Prediction of rock-burst-threatened areas in an island coal face and its prevention: A case study

The island coal face arises in coal mines with the purpose of preventing gas explosion or maintaining the balance between mining and tunneling. However, its particular stress conditions in the surrounding rock may increase the difficulty of stress control in the coal face and in its mining roadways, especially when the coal seam, the roof, and the floor have rock-burst propensities. The high energy accumulated in the island coal face and in its roof and floor will intensify rock-burst propensity or even induce rock burst, which further result in great casualties and financial losses. Taking island coal face 2321 in Jinqiao coal mine as a case, we propose a method for the prediction of rock-burst-threatened areas in an island coal face with weak rock-burst propensity. Based on the analysis of the movement of the overlying roof and characteristics of stress distribution, this method combined numerical simulation with drilling bits to ensure the prediction accuracy. The effects of coal pillars with different widths on the mitigation of stress concentration in the coal face and on the prevention of rock burst are analyzed together with the mechanism behind. Finally, corresponding measures against the rock burst in the island coal face are proposed.