Abstract
To investigate the stability of a super-large section chamber group, an analysis was conducted based on the in-situ geological conditions of a super-large section chamber group utilized as a coal gangue separation system at the Longgu Coal Mine. Field measurement and numerical simulation were employed to analyze the failure area and stress state of the surrounding rock under varying chamber spacings. The results indicate that the extent of the plastic zone significantly expands when the spacing between chambers is less than 2.0 times the chamber width. When the distance between chambers is 1.5 times the chamber width, it results in the rock pillars being entirely within the plastic zone. As the chamber spacing decreases, the tangential stress within the rock pillar range increases. When the chamber spacing is 2.5, 2.0, and 1.5 times the chamber width, the maximum tangential stress is 1.19, 1.46, and 1.18 times that in the case of a single chamber, respectively. Based on the displacement analysis, it was observed that as the distance between the chambers decreases, there is a notable increase in the displacement of the pillar sides and chamber top, indicating a higher risk of collapse. Integrating the plastic area and stress analysis allows for the categorization of the rock pillar area into four sections: the broken area, loose area, stable area, and firm area. Drawing upon the theoretical solution of the plastic zone of a circular chamber and the equivalent radius method, an approximate solution for the plastic zone of a non-circular chamber has been provided. Furthermore, the minimum reasonable spacing between chambers in a super-large section chamber group is provided as a distance criterion for the failure of a double chamber.