Insights Into Borehole Pressure Relief Mechanism for Rockburst Prevention From a Peridynamic Investigation

ABSTRACT Borehole pressure relief technology has increasingly become a preferred method for rockburst prevention, owing to its cost‐effectiveness and convenient construction. To analyze these mechanisms, it is essential to investigate them from multiple complementary perspectives. Unlike prior numerical studies relying solely on strength criteria, this work introduces a novel peridynamic‐based approach integrating both strength criteria and excess energy to systematically evaluate how borehole drilling parameters (borehole diameter, arrangement, and drilling sequence) influence pressure relief. The borehole pressure relief is simulated in a finite zone of 4 × 4 m 2 within deep underground rock mass. Results show that: (1) a large diameter can expand the potential damage range and improve the pressure relief efficiency; (2) the double‐row borehole arrangement exhibits superior energy dissipation capacity compared with the single‐row and triple‐flower patterns, leading to more effective strainburst risk mitigation; (3) the drilling sequence exhibits minimal influence on stress redistribution, suggesting it is not a governing parameter in pressure relief design; (4) excess energy is a necessary condition for strainburst. However, the model reveals a new insight: in deep underground rock mass, the failure strength dominates the triggering process because sufficient excess energy is already available in the high in situ stress environment. This behavior was only identifiable through the proposed dual‐criteria approach. The peridynamic model provides a reliable tool for the optimization of drilling parameters in strainburst prevention and control, and offers theoretical and practical guidance for deep underground engineering.