Physical Experiment and Numerical Modeling on the Failure Mechanism of Gob-Side Entry Driven in Thick Coal Seam

In this paper, a combination of physical model tests and numerical simulations were carried out to explore the overlying strata movement laws, failure mechanism, and cracks evolution of the gob-side entry driven in a thick coal seam. The physical experimental results indicated that the hanging cantilever beam was easily developed above the coal pillar after mining out the 2101 panel, resulting in a larger and stronger stress concentration. The...