ARTICLE
Study on roof fracture mechanism and mine pressure characteristics in pseudo-inclined working faces of steeply inclined coal seams
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Yu Wu 1
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1
State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Construction and Healthy Operation and Maintenance of Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, China
 
2
Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China
 
 
Submission date: 2025-05-16
 
 
Final revision date: 2025-11-27
 
 
Acceptance date: 2025-12-30
 
 
Online publication date: 2026-02-13
 
 
Corresponding author
Yu Wu   

State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Construction and Healthy Operation and Maintenance of Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, No.1 Daxue Road, 221116, Xuzhou, China
 
 
 
KEYWORDS
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ABSTRACT
An improperly designed pseudo-inclination angle in steeply inclined coal seams can lead to coal wall spalling and hydraulic support failure. This study establishes mechanical models for initial and periodic roof fractures under pseudo-inclined mining and derives analytical solutions using the variational method. The optimal pseudo-inclination angle has been determined to be 5° to 10°. Field monitoring shows that initial fractures occur at the center of the working face, while periodic fractures originate in the upper-middle section, where support loads are also highest. These results validate the mechanical model and offer theoretical guidance for the safe mining of steeply inclined seams.
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