Dynamic and static load effect of non-uniformly “bow-shaped” super-thick key strata

The rupture of super-thick key strata is a crucial factor in triggering mine dynamic disasters. Investigating the impact of their non-uniform thickness on mining-induced stress environments and rupture dynamic loads, and further revealing the mechanism of dynamic and static loading on rock burst pressure, is the theoretical foundation for predicting rock burst risks and disaster prevention and control. This paper investigates the non-uniformly thick “bow-shaped” super-thick key strata in the Binchang mining area of Shaanxi. Through comprehensive theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, it analyzes the mechanical principle of abnormal stress concentration in the coal rock mass beneath the “bow-shaped” super-thick key strata, clarifies the influence of the “bow-shaped” morphology on the rupture characteristics of the super-thick key strata and reveals the mechanism of dynamic and static load superposition in the area beneath the “bow-shaped” formation, leading to rock bursts. Based on the study above, a method for predicting the disaster risks caused by the rupture of “bow-shaped” super-thick key strata is proposed. The results show that in the convex area under the “bow-shaped” formation of the super-thick key strata, the high stress is exceptionally concentrated, increasing the coal rock body stress by an additional 22.1 MPa, with an increase rate of up to 56%, which is the fundamental reason for the high static load formation in the underlying coal-rock body. At the same time, the principal stress in the concave area of the “bow-shaped” formation concentrates and undergoes significant deformation, increasing the risk of strong dynamic loads due to rupture. Under the combined action of dynamic and static loads in the non-uniformly thick “bow-shaped” super-thick key strata, the rock bursts are likely to occur in the pillar and roadway areas. The proposed method for predicting the disaster risks due to the rupture of “bow-shaped” super-thick key strata effectively guides the disaster prevention and control in high-risk mining areas prone to rock bursts. Additionally, the distributed fiber optic field measurement results validate the intrinsic connection between the rupture of super-thick key strata and the generation of dynamic loads.