Prediction of Surface Deformations Over Longwall Panels in the Northern Appalachian Coalfield

摘要

A subsidence prediction methodology suitable to the mining and geologic conditions in the Northern Appalachian Coal Region was developed. The substance of this method is the separation of the effects of lithology by introducing a correlation between hypothetically homogeneous overburden and existing lithologic conditions, while providing for different mining conditions such as underground geometry and overburden thickness. The effects of lithology have been expressed in the form of a variable subsidence coefficient within the subsidence trough. The subsidence coefficient is considered a constant for other predictive methods. Field data from 16 test sites at 11 longwall panel studies were used in the analysis. For each panel, the characteristics of the variability of the subsidence coefficient were defined.