Study on the Fractal Characteristics of Fracture Network Evolution Induced by Mining

The evolution and distribution of fracture network induced by mining is essential to determine the mechanical properties and permeability of disturbed rock mass. In this paper, the similar material model tests are employed to simulate the stress variation, cyclic breaking, and fracture formation and distribution status of the overlying strata with different loading conditions, rock properties, and mining process. The fractal dimension of mining-induced fracture network varied with mining advancing, and the evolvement laws of fracture network with mining advancing and different mining advancing footage are concerned and obtained. By establishing the relationship between the fractal dimension and the mining length in different horizontal and vertical zones, it demonstrates that the fractal dimensions in horizontal and vertical zones have a self-similar characteristic, and the distribution of the fractal dimension of the mining-induced fractures shows generally the “W”-type trend.