Field investigations of high stress soft surrounding rocks and deformation control

Abstract Field investigations of high stress soft rock deformations show that the high stress soft rock roadway can slide with large deformation. Severe extrusion and floor heave can also be subsequently observed. The supported roadway can be locally damaged or completely fail, where the floor has a large deformation and/or is seriously damaged. The factors inducing large deformation of surrounding rocks in deep roadway are rock strengths, structure face cutting types, stress states, stress release, support patterns, and construction methods. Based on the deformation characteristics of high stress soft rock roadway, a comprehensive support scheme is proposed. The overall support technology of “step-by-step and joint, hierarchical reinforcement” for roadway is presented, and the anchor cable and bolt parameters to check the design methods are also given. Finally, the proposed comprehensive support method “bolt + metal mesh + U-steel arch + shortcrete + grouting and cable” is used in the extension section of east main haulage roadway at −850 m level of Qujiang coal mine. The 173-day monitoring results show that the average convergence of sidewalls reaches 208 mm, and the average relative convergence of roof and floor reaches 448 mm, suggesting that this kind of support technology for controlling large deformation of high stress soft surrounding rock roadway is effective.