Sensitivity analysis of key factors influencing compression-induced deformation of waste rocks for backfilling to reduce environmental pollution.

As solid wastes are generated during coal mining, waste rocks can be backfilled into goaf so as to reduce geological hazards and environmental damage caused by coal mining; however, under different stress regimes, the sensitivities of factors influencing compression-induced deformation (CID) of waste rocks for backfilling (WRBs) are different. In order to control the compression-induced deformation of waste rocks for backfilling more efficiently, compression characteristics of waste rocks for backfilling under four different stress levels were tested by using a homemade loading test system for granular materials based on an orthogonal experiment. The influences of lithology, particle size distribution (PSD), lateral stress, and number of lateral loading cycles on compression-induced deformation of waste rocks for backfilling and sensitivities ranks of the four factors were analysed. The test results showed that: (1) under an axial stress of less than 10 MPa, lateral stress was considered the main factor influencing compression-induced deformation of waste rocks for backfilling; when the axial stress ranged from 10 to 20 MPa, particle size distribution was the main influencing factor; (2) under four different axial stress levels, the optimal combination of influencing factors is sandstone, a particle size distribution from 0 to 10 mm, 3 MPa lateral stress, and 7 lateral loading cycles; (3) to control the compression-induced deformation of waste rocks for backfilling, it was necessary to optimise the lateral stress under an axial stress of less than 10 MPa; while the axial stress was between 10 and 20 MPa, it was essential to optimise the particle size distribution.