In view of the high-level, thick, and hard roof in a mine in Shaanxi, it is difficult for existing technology to solve the problem of frequent rock bursts, which are caused by the direct weakening of the whole underground layer. In this paper, a technology for preventing rock bursts using the long-distance drilling and blasting of a thick and hard roof in a high drilling field is proposed. The authors used theoretical analyses, numerical simulations, and other research methods to analyze the mechanisms of pressure relief and load reduction achieved by this technology, determined its layout parameters and layers, and carried out engineering practices in 2412 working faces in a mine in Shaanxi. The results show that the long-distance drilling and blasting technology can achieve the aim of unloading the pressure drop load by arranging a high-level drilling field to achieve the whole-layer presplitting of the thick and hard roof above the working face. According to the orthogonal test method, when using long-distance drilling and blasting under the condition of a high-level roof, the choice of the blasting layer is the biggest factor affecting the change in overburden subsidence. Using the identification basis of the main control disaster causing the layer of overburden, it was determined that 52~67 m above the coal seam of the 2412 working faces was the blasting layer. According to the periodic weighting interval of the working face and the development radius of the fractures in the blasting surrounding rock, the blast hole spacing was determined to be 30 m. After long-distance drilling and blasting, the frequency and energy of micro seismic events were reduced, the entry deformation was reduced compared with the common roof deep-hole blasting technology, and the pressure relief effect of the long-distance drilling and blasting technology was better. These research conclusions can provide theoretical support for the prevention and control of rock bursts during mining production under similar conditions by reducing the load and the unloading pressure on thick and hard roof layers that are difficult to unload from the source.

In response to the increasingly severe situation of main roadway shock in coal seams, with a focus on the strong-bump coal seam in main roadways under an asymmetric goaf in a certain mine, theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and engineering practices were employed. This study investigated factors influencing main roadway roof shock damage, changes in roof stress, and characteristics of overlying strata movement. This research unveiled the mechanism and prevention of roof shock in main roadways of strong-bump coal seams in an asymmetric goaf. The research results indicate that the influencing factors of main roadway roof shock damage can be divided into two categories: “strata-support” structure strength and surrounding rock stress. For the determination of the “strata-support” structure, in the case of strong bumps in coal seam roadways influenced by the asymmetric goaf, the key factors contributing to shock damage are the side abutment pressure on the coal pillar in the goaf and the activity level of the roof strata. The distribution of roof stress in the main roadway undergoes continuous changes as district faces are sequentially mined. When the goaf area on the west side gradually increases towards the south, the roof stress in the main roadway consistently rises, and the stress increment follows a pattern of initial increase followed by a decrease. The strata structure of the main roadway roof gradually transforms from an “asymmetric T” shape to a “symmetric T” shape in the transverse profile, and with the evolution of the roof rock layer structure, the mutual feedback effect of strata activity on both sides of the roadway gradually strengthens. Affected by the asymmetric goaf, the main roadway in the district undergoes three different stages: one side of subcritical mining influence → both sides of subcritical mining influence → one side of subcritical mining and one side of critical mining influence. In addition, comprehensively considering the impact of various factors in different stages, the theoretical criteria for roof shock failure in the main roadway are determined. The formulation of an optimized position for the main roadway and a scheme for depressurization through deep-hole blasting in the roof reduce the stress level in the surrounding rock of the main roadway, effectively preventing the occurrence of roof shock in the asymmetric goaf of the coal seam main roadway.