Water inrush and support crush disasters in fold structural zones seriously threaten mine safety production and represent a typical engineering challenge urgently requiring resolution in mining areas. To mitigate water inrush and support crush in the fold zones of the Yonglong mining area, Shanxi, this study examines the Guojiahe Coal Mine using physical experiments and numerical simulations. The results show that fold structural zone in the working face is high-risk areas for water inrush and support crush. Yijun Formation strata serve as critical aquifer and a 28.53 m-thick medium-grained sandstone at 102.5 m above coal seam serves as water-resistant key strata. The fracturing of this key stratum triggers the simultaneous rupture of the overlying 100.51 m load-bearing stratum, ultimately connecting the aquifer. In the anticlinal structural areas, the maximum roof displacement occurs at the mid-lower sections. Multiple sub-key strata develop in the overlying rocks of the syncline structural areas during dip mining, forming multi-separation zones. The synclinal axis strata exhibit vertically developed fracture angles and severe roof damage, creating high-risk support-crushing zones. Water-conducting fractures connect the aquifer at both the anticlinal maximum displacement locations and synclinal axis. The working face length and mining height significantly influence water-conducting fracture propagation. During anticline uphill mining, roof bending in the unmined front areas generates fractures. Synclinal axis fractures extend along the maximum principal stress direction, forming axial-dip fracture zones. This study can provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for the prevention and control of water inrush and support crush disasters in mining areas with similar geological conditions.

In China’s northwest mining areas, shallow buried coal seams commonly feature double soft composite roof structures of mudstone and clay, resulting in poor roadway stabilization and proving challenging for effective roadway-surrounding rock (RSR) control. A mudstone–clay composite roof is particularly difficult to maintain due to the complex interactions between the soft rock layers and their sensitivity to moisture changes. Previous studies have investigated the properties of these soft rocks individually, but there is limited research on the behavior and control of double soft composite roofs. This study investigated the hydrophilic mineral composition and microstructure of mudstone and clay through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) experiments. Through an orthogonal experimental design, the influence of the clay layer thickness, number of layers, layer position, and relative moisture content on the stability of a mudstone–clay composite roof was studied. The results revealed the following: (1) Kaolinite, the primary hydrophilic component, constitutes a high proportion of clay, while both mudstone and clay exhibit abundant pores and cracks under SEM observation; (2) The relative moisture content emerged as the most significant factor affecting roadway deformation; and (3) A combined support of bolts, a short anchor cable, and a long anchor cable effectively controls RSR deformation in the case of a double soft composite roof. The methodology combining comprehensive material characterization and systematic parametric analysis can be extended to the study of other complex soft rock engineering problems, particularly those involving moisture-sensitive composite roof structures.