Numerical simulation of overburden and surface movements for Wongawilli strip pillar mining

The Wongawilli strip pillar mining technique, which combines the strip pillar mining layout and Wongawilli mining technology, is a new high efficient mining technology for mining under surface structures. The Wongawilli strip pillar mining technique was studied in this paper using theoretical analysis and numerical simulation. As an example, the geological and mining conditions of a coal mine were used to design the Wongawilli strip pillar plans, including the support parameters of the entries and the mining technology. In order to control the surrounding rocks and manage the roof effectively during coal mining, the stress fields, displacement fields and plastic zones were studied by numerical simulation. The stress fields, displacement fields, and plastic zones generated by Wongawilli strip pillar mining were obtained. And the surface movement and deformation were also determined after mining was completed and its effects on surface structures were analyzed and evaluated. The results demonstrate that it is feasible to mine under surface structures with the Wongawilli strip pillar mining technique. This mining method can protect the surface structures from damages.