The basic requirement of roadway in a mine is to provide sufficient height and cross section consistent with adequate support to meet the needs of accomodation of equipment, transport, personnel travel and ventilation. However, many roadways are deformed to the extent of needing maintenance, generally dinting, and in some cases requiring re-ripping.
The deformation of a roadway is a function of several factors including geological properties of coal seam, seam roof and floor, method of roadway formation, type and spacing of support and so on. Among these factors, strata condition is a main governing factor influencing deformation of roadway. The weak floor rock causes the floor heaving. Water softens some rock and promotes the heaving problem.
In this paper, a quantitative discussion on the effect of water on deformational behavior of roadway is given on the basis of results obtained by means of both a field measurement and laboratory rock tests. It is clarified that water content of surrounding rocks affects the deformational behavior of roadway and roadway deforms greater in the faulted zone. From these results a couple of methods for maintenance of roadway are proposed.