The control of fragmenting swelling deformation disasters in deep mine roadways and the efficient TBM tunneling technology under such conditions

As shallow coal resources are gradually exhausted, the exploitation of deep coal resources goes deeper, where all mines in eastern China and some mines in central-western China have entered the deep mining stage. However, due to the high stress conditions in deep rock masses and the strong disturbance during tunnelling, large deformation disasters frequently occur in deep coal mine roadways, significantly constraining the safe and efficient exploitation of deep coal resources. Effectively controlling the surrounding rock stability and improving excavation efficiency has become a major technical challenge in deep coal development, including: unclear mechanisms of meter-scale large deformation in deep coal mine roadways; insufficient theories and technologies for large deformation control; limited safe and efficient tunnelling techniques that adapt to such environments. To address these issues, this paper systematically studied the large deformation mechanism and control method, as well as the safe and efficient tunnel techniques in typical mining areas in the central and eastern regions of China. The following advancements have been achieved: detection and characterization methods for the evolution of stress field and rock structure in deep complex strata was proposed, along with the development of a numerical method for large rock deformation and failure process simulation, to reveal the fragmenting-swelling induced large deformation mechanism in deep roadways; A stepped combined control theory for large deformation was proposed, based on the principles of stress recovery, rock reinforcement, consolidation repair, and stress transfer. And a technical system, featuring precise intervention of stress fields and rock structures evolution and multi-step combined measurements, was established to control large deformation disasters; key technologies for safe and efficient TBM excavation under large deformation disaster conditions were developed. Particularly, prediction and control methods for jamming disasters during TBM excavation were proposed, along with a system for adaptive TBM design and decision-making in deep complex strata. These research advancements have effectively controlled large deformation disasters, and ensured safe and efficient excavation in deep roadways of typical mining areas, achieving the mining/excavation balance in deep mines.