While faults are commonly simulated as a single planar or non-planar interface for a safety or stability analysis in underground mining excavation, the real 3D structure of a fault is often very complex, with differen...While faults are commonly simulated as a single planar or non-planar interface for a safety or stability analysis in underground mining excavation, the real 3D structure of a fault is often very complex, with different branches that reactivate at different times. Furthermore, these branches are zones of nonzero thickness where material continuously undergoes damage even during interseismic periods. In this study, the initiation and the initial evolution of a strike-slip fault was modeled using the FLAC3D software program. The initial and boundary conditions are simplified, and mimic the Riedel shear experiment and the constitutive model in the literature. The FLAC3D model successfully replicates and creates the 3D fault zone as a strike-slip type structure in the entire thickness of the model. The strike-slip fault structure and normal displacement result in the formation of valleys in the model. Three panels of a longwall excavation are virtually placed and excavated beneath a main valley. The characteristics of stored and dissipated energy associated with the panel excavations are examined and observed at different stages of shear strain in the fault to evaluate bump potential. Depending on the shear strain in the fault, the energy characteristics adjacent to the longwall panels present different degrees of bump potential, which is not possible to capture by conventional fault simulation using an interface.展开更多
Changes of failure mechanism with increasing confinement,from extensional to shear-dominated failure,are widely observed in the rupture of intact specimens at the laboratory scale and in rock masses.In an analysis pub...Changes of failure mechanism with increasing confinement,from extensional to shear-dominated failure,are widely observed in the rupture of intact specimens at the laboratory scale and in rock masses.In an analysis published in 2018,both unconfined and triaxial compressive tests were conducted to investigate the strength characteristics of 84 specimens of a Utah coal,including the spalling limits,the ratio of apparent unconfined compressive strength to unconfined compressive strength(UCS),the damage characteristics,and the post-yield dilatancy.These mechanical characteristics were found to be strongly anisotropic as a function of the orientation of the cleats relative to the loading direction,defined as the included angle.A total of four different included angles were used in the work performed in 2018.The authors found that the degree of anisotropic strength differed according to the included angle.However,the transition from extensional to shear failure at the given confinements was not clearly identified.In this study,a total of 20 specimens were additionally prepared from the same coal sample used in the previous study and then tested under both unconfined and triaxial compressive conditions.Because the authors already knew the most contrasting cases of the included angles from the previous work using the four included angles,they chose only two of the included angles(0°and 30°)for this study.For the triaxial compressive tests,a greater confining stress than the mean UCS was applied to the specimens in an attempt to identify the brittle-ductile transition of the coal.The new results have been compiled with the previous results in order to re-evaluate the confinement-dependency of the coal behavior.Additionally,the different confining stresses are used as analogs for different width-to-height(W/H)conditions of pillar strength.Although the W/H ratios of the specimens were not directly considered during testing,the equivalent W/H ratios of a pillar as a function of the confining stresses were estimated using an展开更多
There were 37 longwall faces operating in mines in the United States in 2019.The average panel width for these longwalls was approximately 368.5 m(1209 ft).This translates to a range of approximately 170-240 shields p...There were 37 longwall faces operating in mines in the United States in 2019.The average panel width for these longwalls was approximately 368.5 m(1209 ft).This translates to a range of approximately 170-240 shields per longwall,depending upon the width of shield.The movement of longwall shields is a significant contributor to respirable dust overexposures to longwall operators.Foam is expected to have the potential to reduce this shield dust generation.The foam is applied to the area on the roof between the coal face and the shield tip after the shearer passes.In this study,the longwall shield dust simulator was used to test three foam agents for their ability to control dust from longwall shield movements.Results showed that at low-velocity ventilation(≈3.0 m/s(600 fpm))all foam agents were able to produce dust reduction levels of at least 45%.At high-velocity ventilation(≈5.1 m/s(1000 fpm)),the reductions were lower and more variable,ranging from being undeterminable for one foam agent to having 46%-63%reductions for the other two foam agents,with one instance of an increase in dust concentration.Overall,the use of foam agents can provide longwall shield dust control.Important factors are roof coverage and the ability of foam to remain on the roof for extended time periods.展开更多
This paper was developed as part of an effort by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH)to identify risk factors associated with bumps in the prevention of fatalities and accidents in highly s...This paper was developed as part of an effort by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH)to identify risk factors associated with bumps in the prevention of fatalities and accidents in highly stressed,bump-prone ground conditions.Changes of failure mechanism with increasing confinement,from extensional-to shear-dominated failure,are widely observed in the rupture of intact specimens at the laboratory scale and in rock masses.In the previous analysis conducted in 2018,both unconfined and triaxial compressive tests were conducted to investigate the strength characteristics of some specimens of a Utah coal,including the spalling limits,the ratio of apparent unconfined compressive strength(AUCS)to unconfined compressive strength(UCS),the damage characteristics,and the postyield dilatancy.These mechanical characteristics were found to be strongly anisotropic as a function of the orientation of the cleats relative to the loading direction.However,the transition from extensional to shear failure at the given confinements was not clearly identified.In this study,a total of 20 specimens were additionally prepared from the same coal sample used in the previous study and then tested under both unconfined and triaxial compressive conditions.The different confining stresses are used as analogs for different width-to-height(W/H)ratios of pillar strength.Although the W/H ratios of the specimens were not directly considered during testing,the equivalent W/H ratios of a pillar as a function of the confining stresses were estimated using an existing empirical solution.According to this relationship,theW/H atwhich in-situ pillar behavior would be expected to transition from brittle to ductile is identified.展开更多
文摘While faults are commonly simulated as a single planar or non-planar interface for a safety or stability analysis in underground mining excavation, the real 3D structure of a fault is often very complex, with different branches that reactivate at different times. Furthermore, these branches are zones of nonzero thickness where material continuously undergoes damage even during interseismic periods. In this study, the initiation and the initial evolution of a strike-slip fault was modeled using the FLAC3D software program. The initial and boundary conditions are simplified, and mimic the Riedel shear experiment and the constitutive model in the literature. The FLAC3D model successfully replicates and creates the 3D fault zone as a strike-slip type structure in the entire thickness of the model. The strike-slip fault structure and normal displacement result in the formation of valleys in the model. Three panels of a longwall excavation are virtually placed and excavated beneath a main valley. The characteristics of stored and dissipated energy associated with the panel excavations are examined and observed at different stages of shear strain in the fault to evaluate bump potential. Depending on the shear strain in the fault, the energy characteristics adjacent to the longwall panels present different degrees of bump potential, which is not possible to capture by conventional fault simulation using an interface.
文摘Changes of failure mechanism with increasing confinement,from extensional to shear-dominated failure,are widely observed in the rupture of intact specimens at the laboratory scale and in rock masses.In an analysis published in 2018,both unconfined and triaxial compressive tests were conducted to investigate the strength characteristics of 84 specimens of a Utah coal,including the spalling limits,the ratio of apparent unconfined compressive strength to unconfined compressive strength(UCS),the damage characteristics,and the post-yield dilatancy.These mechanical characteristics were found to be strongly anisotropic as a function of the orientation of the cleats relative to the loading direction,defined as the included angle.A total of four different included angles were used in the work performed in 2018.The authors found that the degree of anisotropic strength differed according to the included angle.However,the transition from extensional to shear failure at the given confinements was not clearly identified.In this study,a total of 20 specimens were additionally prepared from the same coal sample used in the previous study and then tested under both unconfined and triaxial compressive conditions.Because the authors already knew the most contrasting cases of the included angles from the previous work using the four included angles,they chose only two of the included angles(0°and 30°)for this study.For the triaxial compressive tests,a greater confining stress than the mean UCS was applied to the specimens in an attempt to identify the brittle-ductile transition of the coal.The new results have been compiled with the previous results in order to re-evaluate the confinement-dependency of the coal behavior.Additionally,the different confining stresses are used as analogs for different width-to-height(W/H)conditions of pillar strength.Although the W/H ratios of the specimens were not directly considered during testing,the equivalent W/H ratios of a pillar as a function of the confining stresses were estimated using an
文摘There were 37 longwall faces operating in mines in the United States in 2019.The average panel width for these longwalls was approximately 368.5 m(1209 ft).This translates to a range of approximately 170-240 shields per longwall,depending upon the width of shield.The movement of longwall shields is a significant contributor to respirable dust overexposures to longwall operators.Foam is expected to have the potential to reduce this shield dust generation.The foam is applied to the area on the roof between the coal face and the shield tip after the shearer passes.In this study,the longwall shield dust simulator was used to test three foam agents for their ability to control dust from longwall shield movements.Results showed that at low-velocity ventilation(≈3.0 m/s(600 fpm))all foam agents were able to produce dust reduction levels of at least 45%.At high-velocity ventilation(≈5.1 m/s(1000 fpm)),the reductions were lower and more variable,ranging from being undeterminable for one foam agent to having 46%-63%reductions for the other two foam agents,with one instance of an increase in dust concentration.Overall,the use of foam agents can provide longwall shield dust control.Important factors are roof coverage and the ability of foam to remain on the roof for extended time periods.
基金The authors would like to thanks to Steve Berry at Montana Tech for his working on the lab testing.
文摘This paper was developed as part of an effort by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH)to identify risk factors associated with bumps in the prevention of fatalities and accidents in highly stressed,bump-prone ground conditions.Changes of failure mechanism with increasing confinement,from extensional-to shear-dominated failure,are widely observed in the rupture of intact specimens at the laboratory scale and in rock masses.In the previous analysis conducted in 2018,both unconfined and triaxial compressive tests were conducted to investigate the strength characteristics of some specimens of a Utah coal,including the spalling limits,the ratio of apparent unconfined compressive strength(AUCS)to unconfined compressive strength(UCS),the damage characteristics,and the postyield dilatancy.These mechanical characteristics were found to be strongly anisotropic as a function of the orientation of the cleats relative to the loading direction.However,the transition from extensional to shear failure at the given confinements was not clearly identified.In this study,a total of 20 specimens were additionally prepared from the same coal sample used in the previous study and then tested under both unconfined and triaxial compressive conditions.The different confining stresses are used as analogs for different width-to-height(W/H)ratios of pillar strength.Although the W/H ratios of the specimens were not directly considered during testing,the equivalent W/H ratios of a pillar as a function of the confining stresses were estimated using an existing empirical solution.According to this relationship,theW/H atwhich in-situ pillar behavior would be expected to transition from brittle to ductile is identified.
