Numerical simulation based study for analyzing stability of air shaft

due to depillaring around it

Abstract
In ventilating underground coal mines air shaft plays the key role. In India, bord &pillar
method of mining is the prevailing method of underground coal mining. During depillaring it
is highly essential to protect any damage to the air shaft. So it is recommended not to extract
coal pillars in the close proximity of such ventilating structures. As any substantial instability
around air shaft may adversely affect the entire mine ventilation system. So it is necessary to
leave solid coal pillars around air shaft. In such case a huge quantity of good quality coal is
lost in various forms of barriers. If coal extraction is done in a proper method and carrying
out proper study, then such left out coal can be extracted. This is highly essential for
conservation point of view. This paper aims at extracting such coal in pillars surrounding the
air shaft without endangering the stability and safety of it. The paper explains the numerical
simulation analysis which is conducted for the stability analysis of the air shaft and
surrounding coal pillars which are left intact and a brief rock mechanics instrumentation
plan.
Keywords: Air shaft, Pillar design, Stowing, Angle of draw, Depillaring.
Introduction
This paper describes the methodology of extraction of coal in the pillars surrounding an air
shaft in a coal mine located in southern India. The upper seam is named as No. 1 seam
whereas the lower one is No. 2 seam. The 1 seam is 6.25m thick, located at depth of 44m
from the surface and completely developed along the floor by Bord and Pillar method having
2.5m high galleries, with pillar size of 26m x 26m. The parting between 1 seam and 2 seam is
22m, 2 seam is having a thickness of 3.7m and completely developed by Bord and Pillar
method having 3m high galleries along the floor, with pillar size of 26.8m x 26.8m. Both the
seams are dipping at 1 in 9.
1

Chief Scientist & Professor, CSIR-CIMFR, Dhanbad.

Integrated MTech-PhD Student/Trainee Scientist, Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research, CSIR-CIMFR, Dhanbad.
3
Senior Scientist, CSIR-CIMFR, Dhanbad.
4
Principal Technical Officer, CSIR-CIMFR, Dhanbad.
2

In India as per Coal Mines Regulation, 1957 (CMR, 1957) radius of shaft pillar (R in metre)
is determined by the relation,
R = k + h tan 45 + h tan
1

Where, k1 is a constant and its value taken as 50; it may be increased if other important
structures like winding installations etc. are also to be protected. h 1 is thickness of alluvial soil
or similar loose material in m. h is the thickness of cover excluding the alluvial soil. is
2

the angle of draw which may be taken as 25 for flat seams of gradient less than 15 .
For this case the radius of shaft pillar (R) is approaching roughly 80m. So, within 80m radius
usually depillaring operation is not allowed in view of safety of the air shaft. In this case
study, after all the panels being depillared in both the seams, pillars lying within the radius of
80m around air shaft are thought to be left as it is. Under these conditions good quality coal
will be lost forever as standing on pillars. Considering the demand of coal in India and
conservation point of view, it will be very much fruitful if that coal is extracted without
endangering the safety of air shaft.
Numerical modeling for stability of air shaft and method of extraction

It is planned to extract the coal from the pillars by sand stowing but considering the safety of
air shaft whereas one row of solid coal pillars planned to be left intact to the air shaft as
shown in figure 1.
The phenomenon of stowing i.e. the consolidation of stowing material, multiple seam
extraction and abutment stress buildup are studied using numerical modeling. For numerical
modeling PLAXIS-3D which is based on finite element method is used. Due to symmetry
half of the geometry is simulated. The numerical modeling is conducted in the following
basic phases:
Phase 1: In situ model considering the in-situ stresses.
Phase 2: Development is done in both the seams.
Phase 3: Depillaring i.e. splitting and slicing is conducted in seam 2 without extracting the
ribs.
Phase 4: The remaining void areas including all the galleries in seam 2 working are stowed,
and the stowing is simulated by consolidation analysis.
Phase 5: After extraction of seam 2, depillaring i.e. splitting and slicing is conducted in seam
1 without extracting the ribs.
Phase 6: The remaining void areas including all the galleries in seam 1 working are stowed,
and the stowing is simulated.
The geometry (Symmetric) of the model is shown in figure 1.

Air Shaft

Ribs
Seam 1 Working

Seam 2 Working

Figure 1: Numerical Simulation Model Geometry

PLAXIS-3D generated mesh and Connectivity plot of the in-situ model is shown in figure 2.

Figure 2: Generated mesh & Connectivity plot

After splitting and slicing of coal pillar, rib pillars are left to support the overlying strata and
further stowing of the remaining void areas are needed. The percentage of extraction after
splitting and slicing (figure 3) is around 68.53%.

Figure 3: Pillar Extraction

In this study vertical displacement, Stress, and factor of safety are analysed by numerical
simulation. Finite element mesh has been generated by using PLAXIS-3D software, having
63891 nodes and an Average element size (Ie) of 1.748 metre. Relatively finer meshes are
developed near the excavation area to get more accurate result.
Figure 4 shows the vertical displacement contour shadings at the roof level of Seam 2
working. It can be observed that vertical displacement at the mine roof level is around
3.35mm after stowing.

Figure 4: Displacement contour shadings of Seam 2 working

Figure 5 shows the vertical displacement contour shadings at the roof level of Seam 1
working. It can be observed that vertical displacement at the mine roof level is around 5mm
after stowing.

Figure 5: Displacement contour shadings of Seam 1 working

Figure 6 shows the vertical stress ( zz ) shadings and vertical stress contour lines of the
model geometry respectively. Vertical stress of maximum 5.65MPa is found.

Figure 6: vertical stress shadings & contour lines

Figure 7 shows the horizontal stress shadings and horizontal stress contour lines along x-axis

( xx ) of the model geometry respectively. Horizontal stress of maximum 2.39MPa is

found.

Figure 7: Horizontal stress shadings & contour lines along x-axis

Figure 8 shows the horizontal stress shadings and horizontal stress contour lines along y-axis

( yy ) of the model geometry respectively. Horizontal stress of maximum 2.28MPa is

found.

Figure 8: Horizontal stress shadings & contour lines along y-axis

Stress around Air Shaft boundary

Figure 9 shows vertical stress ( zz ) shadings around the air shaft boundary along the cross
section A-A. It is found to be of a maximum value around 3.37MPa.

Figure 9: Vertical stress shadings along cross section A-A

Figure 10 shows the horizontal stress shadings along x-axis (

shadings along y-axis (

yy

xx

) and horizontal stress

) of the model geometry across the cross section A-A

respectively. Horizontal stress of maximum 1.95MPa along x-axis (

along y-axis (

yy

xx

) and 2.26MPa

) is found.

Figure 10: Horizontal stress shadings along x-axis &y-axis across the cross section A-A

Figure 11 shows vertical stress ( zz ) shadings around the air shaft boundary along the
cross section B-B. It is found to be of a maximum value around 3.18MPa.

Figure 11: Vertical stress shadings along cross section B-B

Figure 12 shows the horizontal stress shadings along x-axis ( xx ) and horizontal stress
shadings along y-axis (

yy

) of the model geometry across the cross section B-B

respectively. Horizontal stress of maximum 1.89MPa along x-axis (

along y-axis (

yy

xx

) and 1.90MPa

) is found.

Figure 12: Horizontal stress shadings along x-axis &y-axis across the cross section B-B

Figure 13 shows vertical stress ( zz ) shadings around the air shaft boundary along the
cross section C-C. It is found to be of a maximum value around 3.14MPa.

Figure 13: Vertical stress shadings along cross section C-C

Figure 14 shows the horizontal stress shadings along x-axis ( xx ) and horizontal stress
shadings along y-axis (

yy

) of model geometry across the cross section C-C respectively.

Horizontal stress of maximum 1.867MPa along x-axis (

yy

xx

) and 1.865MPa along y-axis (

) is found.

Figure 14: Horizontal stress shadings along x-axis &y-axis across the cross section C-C
For generating factor of safety curve total multiplier Msf (factor of safety) is plotted against
number of steps as shown in figure 15. After stowing all the remaining galleries, Factor of
safety around the air shaft pillars which are left intact is found to be around 1.9 which is
observed in the final step of the numerical simulation.

Figure 15: FOS curve

Strata Monitoring
For monitoring strata behavior a detailed rock mechanics instrumentation plan is done. For
monitoring stress acting on remaining pillars which are left intact around air shaft stress
meters are proposed. For bed separation monitoring multipoint borehole extensometer is to be
used. To measure load acting upon supports load cells are to be used. For monitoring the
effect of depillaring on the air shaft at least 3 strain gauges need to be installed, one in the
wall of air shaft in seam 3 working which is lying below seam 2, as the air shaft crosses one
gallery in seam 3 and another strain gauge in the upper portion of air shaft nearer to surface.
The third one is to be installed in the air shaft wall of seam 2 working and its connecting wire
to the readout unit is to be laid through a casing. This strain gauge will be helpful for
monitoring the effect during the depillaring operation.
Conclusion
From the numerical simulation study it is observed that there is no effect on the stability of
air shaft by extracting the coal with sand stowing and filling all the remaining galleries
around the air shaft in both the seams. For enhancing the safety of the air shaft one row of
pillar around the air shaft left intact.
References
1. Kaku, L. C., (2011): The coal mine Regulation 1957, Lovely Prakashan, p.129.
2. CMRI Report (unpublished) (2014), No.-CNP/3951/2014-15.
3. PLAXIS-3D (2012), Reference manual, Netherlands.