Stress Regulation and Energy Dissipation Mechanism of Roof Cutting in the Near-Face Working Area

Deep coal mining faces complex geological conditions and high in situ stress, with rock bursts posing a major hazard to safe and efficient production. Roof cutting with gob-side entry retaining is an active stress-control technique that reduces roof constraints and reshapes stress-transfer paths, thereby regulating the stress distribution and energy evolution in the near-face area. Using the 3114 working face of Duanshi Coal Mine as the background, this study analyzes the stress-regulation and energy-evolution mechanisms of roof cutting through theoretical analysis and numerical simulation. Results show that roof cutting significantly modifies the near-face stress distribution: stress concentrations intensify at roadway ribs and end on the non-roof-cut side, while peaks on the roof-cut side are reduced. Elastic energy density follows a “peak reduction and migration” pattern, with lower intensities shifting deeper into the coal body. According to the maximum storable elastic energy index (ES), non-roof-cut ends and central zones satisfy burst-prone conditions, whereas roof-cut peaks remain below the threshold, markedly lowering burst risk. Overall, roof cutting achieves dual regulation of stress and energy, delaying the formation of dynamic disaster conditions. These findings provide theoretical insights and engineering guidance for rock burst prevention in deep coal mines.