On a Possible Mechanism of Hydrostatic Pressure on Mineshaft Linings in Western China

Reasonable determination of the water pressure on the shaft linings is the key to the optimization design of the vertical shaft of mining. The traditional water pressure calculation model is not suitable for the stratum conditions in western China. A new shaft-surrounding rock seepage model is proposed based on the coordinated seepage conditions of surrounding rock and shaft linings. In the model, the seepage within the shaft depth is assumed happening in a unit thickness confined aquifer. Thereby, the water pressure on the shaft linings is derived by the steady seepage theory, and the water pressure reduction coefficient is defined by normalizing the hydrostatic pressure. The influences of shaft diameter and shaft depth, the permeability coefficient of the surrounding rock, and the seepage flow on the water pressure reduction coefficient are analyzed. After that, the mechanism of reducing water pressure by grouting the surrounding rock is studied by considering the stratum conditions in western China. Finally, a practical equation, which only relating to the depth of the shaft, is fitted on account of the averaged water pressure reduction coefficient from the theoretical model. The effectiveness of the theoretical model and the fitted equation are verified by the measured data and data in the literature.