Analysis of the Impact of Geological Factors on the Distribution of Abutment Pressure in Deep-Buried Longwall Faces

Abstract

To investigate the control factors of mine disasters induced by high ground pressure, this paper takes a longwall face of Pingdingshan No. 10 coal mine as the engineering background. By employing the analytical model and numerical simulation methods, this study quantified the movement characteristics of the hard roof strata and the evolution of mining-induced stress. The control mechanisms of various geological factors on the distribution of the abutment pressure were evaluated. The results indicate that (1) the PFC-FLAC coupled numerical model can effectively simulate and predict the characteristics of roof collapse and the distribution characteristics of abutment pressure. (2) The first weighting distance, the peak of the abutment pressure, and the influence range of the abutment pressure can be measured by the proposed model, whereas the periodic weighting barely can be observed. (3) The tensile strength and thickness of the hard roof directly control the peak value of the abutment pressure and the first weighting distance. As the strength and thickness of the hard roof increase, both the peak value and influence distance of the abutment pressure significantly increase. When the tensile strength of the hard roof reaches a high value, the development of fractures in the hard roof shows a clear periodicity pattern. The vertical stress significantly affects the movement and fracturing of the overburden, while the horizontal stress has a limited impact on the movement and fracturing of the overburden. The proposed methods provide technical guidance and theoretical support for controlling ground pressure in deep-buried longwall faces.