A system for forming a cavity in a backfill mixture comprising granular material and water positioned in an at least partially excavated stope. The system includes a base and a drainage tube assembly in an extended condition thereof. The drainage tube assembly extends between a lower end secured to the base and an upper end positioned above an upper surface of the backfill mixture. The extended drainage tube assembly includes a tube portion thereof with a permeable material and defining the cavity therein into which the water from the backfill mixture is drainable, through the permeable material. The system also includes a drainage pipe, for permitting the water that has drained into the cavity of the extended drainage tube assembly to exit the stope.

The present invention discloses a method for determining internal stress of a solid filling material, comprising the following steps: step 1) acquiring stress data of the solid filling material, and fitting the stress-strain relationship of the solid filling material; step 2) calculating surface subsidence in the solid filling area on the basis of an equivalent mining height theory with a probability integration method; step 3) calculating the expansion height of fractured zones in the area under a solid-backfill coal mining condition; step 4) calculating the strain in the solid filling material at a distance L from the rear of the stope by combing with step 2) and step 3); step 5) calculating internal stress in the solid filling material at distance L from the rear of the working face. The present invention attains the following beneficial effects: the present invention provides a method for calculating the stress in filling mass for solid-backfill coal mining. The method is simple and practical, and is of great significance for reckoning the distribution of the stress in the surrounding rock for solid backfill mining, guiding the backfill mining support design, and enriching the backfill mining pressure theory system.

Disclosed is a multi-section non-pillar staggered protected roadway for a deep inclined thick coal seam (DITCS) and a method for coal pillar filling between sections. The multi-section non-pillar staggered protected roadway includes a floor, a coal seam, an immediate roof, and a basic roof in a multi-section coal seam, where the floor is disposed below the coal seam, a hydraulic support is disposed in a section between the floor and the immediate roof; a return airway and a transportation roadway are respectively disposed on a left side and a right side of each section; the return airway and the transportation roadway in each section are communicated with each other through a working face; and non-pillar staggered layout is used for a return airway of a next section and a transportation roadway of a current section.

A method of horizontal directional drilling is provided. The proposed method utilizes directional drilling in which boreholes are arranged in a pattern such that the surface area of extraction is maximized. The pattern can be achieved using a vertical borehole, multiple lateral boreholes and multiple subsidiary portions of the lateral boreholes. A lateral borehole is drilled extending beyond a vertical borehole towards the orebody, from which a subsidiary borehole is drilled into the orebody. Once the extraction is complete, the subsidiary borehole is back filled. A new subsidiary borehole is drilled extending beyond the lateral borehole and adjacent to the first subsidiary borehole. The subsidiary boreholes are planned to form a honeycomb or direct stacked pattern. Once all extraction is complete from a lateral borehole and its subsidiary boreholes, a new lateral borehole is drilled from the vertical borehole and the process is repeated.

The present invention provides for a compressible grout mix for filling an annular gap between a tunnel rock wall surface and a tunnel liner of a tunnel in a rock formation subject to time dependent deformation after excavation and a method of filling the annular gap between a tunnel rock wall surface and a funnel liner of a tunnel in a rock formation subject to time dependent deformation after excavation utilizing the compressible grout mix for resilient absorption of forces in the hardened state of the compressible grout mix exerted by the time dependent deformation of the rock wall surface into the tunnel opening. The method includes: a. providing a compressible grout mix comprising hydraulic binding agent, bentonite clay, polymer foam particles, water, and one or more additives selected from water-reducing admixture and/or setting retarding admixture, aggregate materials, anti-wash agents and air, b. placing the compressible grout mix in the annular gap between the tunnel wall rock surface and the tunnel liner, and c. allowing the compressible grout mix to set, wherein the compressible grout mix in the hardened state has a compressible ratio greater than the anticipated time dependent deformation.

The present invention provides for a compressible grout mix for filling an annular gap between a tunnel rock wall surface and a tunnel liner of a tunnel in a rock formation subject to time dependent deformation after excavation and a method of filling the annular gap between a tunnel rock wall surface and a funnel liner of a tunnel in a rock formation subject to time dependent deformation after excavation utilizing the compressible grout mix for resilient absorption of forces in the hardened state of the compressible grout mix exerted by the time dependent deformation of the rock wall surface into the tunnel opening. The method includes: a. providing a compressible grout mix comprising hydraulic binding agent, bentonite clay, polymer foam particles, water, and one or more additives selected from water-reducing admixture and/or setting retarding admixture, aggregate materials, anti-wash agents and air, b. placing the compressible grout mix in the annular gap between the tunnel wall rock surface and the tunnel liner, and c. allowing the compressible grout mix to set, wherein the compressible grout mix in the hardened state has a compressible ratio greater than the anticipated time dependent deformation.

Mining provides our society with many of minerals, metals, and gemstones for a wide variety of applications from mundane items through to expensive jewelry. But the mining operations generate waste and large empty shafts and stopes within the ground. It would beneficial to provide a lightweight material for backfill which can provide safer working conditions for miners as well as advantages in respect of weight reduction, reducing water consumption, rheology improvement and cost minimization. Equally, it would be beneficial for the lightweight backfill material to include mining tailings to reduce the impact external to the mine. However, the inclusion of mine tailings into a foam is counter-intuitive as mine tailings are generally characterized by a high proportion of small particles with sharp edges. However, embodiments of the invention provide just such a foam based mine backfill material.

A method for recovering room-mining coal pillars by solid filling in synergy with artificial pillars. Solid materials and cementing materials on the ground are conveyed through a feeding well and a pipeline to a room-and-pillar goaf, a plurality of artificial pillars is cast at an interval in a coal room area, and gangue is cast to fill other regions of the coal room using a gangue casting machine. Under joint support by the artificial pillars and the coal room filler, coal pillars are recovered using a continuous coal mining machine, artificial pillars are cast in the original coal pillar area after recovery, and gangue is cast to fill the original coal pillar area using the gangue casting machine. A system for recovering room-mining coal pillars by solid filling in synergy with artificial pillars mainly includes a material conveying system, a joint support system, and a coal pillar recovery system.

A method for recovering room-mining coal pillars by solid filling in synergy with artificial pillars. Solid materials and cementing materials on the ground are conveyed through a feeding well and a pipeline to a room-and-pillar goaf, a plurality of artificial pillars is cast at an interval in a coal room area, and gangue is cast to fill other regions of the coal room using a gangue casting machine. Under joint support by the artificial pillars and the coal room filler, coal pillars are recovered using a continuous coal mining machine, artificial pillars are cast in the original coal pillar area after recovery, and gangue is cast to fill the original coal pillar area using the gangue casting machine. A system for recovering room-mining coal pillars by solid filling in synergy with artificial pillars mainly includes a material conveying system, a joint support system, and a coal pillar recovery system.

A plug for a void in a mine to divert water having a rigid closed cell foam which fills the void. The rigid closed cell foam having a plurality of pipes disposed within the foam. The pipes distributed throughout the void. The pipes are positioned in the foam so the pipes are staggered in length vertically with respect to various heights in the void, and the pipes are positioned in the foam every 4 to 6 horizontally with respect to the void. Each pipe has a mixing stick. A method for diverting water from a void in a mine.