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Effect of particle erosion on mining-induced water inrush hazard of karst collapse pillar

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Abstract

As a typical disaster-causing geological structure, karst collapse pillar (KCP) is widely distributed in coalfields of northern China. The interior of KCP is filled with loose and weakly cemented rock masses. Fine particles can be eroded under the hydraulic pressure and the disturbance of the coal mining operation. Then, water inrush pathway can be formed easily, resulting in water inrush hazard. The release of untreated coal mine water can pollute the environment and waste the limited water resource in China. To investigate the particle erosion effect on the water inrush mechanism of KCP, FLAC3D numerical investigations were conducted to simulate the water flow process of KCP in the mining floor during the coal seam excavation, according to the stress-seepage coupling model with the consideration of the particle erosion. Besides, the evolution of shear stress field, seepage field, and plastic zone along was obtained as working plane advances. Meanwhile, the influence of the thickness of a waterproof rock floor and the hydraulic pressure of aquifer on the formation of water inrush pathway was analyzed. Numerical results indicated that: (1) Shear failure of the KCP near the side of the working plane occurs under the effect of mining excavation; then, the KCP connects with the damage area around the working plane; finally, the water inrush pathway is formed. (2) Water inrush disaster will not occur immediately when the KCP is connected with the damaged area around the working plane; it only occurs when the KCP is completely exposed in the mining. (3) With the mining advances, the thinner the waterproof rock floor and the greater the hydraulic pressure of the aquifer, the easier the groundwater can lead up, and the KCP tends to be damaged with the formation of water inrush pathway.

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Abbreviations

c :

Cohesive force

c s :

Concentration of fine particles

c cr :

Critical value of concentration

F :

Shear strength criterion

f t :

Tensile strength criterion

M :

Biot Modulus

N φ :

Parameter related to angle of internal friction

k :

Permeability coefficient

q w :

Velocity of fluid flow

P :

Pore pressure

α :

Biot’s coefficient

ε :

Volume strain of porous media

ε v :

Volumetric strain

ε vr :

Maximum compressive strain

ϕ :

Porosity

φ :

Angle of internal friction

λ :

Migration characteristics

μ w :

Viscosity of water

ρ w :

Density of water

σ 1 :

First principal stress

σ 3 :

Third principal stress

σ t :

Tensile strength

ζ :

Volume change

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank ShiningStar Translation (email: shiningstartrans@foxmail.com) for providing linguistic assistance during the preparation of this manuscript. The authors would like to acknowledge the editor and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments for the improvement of this paper.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51804339 and 51774110), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2018 M640760), and the Innovation Driven Project of Central South University. The first author would like to thank the financial support from the opening fund of the State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology (SKLGP2019K004).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, China

    Dan Ma & Jiajun Wang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, Sichuan, China

    Dan Ma

  3. School of Energy Science and Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454000, Henan, China

    Zhenhua Li

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  1. Dan Ma
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  2. Jiajun Wang
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  3. Zhenhua Li
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Correspondence to Zhenhua Li.

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Ma, D., Wang, J. & Li, Z. Effect of particle erosion on mining-induced water inrush hazard of karst collapse pillar. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 19719–19728 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-05311-x

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