stress conditions using the discrete element method. A water infusion distribution model was developed, in which random functions were employed to describe water distribution for the purpose of realizing the dispersion of results for a better reliability. Based on the results, a stress-level classification was presented to evaluate the water effect on pillars’ instability. For the investigated coal specimens, the water weakening effect on stress and energy remains stable when the axial geo-stress on pillars is less than 65% of uniaxial compressive strength (UCS). In contrast, when the axial stress coefficient is greater than 65%, pillars become unstable eventually. A higher axial stress coefficient is more likely to introduce a lower critical instability point of the water saturation coefficient for pillars in the process of water infusion. However, the instability point remains random to some extent for specimens following the same water distribution rule under the identical test condition. Two instability types, which also happened randomly, were observed in the numerical results for damaged coal specimens under different water saturation coefficients and axial geo-stresses, namely free-falling and step-falling.

Chapter 13 Hazards associated with mining and mineral exploitation in Cornwall and Devon, SW England

The largest UNESCO World Heritage Site in the UK is found in Cornwall and west Devon, and its designation is based specifically on its heritage for metalliferous mining, especially tin, copper and arsenic. With a history of over 2000 years of mining, SW England is exceptional in the nature and extent of its mining landscape. The mining for metallic ores, and more recently for kaolin, is a function of the distinctive geology of the region. The mining hazards that are encountered in areas of metallic mines are a function of: the Paleozoic rocks; the predominant steeply dipping nature of mineral veins and consequent shaft mining; the great depth and complexity of some of the mines; the waste derived from processing metallic ores; the long history of exploitation; and the contamination associated with various by-products of primary ore-processing, refining and smelting, notably arsenic. The hazards associated with kaolin mining are mainly related to the volume of the inert waste products and the need to maintain stable spoil tips, and the depth of the various tailings’ ponds and pits. The extent of mining in Cornwall and Devon has resulted in the counties being leaders in mining heritage preservation and the treatment and remediation of mining-related hazards.

Predicting Methane Concentration in Longwall Regions Using Artificial Neural Networks

Methane, which is released during mining exploitation, represents a serious threat to this process. This is because the gas may ignite or cause an explosion. Both of these phenomena are extremely dangerous. High levels of methane concentration in mine headings disrupt mining operations and cause the risk of fire or explosion. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor and predict its concentration in the areas of ongoing mining exploitation. The paper presents the results of tests performed to improve work safety. The article presents the methodology of using artificial neural networks for predicting methane concentration values in one mining area. The objective of the paper is to develop an effective method for forecasting methane concentration in the mining industry. The application of neural networks for this purpose represents one of the first attempts in this respect. The method developed makes use of direct methane concentration values measured by a system of sensors located in the exploitation area. The forecasting model was built on the basis of a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) network. The corresponding calculations were performed using a three-layered network with non-linear activation functions. The results obtained in the form of methane concentration prediction demonstrated minor errors in relation to the recorded values of this concentration. This offers an opportunity for a broader application of intelligent systems for effective prediction of mining hazards.