An innovative strata movement model for predicting overlying strata deformations

The overlying strata in mining could move, deform and break with the advancement of the underground mining operations and form the “three-vertical-zones” over the mined-out areas. In this paper, the influence function method based to predict the surface subsidence is innovatively introduced to establish the movement model of subsurface strata over underground mine gob. In order to validate the developed model’s reliability, the model is applied in a Chinese underground mine to calculate the subsurface strata movements. Then a physical simulation modelling is also conducted to study the behavior of rock strata affected by mining. By using cross-validation, the theoretical results are compared with the physical simulations, which indicates that those two results are highly agreed with each other. The reliability of developed model can be a good tool to study the progress of subsurface stratum bedding and caving in a coal mine.