系统阐述了华北型煤田陷落柱及其突水的研究历程和取得的成就。20世纪30年代煤田岩溶陷落柱偶然发现于煤炭开采中，因其带来开采及安全影响，研究不断深化。新中国成立伊始，百业待兴，能源先行，陷落柱对煤炭开发的影响逐渐显现，在解决现场技术问题的同时，基础理论得到蓬勃发展，至1984年开滦范各庄矿陷落柱特大突水事故震惊世界，其成功封堵复矿标志着我国治理技术基本成熟，该事件成为划时代的里程碑；其后能源行业从萧条到黄金10年，煤炭开发向深部、西部转移，陷落柱突水威胁日趋严重，新理论新技术的应用，促进相关研究不断向纵深发展，到目前为止，基本理论及治理技术日臻完善。由于其局域性和特殊性，国外仅有岩溶塌陷和采矿垮落的理论可作为研究借鉴。从基本特征、分布规律、成因机制、导水性、突水模式及机理、预测探查和治理等方面全方位进行了总结，归纳了岩溶陷落柱空间形态特征、充填物特点、揭露特征、结构构造特征等，系统梳理了岩溶陷落柱分类及类型；探讨了岩溶陷落柱导水性，建立了岩溶陷落柱预测指标体系及预测模型，分类提出了陷落柱突水模式和机理及力学判据，研讨了陷落柱突水量预测的可行性，规范了陷落柱预测探查及治理的程序，总结了陷落柱治理技术。作者指出了目前陷落柱研究中存在的不足，凝练了岩溶陷落柱成因、导水性、预测、突水机理及突水量预测等方面的待解科学命题，列举了陷落柱精细化探查、突水监测预警、治理装备技术等方面技术难题，指明了未来探索及发展方向。应当指出，尽管现有成果基本成型，但距离技术理论体系的完善、满足保障矿井安全生产还有很长的路要走。

The history of studying the Collapse column in North China Coalfield and the great achievement achieved so far were reviewed in a comprehensive way. During 1930s, the scenario of Karst Collapse column was discovered accidentally in coalfields under mining process. Because of the impact that this scenario has on mining operation and its safety, more and more extensive research was carried out on it. Right after the P.R. China was founded, energy production was put in high priority among many other urgent sectors and the impact of collapse column on coal mining had unveiled gradually. As researchers and engineers solved the technique issues on scene, the fundamental theory behind also gained rapid development. In 1984, the severe water inrush of large collapse column taking place in Fangezhuang Mine of Kailuan coal mine area shocked the world, however the consequential success on sealing and recovering had exhibited the progress on such technique in China; this incident has been a indisputable hallmark on handling such issues in China. Afterwards, the energy industry has gone through from down turn to the golden era of ten years of booming; coal mining depth has became deeper and deeper, and tendency toward west region of China, which is accompanied with higher and higher threat from water inrush of collapse column. As emergence of new theories and technologies, along with the continuous extensive development on related researches, the fundamental theories and handling technique have been perfected. However because of the locality and lack of generality of the issue, we could only reference to theories developed oversea on Karst collapse and mining. This paper comprehensively summarized basic characteristics, distribution law, genetic mechanism, water conductivity, water inrush mode and mechanism, prediction exploration and management; also clarified spatial morphological and filling characteristics; revealed features and structural features of Karst collapse column; systematically analyzed the different classifications and types of Karst collapse columns; discussed the water conductivity of Karst collapse columns, established a prediction index system and prediction model for Karst collapse columns, and proposed the water inrush modes and mechanisms of the collapse column with mechanical criterion. The feasibility of the prediction of water inrush quantity from the collapse column is also explored along with the formalizing and standardizing the procedure of predicting exploration and treatment of the collapse column. One of this work's objectives is to summarize all the available treatment techniques of the collapse column. In this work, authors also point out some existing problems in the current research on collapse column, and refine scientific propositions on the Karst collapse column's genesis, water conductivity, prediction, water inrush mechanism and water inrush quantity forecast. By listing all the challenges confronting us on techniques such as fine exploration of the collapse column, the monitoring and forecasting of water inrush, and the management equipment technology, authors in this work tried to lay out the direction for future research and technique progress. At the end authors conclude that even with the great success that had been achieved on this issue so far, we are still far away from satisfactory theoretical and technical system capable of assuring safe production in mines.