A two-dimensional model test system for floor failure during automatic roadway formation mining without pillars above confined water

The coal mining in North China is seriously threatened by floor water inrush from the Ordovician limestone, so it is particularly important to explore failure characteristics. Automatic roadway formation mining without pillars (ARFMP) provides an effective method for reducing floor failure. To explore failure characteristics above confined water, a two-dimensional model test system is built up. Such a system can be applied to compare the difference of floor failure between ARFMP above confined water and traditional retained coal pillar mining, and to intuitively analyze the lifting law of confined water under dynamic disturbance. The core features of this system include the customized spring sets and water bag adopted as materials to simulate the floor aquifer, the guide lift hose and branch conduit used as the lifting channel of confined water, and the flow rate and cumulative volume monitored in real time. The customized “cutting-support-blocking” integrated device is the key equipment to simulate ARFMP. Then, the model test is conducted on a typical engineering case. By comparing stress, displacement, and water inrush characteristics of floor in different areas, failure characteristics of the roof-cutting side, the middle of working face, the collapse column area, and the coal pillar side were obtained, and it was clarified that ARFMP can effectively prevent floor water inrush. According to the results of model test, a comprehensive treatment scheme combining ARFMP with the floor regional control is proposed to ensure the safe mining of working face.