A Numerical Simulation Study of Waterproof Coal Pillars in Fault Zones under Mining Effects
SHU Hao
Abstract：The width of the waterproof coal pillar is an important factor affecting water inrush from fault activation,as well as the caprock of the coal seam.Numerical test results show that as the width of the waterproof coal pillar gradually narrows,the stress concentration phenomenon becomes more pronounced,the roof plastic zone gradually changes from an"elliptical arch"to a"saddle shape",and the floor plastic zone fails in a planar manner.When the width of the waterproof coal pillar is less than 20 meters,the fault becomes prone to activation and bursting.Field measurements verify the rationality of the width of the waterproof coal pillar.The results demonstrate that a monitoring system can analyze rock mass failure caused by fault activation when the working face advances towards the reserved fault waterproof coal pillar.Microseismic events with high energy are stable overall during this period.Ultimately,the 1026 working face of Wugou Coal Mine was successfully mined without any accidents involving fault activation and water inrush occurring.Field application results show that:it is reasonable to set the width of the fault waterproof coal pillar at 20 meters,which improves the mining rate of coal resources and provides reference for similar engineering practices.
Keywords：fault waterproof pillarnumerical simulationoverburden failurecaprock aquifer
Publication Date：2025-12-30
Online Publishing Date：2026-01-17(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：7( 10-16 )