Study on the movement characteristics of the overlying stratum and surrounding rock control in ultraclose coal seams: A case study

In Fucun Coal Mine, the average spacing between the 3upper coal seam (UCS) and 3lower coal seam (LCS) is only 6 m. In the process of mining upper coal, the lower roadway (LR), which is 60 m away from upper pillar, becomes unstable. In order to control the surrounding rock of lower roadway, a physical model experiment and a 3D numerical calculation were performed in this study. The results of physical similarity simulation experiment show that mining of longwall face in UCS will lead to fracturing of key layers at a high elevation (KLHE) far away from the coal seam. The expanded goaf area caused large‐scale fracturing and rotation of the KLHE, which resulted in significant strata pressure behavior in LR. The numerical calculation results show that the LR should be within 19 m of the coal pillar. Finally, a plan which includes a proper location and a supporting system was proposed. The feasibility of the proposed plan is verified by an industrial application.