Rockburst Monitoring in Deep Coalmines with Protective Coal Panels Using Integrated Microseismic and Computed Tomography Methods

In deep coalmines, longwall panels are subject to high static initial geostress andhigh dynamic stress caused by mining and tunnelling activities. Under the action of high static and dynamic stress, rockburst hazards are very likely to occur. To reduce rockburst risks, protective panels are commonly applied in deep coalmines. However, stress concentration in the protective coal panel often causes rockburst hazards in the gateway of the next longwall panel pending mining. To reduce such type of rockburst, this study firstly proposes a mathematic model to analyse the overall static stress distribution in the protective panel based on the mining practice in Longyun coalmine, Shandong Province, China. To evaluate the stress concentration caused by geological defects in the protective panel, a new rockburst evaluation index is proposed based on the computed tomography (CT) method. Finally, the extent of dynamic stress evolution caused by different working face advancing velocities is determined by microseismic monitoring. Results show that the areas with higher rockburst evaluation indexes are highly associated with the areas with large-energy microseismic events, indicating that the static stress concentration can be accurately identified by the CT method. A medium advancing velocity (4.0 m/s) is recommend during mining the longwall panel, which can ensure mining safety and improve mining productivity simultaneously. The integrated microseismic and CT monitoring methods can be used in other underground projects to guarantee construction safety and productivity.