Coal gangue is one of the most abundant solid wastes generated during coal mining. The use of coal gangue for underground backfilling is widely recognized as an effective approach to reducing waste accumulation and promoting sustainable utilization. To further investigate the bearing and deformation behavior of underground gangue filling materials, combined with the underground occurrence conditions of crushed gangue in goaf, a self-designed loading apparatus for crushed gangue was employed to perform lateral compression experiments on crushed gangue. The compaction deformation, fractal dimension, and acoustic emission evolution characteristics of crushed gangue under the influence of lithology, water content state, particle size distribution, and axial pressure were analyzed. The results indicate that higher rock strength, lower moisture content, smaller particle size range, and lower axial pressure significantly enhance the bearing capacity and reduce axial strain. The fractal dimension increases with decreasing rock strength, increasing moisture content, and increasing axial pressure, reflecting intensified particle fragmentation. The acoustic emission response exhibits three different stages, corresponding to void compaction, void filling, and structural adjustment. Axial pressure has been identified as the main factor controlling acoustic emission energy release, while water content significantly suppresses acoustic emission energy and event frequency. The key roles of particle sliding, rotation, and torque-driven rearrangement in controlling overall deformation were elucidated. These findings provide theoretical support for the mechanical behavior of gangue filling in the goaf and the sustainable disposal and resource utilization of mining waste.
Zhao et al. (2026) studied this question.