Effects of constitutive model on the stability analysis of roadway tunnels of coal mines

Thorough analysis of geotechnical data is prerequisite to managing stability of underground excavations and the whole mine for sound and effective mining environment. Ground control issues can be cost-effectively managed by understanding the controlling geotechnical factors such as rock mass condition and in situ stress state through geotechnical investigations. Then the geotechnical engineers use these parameters to assess the stability and design an effective and optimised support system particularly in deep mines. The in-situ stress prior to the mining is generated by weight of the overlaying rocks and the tectonic movements. Deeper the mine, higher the magnitude of the in-situ stress components. Mining activities such as roadway development and ore extractions disturb the equivalent state of the in-situ stress in the ground. When the newly distributed stress components around the underground mining openings exceed the strength of the surrounding strata, they cause rock fracturing. The stress induced rock fracturing can result in instabilities around the mine openings such as roadways.