Catastrophe Instability Mechanism of the Pillar-Roof System in Gypsum Mines Due to the Influence of Relative Humidity
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 19, Issue 4
Abstract
In this study, a simplified mechanical model is proposed based on the failure characteristics of a gypsum pillar–roof system obtained through in situ investigation. Then, a cusp catastrophe model for the gypsum pillar–roof system is established based on the given stress–strain relations of the gypsum rock. Using this model, the instability mechanism for the gypsum pillar–roof system is investigated. The results of the analysis indicate that the stress–strain relation of gypsum rock derived from damage mechanics theory can accurately describe its strain-softening behavior after the peak stress and that increases in the relative humidity around a pillar or both a pillar and the roof bed can increase the stiffness ratio of the support system and consequently result in a more stable support system. However, if the relative humidity around the roof bed increases, the stiffness ratio of the system decreases, increasing the possibility of catastrophic failure of the support system. The case study revealed that the influence of the relative humidity on the support system is significant, higher relative humidity in the mine’s atmosphere increases the probability of instability in the support system, and the influence of the relative humidity change around the pillar on system stability is greater than that around the roof bed.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This work was financially supported by the General Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grants 51274188, 11602284, and 41602325). The authors are grateful for their continuous support. The authors are also grateful to the authors' colleagues for their valuable help with this research.
References
Auvray, C., F. Homand, and D. Hoxha. 2008. “The influence of relative humidity on the rate of convergence in an underground gypsum mine.” Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. 45 (8): 1454–1468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2008.02.008.
Auvray, C., F. Homand, and C. Sorgi. 2004. “The aging of gypsum in underground mines.” Eng. Geol. 74 (3–4): 183–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2004.03.008.
Bertolini, L., M. Carsana, and M. Spada. 2010. “Filling of a flooded gypsum mine with a flowable soil-cement mix.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 22 (6): 628–636. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000084.
Castellanza, R., R. Nova, and G. Orlandi. 2010. “Evaluation and remediation of an abandoned gypsum mine.” J. Geotech Geoenviron Eng. 136 (4): 629–639. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000249.
Cheng, Y. F., L. Jiang, H. D. Wang, U. Ansari, Z. Y. Han, and J. Ding. 2017. “Experimental study on pore structure and mechanical properties of stratified coal.” Int. J. Geomech. 17 (12): 04017116. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001022.
Cui, X., Y. Gao, and D. Yuan. 2014. “Sudden surface collapse disasters caused by shallow partial mining in Datong coalfield, China.” Nat. Haz. 74 (2): 911–929. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1221-5.
Henley, S. 1976. “Catastrophe theory models in geology.” J. Int. Assoc. Math. Geol. 8 (6): 649–655. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01031095.
Hoek, E., and E. T. Brown. 1980. Underground excavations in rock. London: Institution of Mining and Metallurgy.
Hu, J. H., K. P. Zhou, X. B. Li, N. G. Yang, and J. H. Su. 2005. “Numerical analysis of application for induction caving roof.” J Cent. South Univ. Technol. 12 (1): 146–149. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-005-0389-y.
Liu, C. L., Z. X. Tan, K. Z. Deng, and P. X. Li. 2013. “Synergistic instability of coal pillar and roof system and filling method based on plate model.” Int. J. Min. Sci. Technol. 23 (1): 145–149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmst.2013.03.005.
Pan, Y., A. W. Li, and Y. S. Qi. 2009. “Fold catastrophe model of dynamic pillar failure in asymmetric mining.” Min. Sci. Technol. (China) 19 (1): 49–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1674-5264(09)60010-7.
Poston, T., and I. Stewart. 1978. Catastrophe theory and its applications. London: Pitman.
Qin, S. Q., J. J. Jiao, and Z. G. Li. 2006. “Nonlinear evolutionary mechanisms of instability of plane-shear slope: Catastrophe, bifurcation, chaos and physical prediction.” Rock Mech. Rock Eng. 39 (1): 59–76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-005-0049-4.
Qin, S., J. J. Jiao, and S. Wang. 2001a. “A cusp catastrophe model of instability of slip-buckling slope.” Rock Mech. Rock Eng. 34 (2): 119–134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s006030170018.
Qin, S. Q., J. J. Jiao, S. J. Wang, and H. Long. 2001b. “A nonlinear catastrophe model of instability of planar-slip slope and chaotic dynamical mechanisms of its evolutionary process.” Int. J. Solids Struct. 38 (44–45): 8093–8109. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0020-7683(01)00060-9.
Saunders, P. T. 1980. An introduction to catastrophe theory. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Tang, C. 1997. “Numerical simulation of progressive rock failure and associated seismicity.” Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. 34 (2): 249–261. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-9062(96)00039-3.
Thom, R. 1972. Stabilité structurelle et morphogénése. [In French.] Reading, MA: W. A. Benjamin.
Wang, G. Y., G. L. You, and Y. L. Xu. 2008a. Investigation on the Nanjing gypsum mine flooding. In Geotechnical Engineering for Disaster Mitigation and Rehabilitation, edited by H. Liu, A. Deng, and J. Chu, 920–930. Berlin: Springer.
Wang, J. A., X. C. Shang, and H. T. Ma. 2008b. “Investigation of catastrophic ground collapse in Xingtai gypsum mines in China.” Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. 45 (8): 1480–1499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2008.02.012.
Wang, Q. Y., W. C. Zhu, T. Xu, L. L. Niu, and J. Wei. 2017. “Numerical simulation of rock creep behavior with a damage-based constitutive law.” Int. J. Geomech. 17 (1): 04016044. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000707.
Wang, S. Y., K. C. Lam, S. K. Au, C. A. Tang, W. C. Zhu, and T. H. Yang. 2006. “Analytical and numerical study on the pillar rockbursts mechanism.” Rock Mech. Rock Eng. 39 (5): 445–467. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-005-0075-2.
Yilmaz, I. 2007. “GIS based susceptibility mapping of karst depression in gypsum: A case study from Sivas Basin (Turkey).” Eng. Geol. 90 (1–2): 89–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2006.12.004.
Yilmaz, I., and G. Yuksek. 2009. “Prediction of the strength and elasticity modulus of gypsum using multiple regression, ANN, and ANFIS models.” Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. 46 (4): 803–810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2008.09.002.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 19 • Issue 4 • April 2019
Copyright
© 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 5, 2018
Accepted: Sep 21, 2018
Published online: Feb 7, 2019
Published in print: Apr 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Jul 7, 2019
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.