A VISCO-ELASTIC MODEL FOR ANALYSIS OF GROUND SUBSIDENCE DUE TO UNDERGROUND MINING BY PILLARLESS SUBLEVEL CAVING METHOD

The ground movement process induced by the pillarless sublevel caving method is a complicated process. According to theory of rock rheology, the theoretical model for the prediction and analysis of the ground subsidence due to deep underground mining by the pillarless sublevel caving method is given. By applying the model to actual cases of underground iron ore mining by the pillarless sublevel caving method, the ground subsidence due to underground mining in Xiaoguanzhuang Iron Mine, Luzhong Metallurgical Mining Company have been predicted. And the dynamic ground subsidence due to deep underground mining in the west mining area is analyzed. The agreement of the theoretical results with the filed measurements shows that the model is satisfactory and the formulae obtained are vaild and thus can be effectively used for predicting the ground movement due to deep underground mining by the pillarless sublevel caving method.