A numerical investigation into floor buckling mechanisms in underground coal mine roadways

Excessive floor deformation in underground coal mines, known as floor heave, can cause production delays and thus financial losses. This paper presents parametric studies using numerical models to understand the mechanisms of floor heave in coal mine roadways. An Australian longwall coal mine that experienced significant floor heave in the roadways, where a strong floor unit overlying weak floor units is present immediately below the coal seam,...