Exploitation of hard coal seams by roadway system is applied by two coal mines in southern Poland in Upper Silesian Basin. It is a secondary mining exploitation carries out in safety pillars of urban areas and shafts within mining areas of closed coal mines. Roadway system is the excavation process of gateways which are made in parallel order leaving coal pillars between them. An optimal width of coal pillar makes roadway stable and reduces subsidence of terrain surface. The article presents results of subsidence simulation caused by partial extraction using empirical and numerical methods on the example of one exploitation field of “Siltech” coal mine. The asymptotic state of subsidence was considered after mining ceased in the study area. In order to simulate of subsidence, numerical model of rock mass and model of Knothe-Budryk theory were calibrated. Simulation of vertical displacements in numerical method was carried out using RS3 program by Rocscience based on finite element method. The assumption was made that model of rock mass is transversely isotropic medium, in which panels were designed according to order of extraction of coal seams. The results of empirical and numerical methods were compared with measured values of subsidence at benchmarks along drawn lines (subsidence profiles).

Through in-situ stress measurements, stress data were obtained from an auxiliary transportation roadway in a coal mine in Shanxi Province, China. Based on the principles of elastic mechanics and using a generalized plane strain model, the mechanical effects of the in-situ stresses on an idealized roadway were calculated and the distributions of stresses, displacements, and plastic zones determined. Building on this model, the vulnerable zones in the roadway cross section were identified. Ground support specifications were developed and during specification design, comprehensive consideration was given to factors affecting the stability of the rock surrounding the roadway. A scientific and reasonable support scheme was put forward. Practical experience in the coal mine shows the normal forces of anchor bolt and cable, the minimal convergence of roof to floor, and a generally good support in the auxiliary transportation roadway. The support should ensure safe production during its service life. This study provides a new method for designing roadway support systems that can be particularly valuable for high-stress roadways.

This study attempts to evaluate the field performance of various mining equipment used at the development galleries of coal mines. These are hand-held and jumbo rock drills, and a roadheader used in mechanical excavation. For this purpose, the penetration rates of rock drills were monitored and measured in the field. The physical, mechanical, and drillability properties were determined through the collected samples in order to understand the complex interactions between the rock and bit/pick. The abrasive mineral content was also analyzed with XRD analysis to examine the wear on the cutting/drilling tools. Besides, the specific energy of the equipment was calculated relying on the operational parameters. A comparison of the monthly advance and production rates of the drilling rigs and roadheader was made. The relations among operating power, specific energy, and design of buttons/picks were investigated. It has been found that the average advance and production rates of the mining equipment are consistent with the penetration rate. The results verified that the roadheader used in mechanical excavation and the jumbo drill used in drilling and blasting technique are the machines maximizing the advance and production rates.

There is an airflow velocity boundary layer near tunnel wall when the air is flowing in the underground coal mine. The thickness and distribution of the airflow velocity boundary layer could influence the discharge of harmful and toxic gases that enter the ventilating airflow through this flow interface. It may also have a major impact in coal mine gas explosion. The results of field measurements and simulation experimental data are used to research airflow velocity boundary layer in a flat walled mine roadway, which is considered in turn: as unsupported, I-steel sectioned arch or bolted and shot create supported cross section. By referenced to other literature studies that consider boundary layer characteristics and the analysis of on-site and experimental data sets we obtain the corresponding airflow velocity boundary layer characteristics for each of the supported roadway sections. The airflow velocity within the boundary layer increase is assumed to follow a logarithmic law given by the expression: u = a Ln(x) + b. It is concluded that the thickness of the airflow velocity boundary layer is observed to significantly decrease with the airflow center velocity and to increase with roadway wall roughness. The airflow velocity distribution is found to be described by the equation: u = (m1v + n1)Ln(d) + m2v + n2, for the three types coal mine tunnel taking into account the influence of center airflow velocity.

Finding effective ways to efficiently drive roadways at depths over 1 km has become a hotspot research issue in the field of mining engineering. In this study, based on the local geological conditions in the Xinwen Mining Area (XMA) of China, in-situ stress measurements were conducted in 15 representative deep roadways, which revealed the overall tectonic stress field pattern, with the domination of the horizontal principal stresses. The latter values reached as high as 42.19 MPa, posing a significant challenge to the drivage work. Given this, a comprehensive set of innovative techniques for efficiently driving roadways at depths over 1 km was developed, including (i) controlled blasting with bidirectional energy focusing for directional fracturing, (ii) controlled blasting with multidirectional energy distribution for efficient rock fragmentation, (iii) wedge-cylinder duplex cuts centered on double empty holes, and (iv) high-strength supports for deep roadways. The proposed set of techniques was successfully implemented in the –1010 west rock roadway (WRR) drivage at the Huafeng Coal Mine (HCM). The improved drivage efficiency was characterized by the average and maximum monthly advances of 125 and 151 m, respectively. The roadway cross-sectional shape accuracy was also significantly improved, with the overbreak and underbreak zones being less than 50 mm. The deformation in the surrounding rock of roadway (SRR) was adequately controlled, thus avoiding repeated maintenance and repair. The relevant research results can provide technical guidance for efficient drivage of roadways at depths over 1 km in other mining areas in China and worldwide.