Layered rock masses contain many pre-existing defects, and investigating their failure mechanism is crucial for controlling layered rock mass instability. In order to understand the layered rock fracture mechanism, this study develops sandstone combination models containing cracks of different angles using the Particle Flow Code software (PFC^2D) to conduct the uniaxial loading tests. In addition, it analyzes the mechanical properties and fracture characteristics of the models. The pre-crack angles and the composite materials determine the mechanical properties and crack propagation of the sandstone combination (SC) models. The results indicated that the peak stress and elastic modulus of the SC models increase as the pre-crack angle rises. The force chain concentration and the crack initiation location change with the different pre-crack angles, and the initiation stress improves gradually. The entire acoustic emission (AE) process is divided into three phases per axial stress and AE event number. The AE active level significantly correlates with the pre-crack angle change. The “V” type trend is shown in the crack number distribution, and the tensile crack is the predominant mode with some shear cracks. The micro-crack concentration and macroscopic damage zones are more prevalent in the low-strength parts, and the pre-crack angles define the influence weight of the pre-crack angle and the composite material strength.

In western region of China, the water-sand inrush across overlying strata fissures caused by mining threatens the mine safety production seriously. In order to study the development of water-sand inrush across overlying strata fissures caused by mining, a simulated test system consisted of load support bracket, laboratory module, confined water module, coal seam mining simulator, storage tank, and control system is developed. The combination of coal bearing strata in the south of Shendong mining area is looked on as the engineering background, and a series of new nonhydrophilic composite materials with lower intensity are developed to simulate the coal measure strata. The excavation of physical model can reproduce the whole process of water-sand inrush across overlying strata fissures caused by mining to the life. Under the action of mining and water pressure, after the fourth excavation, the mining-induced vertical fractures of overlying strata pass through the entire bedrock and connect the unconsolidated sand bed, which serves as pathways between the unconsolidated sand bed and working face, triggering water-sand inrush. The water pump suddenly accelerates, and the water yield suddenly increases to the extreme value of 150 L/h. The water pressure rapidly drops to 0 MPa, and a small amount of colored sand enters into the fractures of overlying strata and flows out with the water. The distribution of support pressure around the working face can be divided into 4 areas obviously, that is, the original stress area, the stress-concentrated area, the stress-released area, and the stress restoration area. Test results show that the system is stable and reliable, which have important significance for studying the formation mechanism of water-sand inrush across overlying strata fissures further.

The impact force of debris flow is not only an important indicator of the risk assessment of debris flow and the strength impact resistance of buildings against debris flow, but also an important parameter in the design of various debris flow prevention projects (such as the check dam and the drainage channel, etc.). The pressure sensors are arranged at different positions (monitoring points) on the upstream face of the check dam. By changing the slope of the drainage channel, the bulk density of debris flow and the slope gradient of the upstream face of the check dam, the time history curves of the impact force at the monitoring points under different experiment conditions are obtained. The characteristic value of the impact force of debris flow acting on the surface of the sand retaining dam is analyzed, and the evolution law of mean value and maximum value of impact force of debris flow at the same detection location with the above conditions is obtained. The mean value and maximum value of debris flow impact force at different detection locations under the same working condition are analyzed to obtain the evolution law of debris flow impact force at different locations, and then the distribution trend of debris flow impact force on the upstream face of the check dam is obtained. The research results provide scientific and reasonable theoretical basis and technical support for the stability analysis of the check dam, so as to better serve the disaster prevention and reduction of debris flow, which will improve the technical level of the debris flow prevention project to a certain extent.

With the continuous increase of the upper limit of coal mining, in mining areas near unconsolidated layers, water and sand inrush disasters occur from time to time, seriously threatening the safety of mine production. In this paper, the process of water and sand inrush accidents induced by mining near unconsolidated layers is analyzed using mechanical analysis and numerical simulation methods, based on the principle of silo unloading and arching and combined with actual water and sand inrush characteristics; the critical water and sand inrush arching mechanism is explained. The paper also proposed and established three critical arching mechanics models (interlocking arch, bonded arch, and transition arch), deduced the mathematical expression of interlocking arch and transition arch, and obtained the critical instability conditions of the arch and its influencing factors. The research results have guiding significance for the occurrence of water and sand inrush disasters and the judgment of the degree of damage in mining near unconsolidated layers.

The research of the runoff structure and its influencing factors in the Xilinhe River Basin not only provides indispensable basic data for the economic development, but also has long-term significance for the protection of grasslands. Based on the runoff data of Xilinhot Hydrological Station from 1960 to 2010 and the daily meteorological data of three surrounding weather stations from 1960 to 2010, the paper calculated the potential evapotranspiration with Penmans formula and used the combination of Mann-Kendall and Pettitt to diagnose the variation points of characteristic value of runoff distribution during the year. The cumulant slope change rate method is used to quantitatively analyze the contribution rate of climate change and human activities to the uneven distribution coefficient and the complete adjustment coefficient of runoff during the year. The results show that (1) the monthly distribution of runoff in the Xilinhe River Basin is obviously bimodal during the year, and the uneven coefficient, complete adjustment coefficient, and concentration in the 2000s are significantly higher than those of 60s-90s. (2) In 1998, the coefficient of uneven distribution of runoff in the Xilinhe River Basin and the coefficient of complete adjustment both showed abrupt changes. (3) Climate change and human activities contributed 11.48 and 88.52 and 9.35 and 90.65 to the uneven distribution coefficient and the complete adjustment coefficient, respectively, of the runoff in the Xilinhe River Basin. Human activities are the main driving factors for changes in the distribution of runoff in the Xilinhe River Basin during the year.