Solid waste filling and roadway retaining for longwall mining by numerical investigation

Solid waste filling and roadway retaining can effectively control surface subsidence and alleviate solid waste accumulation pollution. In order to effectively evaluate the advantages of solid waste filling in deformation control of overlying strata and surrounding rock of retained roadways, this study used theoretical analysis and numerical simulation methods to analyze the factors affecting surface subsidence, as well as the deformation characteristics of surrounding rocks and retaining tunnels during backfill mining. By calculating the influence of factors such as the foundation coefficient and the filling rate on the subsidence of the roof, it is concluded that the filling rate is the main controlling factor affecting the subsidence of the roof. Through simulation and comprehensive analysis of the impact of different filling rates on overlying rock migration, it was found that when the filling rates are 70 % and 80 %, it can effectively control the subsidence of overlying rock in the mining area. By simulating the effects of these two filling rate conditions on the deformation of surrounding rock within the retained roadway zone, the results show that the optimal filling rate that can effectively control the subsidence of the overlying rock and improve the stability of the retained roadway is 80 %.