Numerical modelling and analysis of the influence of local variation in the thickness of a coal seam on surrounding stresses: Application to a practical case

One of the factors with the most influence in the carrying out of underground coal mining work is the stress state, especially when such work is carried out at great depths. One of the mining methods in which the influence of stresses becomes most patent is that of sublevel caving. For that reason, a variety of authors have studied many of the causes which condition the stress state of mining work of this kind at a general level.However, diverse types of conditioning factors exist at a local level that may substantially vary recorded pressures in the surroundings of the workings. Using numerical models, this paper analyses the specific case of a coal seam mined by the sublevel caving method at a depth of 1000 m which suffers significant increases in stress and major deformations in certain advance headings as a result of variations in the geometry and dimensions of the load itself, in particular, thinning.The results of the research carried out were validated by measuring the stresses in the area under study. Furthermore, on the basis of a retrospective analysis of what was observed in the mine, another series of predictive models were analyzed to establish the existing relation between the increase in stress due to thinning of the seam and the depth at which such thinning is situated.