Investigation of Deformation Pattern and Movement Law of the Huge-Thick Conglomerate Stratum by a Large-Scale 3D Model Test with Distributed Optical Fiber Sensor Monitoring

Mining activities under the circumstances of huge-thick stratum occurrence commonly result in dynamic response of the working face. It is crucial to understand the rock failure and movement of the huge-thick stratum in order to prevent dynamic hazards. This paper introduces distributed optical fiber sensor (DOFS) monitoring into a large-scale model test to investigate the deformation pattern and movement law of the huge-thick conglomerate (HTC); the monitoring results are verified by numerical simulation. The results indicate that DOFS monitoring captures the spatiotemporal evolution of zoning development in the overburden deformation. The deformation field of HTC is illustrated, and there exists a strain basin that can be used to estimate the movement law of HTC. The average strain variability Ex, a new homogenization index for characterizing the overburden deformation, is proposed to describe the broken rules of the HTC. The numerical simulation proves the feasibility of the DOFS monitoring method and the correctness of the deformation pattern and movement law. This study provides efficient methods for DOFS monitoring utilization to investigate mining engineering problems and could be beneficial for unearthing the mechanisms of deep ground rock deformation.