The analysis and application of granular backfill material to reduce surface subsidence in China’s northwest coal mining area

In China’s northwest coal mining area, the excavation of shallow buried thick coal seams has caused serious damage to the phreatic water layer and induced deterioration of the ecological environment. Backfilling is a basic method of controlling the loss of groundwater and reducing surface subsidence. In order to reduce the porosity of the backfill material and control the compression ratio of the backfill body, the grain gradation of the local aeolian sand was studied based on the geological conditions of the shallow buried coal seam in the Yulin mining area, Shaanxi province. Subsequently, aeolian sand was selected as the backfilling aggregate, and tests were implemented. The optimum proportion and slurry concentration of the backfill material were then obtained. The engineering application shows that the strength and stability of the backfill body based on the close packing theory can satisfy the requirements of supporting the overlying strata, and the integrity of overburden strata is competent. The maximum accumulated surface subsidence was measured to be 38mm, indicating that the aeolian sand-based backfill material in shallow and thick underground coal seam mining is able to protect the eco-environment and control the geo-environmental hazards, which are critical for the sustainable development of the mining industry and economic growth.