The Influence of the Backfilling Roadway Driving Sequence on the Rockburst Risk of a Coal Pillar Based on an Energy Density Criterion

The rockburst hazard has always been an important issue affecting the safety production of coal mines in China. The unreasonable sequencing of roadway driving can lead to the dynamic instability of coal pillars, which subsequently causes rockburst accidents in roadway backfilling mining engineering and poses a serious threat to the safety of the mines. Roadway backfilling mining technology is an effective approach with which to mine corner residual coal resources under buildings, railways, and rivers. An energy density criterion is established and programmed with FISH language using numerical analysis software for the rockburst risk evaluation of coal pillars. On this basis, a numerical simulation model is established based on four scheme types, namely, the sequential mining, one-roadway interval mining, two-roadway interval mining, and three-roadway interval mining schemes. The influence of the backfilling roadway driving sequence on coal pillar stability is investigated, and the change law of vertical stress and energy density factor of coal pillars in different driving sequences in roadway backfilling mining technology are analyzed. According to the research results, the maximum energy density factor value of 21,172 J/m(4) for coal pillars in one-roadway interval mining is the lowest among the different schemes. Therefore, the one-roadway interval mining scheme is the optimal choice in roadway backfilling mining technology. The results can be treated as an important basis for the prevention and treatment of coal pillar instability and rockburst in roadway backfilling mining technology.