Experimental data in steeply inclined multiseam mining

Ground surface damage caused by steeply inclined coal seam mining is
widely distributed in China, but there is little research on the failure
process and movement mechanism of strata induced by steeply inclined
multi-seam mining. In this paper, a physical model test is carried out to
study the failure process and movement mechanism of overburden in steeply
inclined multi-seam stepwise mining. The results show that at the initial
stage, the main failure of the rock mass is the small-scale collapse at
the open-off cut and the roof (stability stage of the rock mass). After
the roof is exposed over a certain range, the rock mass in the downhill
direction slips into the goaf and gradually destroys the interburdens of
the goaf, similar to the displacement effect of dominoes (severe failure
stage of the rock mass). When the structure of the goaf fails, the
overburden subsides, causing extensive damage to the ground surface. The
surface damage directly above the goaf is mainly caused by serious
subsidence deformation, while the surface damage in the downhill direction
is dominated by cracks.