In order to solve the problem of roadway deformation based on the theory of “short cantilever beam by roof cutting,” the method of “pressure relief by roof cutting in the adjacent roadway” is proposed. Through presplitting blasting the roadway hard rock layer, the stress propagation path is cut off, and the surrounding rock stress environment of the roadway is improved, to achieve the purpose of controlling the deformation of the roadway caused by stress. Through theoretical analysis, it is determined that the depth of the presplitting blasthole is 17 m, and the angle with the vertical direction is 10°. Based on in situ measurements and tests, by presplitting blasting the roof strata of the adjacent roadway, the maximal value of the working resistance of the hydraulic support in the presplitting blasting side of the working face decreased by 24.9%, and the average volumes of the maximum floor heave, the maximum roof subsidence, and the maximum ribs displacement were reduced by 50.1%, 34.9%, and 41.7%, respectively. This method completely changes the traditional thought patterns of “reinforcing support” to control roadway deformation from “strong support” to “pressure relief.” It provides a new idea for controlling the roadway deformation.

During the process of close-distance seam group mining, the coal pillar in the upper coal seam is a stress-concentrated area, which leads to a loss of stability of the roadway during mining of the lower coal seam. This lack of stability introduces great safety hazards to coal mines. To solve the problem of stress concentration of coal pillars, the method of gob-side entry retaining by roof cutting is proposed to remove the coal pillar. In this study, FLAC3D was used to analyze the depth and angle of pre-split blasting. LS-DYNA was used to analyze the spacing of the blasthole. Using the methods of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, we determined that the optimal depth of the pre-split blasting was 6 m, the optimal angle for pre-split blasting was 15°, and the optimal spacing of the blasthole was 500 mm. A field test was carried out in the 1010201 ventilation roadway of the Yuwang Coal Mine, China. The on-site peeping results showed that when the spacing of the blasthole is 500 mm, connecting cracks can form under the action of blasting stress. After the working surface is mined, the roof strata could collapse and fill the gob over time when the depth and angle of the pre-split blasting are 6 m and 15°, respectively.

As the mining depth increases, under the influence of high ground stress, the surrounding rock of deep mine roadways shows soft rock characteristics. Under the influence of mining disturbance at the working face, large deformation of the roadway has occurred. To control the large deformation of the roadway, many mines have adopted the form of combined support, which has continuously increased the support strength and achieved a certain effect. However, since the stress environment of the surrounding rock of the roadway has not been changed, large deformation of the roadway still occurs in many cases. Based on the theoretical basis of academician Manchao He’s “short cantilever beam by roof cutting,” this paper puts forward the plan of “presplitting blasting + combined support” to control the large deformation of the deep mine roadways. Without changing the original support conditions of the roadway, presplitting blasting the roof strata of the roadway, by cutting off the mechanical connection of the roof strata between the roadway and gob, improves the stress distribution of the roadway to control the large deformation. Through field tests, the results show that after presplitting blasting the roadway roof, the roadway roof subsidence is reduced by 47.9%, the ribs displacement is reduced by 45.7%, and the floor heave volume is reduced by 50.8%. The effect is significant.

In order to ensure the application of gob-side entry retaining by roof cutting for thick and hard sandstone roofs, the key technology of pre-split blasting was studied. The LS-DYNA was used to analyze the blasting effect of the energy-gathering pipe. Using the methods of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, it was determined that the optimal cutting height was 16 m and the optimal cutting angle was 15°. The effect of pressure relief by roof cutting was verified by FLAC3D. It is proposed to use deep-hole loosening blasting to solve the problem of the sandstone with a thick hard roof being difficult to collapse. A group of loose blasting holes was designed to be arranged every 20 m in the gob-side roadway. The depth of the #1 blasthole was 47 m, and the angle to the horizontal direction was 20°; the depth of the #2 blasthole was 65 m, and the angle to the horizontal direction was 15°. A field test was carried out in the 7135 ventilation roadway of Qidong Coal Mine China. The on-site peeping results showed that the blasting with the energy-gathering pipe had a good effect of directional slitting. After deep-hole loosening blasting, the thick hard sandstone roof collapsed and filled the gob in time. The monitoring curves of the hydraulic support showed that the hydraulic support resistance of the working face in the side with roof cutting was much smaller than that of the side without roof cutting, and the effect of pressure relief by roof cutting was good.

The effective control of large roadway deformations has always been a focus and difficulty in the coal industry. At present, a “bolt + cable + mesh + shotcrete” combined support structure has been widely used in China to support roadways with large deformations, and this method has achieved some success. However, large roadway deformations supported by using the “bolt + cable + mesh + shotcrete” support structure still have a series of engineering problems. This paper describes a case study of large deformation control in a roadway surrounded with broken rock located in the Du’erping coal mine in the Shanxi Province of China. A new “shell + bolt + shotcrete” combined support structure is proposed to support the north wing main haulage roadway. Methods were adopted from theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and similarity simulation experiments to design a reinforced shell within a vertical wall semicircular arch. Roadway convergence and surrounding rock stress were monitored on the site. The monitoring data showed that the new support structure successfully controlled a potentially large deformation of the roadway. This new combined support structure provides a helpful reference for the design and engineering of support structures to prevent large roadway deformations.