The problem of shaft instability has always been a major difficulty in deep mining practices. The shaft fracture has a high probability of being located near the aquifers and the soft–hard rock contact zone. This paper describes the deformation and stress characteristics of surrounding rock and the shaft lining under the interactive geological conditions under soft and hard rock strata in Anju coal mine, Shandong Province, China. Using the Method of Geological Strength Index (GSI ) and considering the rock-softening characteristics of water, the parameters of rock mass are calibrated. By means of the 3DEC-trigon method, the variation characteristics of surrounding rock and the shaft lining are simulated. After shaft excavation, under the condition of no support, shear failure and tensile failure occur in shallow surrounding rock shafts, and a pressure relief zone is formed. Shear failure is the main destruction mode in deep surrounding rock. Because of the different strengths of the surrounding rock, the deformation of the surrounding rock is significantly different. After the surrounding rock is softened by water absorption, the difference is magnified. The maximum shear stress and plastic zone appear near the interface between soft and hard rock. Under the condition of shaft lining support, uneven deformation of surrounding rock surely leads to nonlinear variation of pressure on the shaft lining. Under the action of an inhomogeneous pressure field, partial shear failure occurs in the shaft lining, and the shear failure area increases after the surrounding rock is softened by water. Because of the nonlinear deformation of the shaft lining, it is easy to produce stress concentration and bending moment near the interface between hard and soft strata. The control methods of advance grouting and pressure relief excavation are proposed to improve the stability of the shaft, and a good effect is gained.

Muzhailing Highway Extra‐long Tunnel in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China, belongs to the soft rock tunnel in the extremely high geostress area. During the construction process, large deformation of the soft rock occurred frequently. Taking the no. 2 inclined shaft of Muzhailing tunnel as the research object, an NPR (negative Poisson’s ratio) constant resistance and large deformation anchor cable support system based on high prestress force, constant resistance, and releasing surrounding rock pressure was proposed. The characteristics of the surrounding rock under the steel arch support and NPR anchor cable support were compared and analyzed by using 3DEC software. A series of field tests were conducted in the no. 2 inclined shaft, and the rock strength, displacement of the surrounding rock, deep displacement of the surrounding rock, internal force of steel arch, and axial force of anchor cable were measured to study the application effect of the NPR anchor cable support system in tunnel engineering. Moreover, the 3DEC numerical simulation results were compared with the field test results. The research results show that the application of NPR constant resistance and large deformation anchor cable support system in tunnel engineering has achieved good results, and it plays a significant role in controlling the large deformation of the tunnel surrounding rock.

In view of difficult problems such as excavation, segment simulation, deformation, and force measurement in the small‐scale model testing of deep composite stratum TBM tunnel, the TBM simulation experimental device, the model segment ring prefabrication device, and the digital photogrammetry technology were comprehensively adopted. Also, the calculation methods were proposed. The analysis of the deformation characteristics as well as rupture of surrounding rock revealed those space‐time effects: (1) When no support existed, the space‐time effect of the surrounding rock deformation was concentrated in the following case: with the development of time, the deformation of surrounding rock starts from the sides of the arch waist at the junction of the composite stratum, while four arcs were derived and shear sliding occurred, resulting in overall collapse and destruction. (2) Following the support application, the space‐time effect of the surrounding rock deformation was concentrated on the three stages of the interaction between the surrounding rock and the support, namely, the preliminary stage, the equilibrium process, and the instability state. The spatial effect was concentrated in the area where the surrounding rock was deformed and destroyed. The most severe area was the shallow surrounding rock, while the sub‐violent area was the corner of the sidewall.

In the process of tunnel construction, problems such as high-stress rockburst, large deformation of soft rock, water inrush and mud gushing, secondary cracking of linings, blasting interference, man-made damage, and mechanical damage are often encountered. These pose a great challenge to the installation of monitoring equipment and line protection. In order to solve these problems, the 2# inclined shaft of Muzhailing Tunnel in the Gansu Province of China, which exists under high stress, water bearing, and bias conditions, was taken as the research object in this paper. By assembling a string, drilling grouting and sealing, and introducing multiple modes of protection, new fiber grating sensor group installation and line protection methods were proposed. The automatic continuous monitoring of the deep deformation of surrounding rock and the automatic continuous monitoring of steel arch stress were realized. The field monitoring results showed that: (1) the fiber grating displacement sensor group could be used to verify the authenticity of the surface displacement results monitored by the total station; (2) the NPR anchor cable coupling support effectively limited the large deformation of soft rock and the expansion of surrounding rock in a loose circle, and the range of the loose circle was stable at about 1 m; and (3) the main influence range of blasting was at a depth of 0~5 m in surrounding rock, and about 25 m away from the working face. In addition, to secure weak links in the steel arch due to the hardening phenomenon, a locking tube was set at the arch foot. In the support design, the fatigue life of the steel was found to be useful as the selection index for the steel arch frame to ensure the stability of the surrounding rock and the long-term safety of the tunnel. The present research adopted a robust method and integrates a variety of sensor technologies to provide a multifaceted view of the stresses and deformations encountered during the tunneling process, and the effective application of the above results could have certain research and reference value for the design and monitoring of high stress, water-bearing, and surrounding rock supports in tunnels.