Roadway Stagger Layout for Effective Control of Gob-Side Rock Bursts in the Longwall Mining of a Thick Coal Seam

Excerpt

Currently, rock bursts pose a serious threat to the safety of miners and equipment in underground coal mining operations, especially in China. The number of coal mines with rock burst hazards is increasing year by year with no signs of letting up. By 31 December 2013, there were 142 coal mines in China which had experienced rock bursts. Each year, rock bursts cause considerable economic loss and enormous casualties. For instance, a rock burst induced by a large thrust fault caused 10 deaths and trapped 75 people on 3 November 2011 during the headgate excavation of LW21221 in Qianqiu coal mine, Yima City, China (Cai et al. 2014a, b; Li et al. 2014). Rock bursts are serious not only because the hazard itself can cause damage, but because it can cause a series of secondary disasters, such as coal and gas outbursts, and gas explosions. The most serious gas explosion recorded to date killed 214 people, injured 30 people, and caused a direct economic loss of \(\yen\)49.689 million. It happened on 14 February 2005 in Sunjiawan coal mine, Fuxin City, China. Investigation revealed that the gas explosion was induced by a rock burst (State Administration of Work Safety, State Administration of Coal Mine Safety 2005). …