Abstract
A quantitative description for the spatial distribution and the evolution of a crack network in mining rock stratum is one of the most difficult and fundamental problem in the subject of surface subsidence. In this paper, the physical models are employed to simulate the spatial distribution of a crack network. By using the fractal geometry, the self-similarity of spatial distribution of crack network is discovered. As a result, the conception of fractal crack network is proposed. Furthermore, the evolution of a crack network with the increasing of mining width is investigated. It is shown that (1) the spatial distribution of a crack network displays the fractal behavior, so, the fractal dimension can be used to describe quantitatively the evolution of the crack network, (2) the fractal dimension of the crack network increases with increasing of mining width, (3) the surface subsidence increases with the increasing of fractal dimension of crack network.