Under the conditions of high ground stress and mining disturbance, the strata breakage that is induced by mining is severe. Thus, it is critical to investigate the structural characteristics of key strata (KS) in deep thick mining. This study introduces an innovative technology, namely, directional blasting fracturing, in which an energy-gathering tube is installed in a borehole and an explosive is detonated to break the roof in a specified direction. A theory of balanced bulk filling is established based on the requirements of developing a voussoir beam structure, which can be used to effectively evaluate the percentage of bulk filling in gob and to determine to which structure the key strata belongs. Based on this theory, two types of novel structural models in the advancing and lateral directions of the longwall face are established and defined for studying the roof fracturing mechanism. Compared with a cantilever structure, Model C can develop a stable voussoir beam structure, limiting the rotation space of the KS and reducing both the peak abutment pressure and the dynamic disturbance time in the advancing of the longwall face. Model E is defined as when the technology of directional blasting fracturing effectively cuts a stress transfer path into the barrier pillar. The peak abutment pressures on the barrier pillar and auxiliary entry are smaller, and the dynamic disturbance time is shorter, which can effectively improve the stability of the auxiliary entry. The key parameters of directional blasting fracturing are designed and constructed, and they include the roof fracturing height, angle, and charge structure. The field application performance of this innovative technology at the longwall face of 3⁻¹101 in Hongqinghe coal mine was evaluated by analyzing the chock pressure stress, the pillar pressure stress, and the deformation of the auxiliary entry during mining, which lays a foundation for the application of this technology in coal mines in China.

Under deep, high-intensity mining conditions, a high mineral pressure develops at the working face, which can easily cause floor heave deformation of the roadway. In this paper, with the geological conditions of Buertai coal mine as the background, through on-site monitoring and numerical simulation, the mechanism of strong dynamic pressure roadway floor heave is clarified and a cooperative control method for roadway floor heave deformation is proposed. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The overall strength of the floor of this strong dynamic pressure roadway is low, which can easily cause roadway floor heave, and on-site multivariate monitoring of the mine pressure is carried out, which clarifies the evolution law of the mine pressure of the mining roadway and along-the-airway roadway. (2) Combined with FLAC3D numerical simulation software, we analyze the influence of coal seam depth and floor lithology on the stability of the roadway floor and find that both have a significant influence on the stability of the roadway. Under the condition of high-intensity mining, the floor will deteriorate gradually, forming a wide range of floor heave areas. (3) Based on the deformation and damage mechanism of the roadway floor, a synergistic control method of “roof cutting and pressure relief + floor anchor injection” is proposed and various technical parameters are designed. An optimized design scheme is designed for the control of floor heave in Buertai coal mine.

The bearing capacity and yieldable performance of yielding U-shaped steel support are difficult to be fully exerted in roadways under complex conditions, and serious deformation and damage occur frequently. Taking the mining roadways of Tangkou Coal Mine in a kilometer-deep well as the engineering background, this paper summarizes and analyzes the typical failure modes of the on-site yielding U-shaped steel support. By utilizing the independently developed full-scale arch frame test system, the bearing performance tests of arch frames with different sectional methods were carried out. The results show that compared with the three-section U-shaped steel support, the yieldable performance of the four-section support is increased by 21.8%, while the bearing capacity is only decreased by 1.9%. Furthermore, numerical tests on yielding U-shaped steel support under different load patterns and different cross-sectional forms were conducted to clarify the deformation characteristics and internal force distribution laws of U-shaped steel support under complex stress conditions. Finally, a sectional design method for yielding U-shaped steel support and on-site engineering suggestions were put forward. Based on this methodology, it is feasible to optimize the support structure scheme that better matches the engineering geological conditions, thereby fully utilizing the yielding characteristics and load-bearing capacity of the support. This approach effectively prevents premature local failure of the support, extends its service life, and enhances the safety of roadway support engineering while achieving significant economic benefits.