Rock burst forecasting technique and selecting a safe coal face advance direction

Mine planning involves selecting an optimal mine layout. At the same time key factors, including those influencing mining safety, should be comprehensively taken into account. A developed rock burst forecasting technique taking into account mine workings of an extraction area and a mine goaf enables determining the safe direction of a coal face. The proposed technique also takes into account all faulting/joint systems, occurring beyond a mine field. The distribution of specific potential energy in an intact rock mass is proposed to be used as the basis of the input data required for rock burst forecasting. The forecast is carried out via estimating the Lode-Nadai coefficient at different directions of coal face advancing. The stress (intensity) coefficient is proposed to be used as a criterion in order to determine a safe direction. We determined the safety criterion is equal to 10 in the Komsomolskaya Mine conditions. Besides, the safest direction of a coal face advance to mitigate the risks of rock burst was determined for this mine. The direction between 138° and 128° counter-clockwise from the north direction was identified to be the safest for the Komsomolskaya Mine conditions for any values of deformation modulus and Poisson’s ratio.