Construction Machines & Vehicles - Excavators & Dredgers

Supporting Design Optimization of Tunnel

Boring Machines-Excavated Coal Mine

July 2021

Construction Machines & Vehicles - Excavators & Dredgers

Supporting Design Optimization of Tunnel

Boring Machines-Excavated Coal Mine

July 2021

Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) are cutting-edge excavating equipment but are barely applied in underground coal mines. For TBM excavation projects involving the Zhangji coal mine, the surrounding rock properties, stress field, cross-section geometry, as well as the excavation-induced stress path of TBM-excavated coal mine roadways are different from those of traditional tunnels or roadways.

Consequently, traditional roadway supporting technologies and experiences cannot be relied on for this project. In order to research an appropriate supporting pattern for a TBM-excavated coal mine roadway, first of all, the constitutive model of roadway surrounding rocks was derived, and a rock failure criterion was proposed based on rock mechanical tests. Secondly, a three-dimension finite element model was established and computer simulations under three different supporting patterns were conducted. Stress redistribution, roadway convergence, and excavation damage zone ranges of surrounding rocks under three different support patterns were analyzed and an optimal support design of the TBM-excavated roadway was made based on simulation results. During roadway excavation, convergence gauge and rock bolt dynamometers were installed for monitoring roadway convergence and the axial forces of rock bolts. The in-situ monitoring results verified the validity of roadway supporting designs. In China, coal is the major energy source and it accounts for about 68% of the total primary energy consumption. As the coal resources within shallow grounds are depleting, mining operations have been moving to increase deep grounds in recent years. In China, the average depth of coal mining operations has reached up to 556 m and it is increasing at a rate of 8 to 12 m per year. For metal mines, the depths of mining operations are even higher. For example, the Mponeng gold mine in South Africa extends 4250 m below the surface. As the depth of mining works increased significantly, potential risks such as the collapse of roadways surrounding rocks, high coalbed methane emissions and outbursts, as well as groundwater inrushing increased dramatically. Consequently, an increasing amount of coal mines have started excavating permanent or semi-permanent roadways within rock layers rather than coal seams to obtain increased safety during mining and roadway excavation operations. Compared with coal, rocks have higher strength and it is beneficial to increase the stability of roadways and reduce risks. On the other hand, the higher strength of rocks also increases the difficulties of roadway excavation and slows down the excavation speed. At present, excavation speeds in rock layers are significantly slower than those in coal seams (40 to 100 m/mth in rock layers vs. 120 to 300 m/ mth in coal seams). Typically in mining operations, roadways in rock layers include main roadways and other auxiliary roadways for transportation, ventilation, coalbed methane drainage, and groundwater drainage roadways purposes. They should be finished before the coal seam roadways start being used for excavation. Obviously, a whole mining operation would be delayed by a low penetration rate in rock layers. Increasing the safety and speed of coal mine roadway excavation is the key factor for safe and effective mining operations. For over one hundred years, roadways or tunnels were excavated by using drilling and blasting technology. While intensive application of explosives increases potential risks in roadway excavation, and toxic smoke also results in health hazards for miners. Since the 1960s, mechanical excavation equipment (roadheader, continue miner, etc.) was introduced in roadway excavation.

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