MEASUREMENT OF S T R E S S IN A C O A L MASS

BY T H E S E I S M I C METHOD

Yu. L. N o v o z h i l o v and V. I . Dobrynin UDC 622.83 : 622.23.02

To ensure safety in c o a l mines, the seam is wetted. However, injection of water into the seam to prevent
rock bursts is c o m p l i c a t e d by absence of a method of monitoring the effectiveness of the process; this makes it dif-
ficult to establish the optimum injection parameters (borehole length, distance between neighboring boreholes, depth
of hermetic sealing, injection pressure, and duration) with reference to specific pit conditions.

Methods of studying rock pressure, based on measurement of deformation in mine workings and loads on sup-
ports, are used for studying processes taking place in the i m m e d i a t e v i c i n i t y of workings. The f a m i l i a r methods of
load r e l i e f and depth marks enable us to study processes at a considerable distance from the face, but they are too
awkward and protracted for constant monitoring of the stress in the rock mass. Of the geophysical methods, use is
made of the acoustic, ultrasonic, e l e c t r o m e t r i c , and radiometric variants, but they a l l have marked shortcomings.
The P e r m ' C o a l Research Institute is studying the a p p l i c a b i l i t y of the seismic method for measuring stress
changes in a rock mass due to reduction of the burst proneness of the c o a l seam. The seismic method is based on
the dependence of the elastic properties of rocks on pressure. Elastic waves are produced and recorded in the c o a l
mass or the adjoining rocks. Studies are m a d e of propagation between the transmitter and r e m o t e l y placed receivers.
The time taken for the elastic vibrations to travel between the transmitter and receiver, the a m p l i t u d e and shape of
the pulse, and other parameters are observed and recorded. The changes of these parameters in t i m e (or space) are
related to the changes in the stressed state and m e c h a n i c a l properties of the rocks in the given section of the rock
mass.

We used the following apparatus: an N-700 loop oscillograph with M 001-1A galvanometers, and an N-102
oscillograph with an VIII galvanometer, a PIV-100 blaster, an ~RV electronic t i m e relay, and an SP~D-56 seismic
receiver. To e x c i t e vibrations in the rock mass we exploded charges of weight o . a - a . o kg in holes drilled at inter-
vals of 5-10 m below the roof and in the middle of the seam on the face side. The distance of the charge from the
face was 1.0-6.0 m. The receivers were located in holes (depth 0.5 m) drilled at intervals of 1.0-2.5 m in t h e s e a m
on the roadway side, to record the X components, and in recesses, to record the X, Y, and Z components. To o b -
tain effective contact between the seismic receiver and the c o a l mass, we used c l a y stemming; in the recesses the
receivers were fixed on alabaster.
Figure 1 shows the t y p i c a l appearance of a seismogram, obtained in these investigations. The t i m e of propa-
gation of the impulse through the c o a l mass was determined from the m o m e n t of generation of the elastic impulse
and the t i m e of arrival of the e l a s t i c vibrations at the receiver. In the processing of the seismogramswe separated
the longitudinal and transverse waves in the roof and c o a l and determined their average and interval rates of propa-
gation. From charts of the measured rates of propagation of the longitudinal and transverse components of the e l a s -
tic vibrations, we c a l c u l a t e d Poisson's ratio in the seam and the roof from the formulas for e l a s t i c i t y . The rate of
propagation of the elastic vibrations in the c o a l mass and Poisson's ratio increase with the stress; we can therefore
assume that their changes correspond qualitatively to the stress changes in the coal mass. Below we give the r e s u l t s
of stress measurements in m i n i n g - o u t faces in collieries of the Kizelugol' group.

The character of the stress distribution in the seam and roof was studied at the Kalinin c o l l i e r y . In the 423
bottom face, the burst-prone 11 seam is worked; the seam thickness is 1.5 m, the dip 20 ~ and face length 70 m,
The i m m e d i a t e and main roofs consist of quartz sandstone of thickness up to 40 m. The floor of the seam is a r g i l -
laceous sandstone of thickness up to 10 m. The working depth is 400 m. The longwall system is used. Roof con-
trol is effected by partial stowing of the waste with strip packs. To prevent possible manifestations of rock pressure,
water is injected into the seam; for this purpose, every third m i n i n g - o u t c y c l e (with an advance of 2.3 m per c y c l e )

Perrn~Scientific Research Coal Institute, Perm'. Translated from F i z i k o - T e k h n i c h e s k i e Problemy Razrabotki

Poleznykh Iskopaemykh, No. 2, pp. 98-101, March-April, 1969. Original a r t i c l e submitted June 7, 1967.

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Fig. 1. Typical appearance of seismogram (recorded by N-102 oscillograph, rate of
drawing 5 m/sec). Channels 1-6) signal from receivers; 7) timing of explosion; 8)
time marking.

Fig. 2. charts of Poisson's ratio (~) distribution in the coal mass:

a) p in the roof after injection of water into the seam; b) /1 in the
roof after one mining-out cycle; c)/~ in the coal after one
mining-out cycle; 1) boreholes for injecting water into the seam;
2) shotholes for exciting vibrations; 3) points of installation of
seismic receivers; 4) contours of Poisson's ratio.

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 a
b

,5 30 m frolm botlom r ~ a d I m lace

4mfro f 2
o,~ 1 I I. 21

o,2
" D/~/ 0,2
I
I \ t
S

I l l i %

"MJ O,I
_I! ~
Roof
0
I 10 20 30 40 50 Lm
m ] I

Fig. 3. Distribution of Poisson's ratio (it) in the roof and coal: a) at different
distances from the face; b) along the longwaU face; 1) g in the roof after in-
j e c t i n g water into the seam; 2) g in the roof after one m i n i n g - o u t c y c l e ; 3) p
in the c o a l after one m i n i n g - o u t cycle; o) boreholes for injecting water into
the seam,

seven 11 m holes are drilled and 6 m s of water is fed to each hole at a pressure of 200-300 atm. The sealing
depth is 5 m.

The elastic properties of the seam and roof were measured twice: the first e x p e r i m e n t was performed i m m e -
d i a t e l y after completion of water injection (before the face was attacked); the second e x p e r i m e n t was performed
after one m i n i n g - o u t cycle (after water injection).

A n a l y z i n g the data (Fig. 2), we note that the stress in the c o a l mass is very n o n u n i f o r m - z o n e s of e l e v a t e d
and reduced stress are obseived. The zone of m a x i m u m pressure is located ahead of the mining-out face (Fig. 3a,
curve 3). In the upper part of the longwall face, the zone of m a x i m u m pressure is nearer the face (4 m), in the
lower part it is further away (up to 9 m). The stress in the seam and roof is not constant: in the upper part of the
longwaU face (L > 30 m) the stress is greater (see Fig. 3b), because the worked-out l e v e l is higher.

Comparing the character of stress distribution in the roof and c o a l (see Fig. 3b, curves 2 and 3), it will be
noted that the sectors with m a x i m u m stress in the seam corresponded to those with m a x i m u m stress in the roof, i.e.,
the character of stress distribution in the roof and the c o a l is the same.
Analysis of the character of stress distribution in the roof i m m e d i a t e l y after injecting water into the seam and
after one m i n i n g - o u t cycle (see Fig. 3, curves 1 and 2) reveals that the stress in the c o a l mass varies in t i m e . Dur-
ing the m i n i n g - o u t c y c l e the stress in the roof increased (see Fig, 3b), the m a x i m u m abutment pressure approaching
the face by 0.5-1.5 m (see Fig. 3a). These changes in the stress in the c o a l mass are apparently due t o t h e decreased
width of the wetted zone.
The effect of injecting water into the seam on the stress in the roof was studied in longwall face 205 of the
Uritskii coUiery. Seam 11 is prone to bursts; the thickness is 1.5-2.0 m and the dip 5-10 ~ The roof is hard quartz
sandstone of thickness up to 30 m, the floor is also quartz sandstone. The length of the longwall face is 30 m, Min-
ing is on the longwall basis; no pillars are left. To prevent the possible occurrence of rock bursts, water is injected
into the seam; for this purpose, four 7.5 m holes are drilled. The s e a l i n g depth is 4 m ; the p r o t e c t i v e zone is
4.5 m.
Measurement of the rate of propagation of elastic vibrations in the roof before and after injection r e v e a l e d
that the stresses are redistributed in the roof. At a distance of 3-4 m from the face, the stress in the roof greatly d e -
creases, whereas at a considerable distance from the face the change in the stress is very slight and nonuniform:
zones of increase and decrease are observed.

The effect of inducer shotfiring on the elastic properties of the roof was studied in longwall face 325 of the
Kalinin colliery. This longwaU face works the burst-prone seam 11. The seam thickness is 1.9 m and the dip 18".
The m a i n roof is fine-grained quartz sandstone of thickness up to 30-40 m. The i m m e d i a t e roof is hard f i n e - g r a i n e d
sandstone of thickness up to 0.6-0.8 m. The length of the longwall is "/5 m. Roof control is effected by partial stow-
tng of the waste with dirt. To prevent rock bursts, c a m o u f l e t shotfiring is effected in the upper part of t h e face; for
this purpose, 11 holes of depth 6 m are drilled and fired. The amount of explosives used for e a c h hoie is 3 kg.

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 Measurements of the rate of propagation of waves in the roof before and after inducer shotfiring revealed that
the latter may lead to a certain amount of stress redistribution ha the roof: in the zone located at 3-4 m from the
actual face the stresses decrease, but in the remoter zones an increase is observed.

The data show that the seismic method can be used for assessing the stress in the coal mass and its change
when steps are taken to reduce the burst hazard.

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