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Investigation on the Influence of Abutment Pressure on the Stability of Rock Bolt Reinforced Roof Strata Through Physical and Numerical Modeling

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Abstract

In underground coal mining, high abutment loads caused by the extraction of coal can be a major contributor to many rock mechanic issues. In this paper, a large-scale physical modeling of a 2.6 × 2.0 × 1.0 m entry roof has been conducted to investigate the fundamentals of the fracture mechanics of entry roof strata subjected to high abutment loads. Two different types of roof, massive roof and laminated roof, are considered. Rock bolt system has been taken into consideration. A distinct element analyses based on the physical modeling conditions have been performed, and the results are compared with the physical results. The physical and numerical models suggest that under the condition of high abutment loads, the massive roof and the laminated roof fail in a similar pattern which is characterized as vertical tensile fracturing in the middle of the roof and inclined shear fracturing initiated at the roof and rib intersections and propagated deeper into the roof. Both the massive roof and the laminated roof collapse in a shear sliding mode shortly after shear fractures are observed from the roof surface. It is found that shear sliding is a combination of tensile cracking of intact rock and sliding on bedding planes and cross joints. Shear sliding occurs when the abutment load is much less than the compressive strength of roof.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. U1261211) and the Tiandi Co. Ltd. Research Foundation (Grant No. KJ-2015-TDKC-06). We would like to thank Prof. Pinnaduwa H.S.W. Kulatilake from The University of Arizona for his constructive comments and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mining and Designing Branch, China Coal Research Institute, Beijing, China

    Hongpu Kang, Jianzhong Li, Jinghe Yang & Fuqiang Gao

  2. State Key Laboratory of Coal Mining and Clean Utilization (China Coal Research Institute), Beijing, China

    Hongpu Kang

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  1. Hongpu Kang
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  2. Jianzhong Li
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  3. Jinghe Yang
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  4. Fuqiang Gao
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Correspondence to Hongpu Kang.

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Kang, H., Li, J., Yang, J. et al. Investigation on the Influence of Abutment Pressure on the Stability of Rock Bolt Reinforced Roof Strata Through Physical and Numerical Modeling. Rock Mech Rock Eng 50, 387–401 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-016-1114-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-016-1114-x

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