Depressurizing boreholes for mitigating large deformation of the main entry

Abstract

Abstract The main entries in longwall coal mine frequently encounter large deformation, depending on the stress environment. Depressurizing boreholes are applicable to reduce the large deformation; however, it is difficult to determine the proper parameters (diameter and spacing) for an effective implementation. This study aims to propose feasible design criteria for the quantification of those parameters. We first developed a rigorous numerical model, for a roadway in Zhangshuanglou coal mine, using the rock mechanical properties determined from extensive laboratory measurements and analyses. We then investigated the dependency of the stress transfer and roadway deformation on the ratio of borehole diameter and spacing (D/R and D/I). The symbols of D, R, and I represented the diameter, row spacing, and interspacing of the boreholes, respectively. We found that (a) D/R has to be between 1:6 and 1:2; and (b) D/I has to be between 1:6 and 1:4, for sufficient depressurization in the surrounding rocks. The optimized borehole diameter and spacing parameters were applied in the field where the deformation of roadway was significantly reduced. Finally, we proposed a criterion to determine those parameters of depressurization boreholes for application in other geological and mining conditions.

Keywords

• depressurizing borehole
• large deformation
• longwall mining
• roadway
• stress transfer