Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Experiments and numerical simulations of rockburst prevention based on the slotting method

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Rockburst prevention is an urgent task in deep-rock engineering, as support systems alone are often insufficient for resisting high geostresses. Cutting slots in surrounding rock can directly reduce the circumferential stress of a tunnel, but it also destroys rock integrity and reduces rock mass strength, which leads to a contra-indication for using this method to prevent rockbursts. How to balance these two aspects and truly reduce the risk of rockburst is the topic of this study. Rockburst prevention experiments were implemented on both intact and slotted granite rock samples using the “slotting before loading” mode. Considerations included the loading force and deformation by the testing machine, sample surface displacement fields, acoustic emission signals, and fragment ejection energy. These were recorded during experiments and the influencing factors and precursory characteristics of a rockburst analyzed, with the stress-release effects of different slotting schemes also evaluated. The experimental results demonstrated that cutting slots on granite samples under eccentric loading conditions leads to direct damage, regardless of the depth, width, and number of slots implemented. And then, numerical simulation of rockburst experiments were performed based on an improved particle-flow program (PFC2D), in which a weakening mechanism was introduced, resulting in the macro compression-tension ratio (up to 25.8/1) approaching real granite. On this basis, numerical slotting tests were conducted and it revealed that cutting slots could lead to sudden tensile failure or fragment ejection under high eccentric stress. These findings were further validated through a physical experiment. Cutting slots in a tunnel model indicated that the energy released by two slots was 37.7% higher than one slot and triple slots 114.4% higher than one slot under a uniform geostress field of 25 MPa, revealing that the energy released by slotting did not increase linearly with slot number. However, the released energy almost increased linearly with increased slotting depth within a certain range and the lateral stress coefficient had an important influence on energy release. Both physical and numerical tests showed that the cutting-slot method could release strain energy and reduce stress, but appropriate support schemes must be matched with existing conditions when using this method to prevent rockbursts or the process might trigger early rockbursts and run counter to the goal of preventing rockbursts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

Some or all data, models, or codes generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request.

References

  • Bruning T, Karakus M, Akdag S, Dnguyen G, Goodchild D (2018) Influence of deviatoric stress on rockburst occurrence: an experimental study. Int J Min Sci Technol 28:763–766

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cai M (2019) Rock support in strainburst-prone ground. Int J Min Sci Technol 29:8–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen W, Konietzky H, Liu C, Tan X (2018) Hydraulic fracturing simulation for heterogeneous granite by discrete element method. Comput Geotech 95:1–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding X, Zhang L (2014) A new contact model to improve the simulated ratio of unconfined compressive strength to tensile strength in bonded particle models. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 69:111–119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feng G, Feng X, Chen B, Xiao Y, Zhao Z (2019) Effects of structural planes on the microseismicity associated with rockburst development processes in deep tunnels of the Jinping-II Hydropower Station, China. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 84:273–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gong FQ, Luo Y, Li XB, Si XF, Tao M (2018) Experimental simulation investigation on rockburst induced by spalling failure in deep circular tunnels. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 81:413–427

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo WY, Zhao TB, Tan YL, Yu FH, Hu SC (2017) Progressive mitigation method of rock bursts under complicated geological conditions. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 96:11–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gutenberg B, Richter C (1944) Frequency of earthquakes in California. Bull Seismol Soc Am 34:185–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He M, Ren F, Liu D (2018) Rockburst mechanism research and its control. Int J Min Sci Technol 28:829–837

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He M, Li J, Liu D, Ling K, Ren F (2021a) A novel true triaxial apparatus for simulating strain bursts under high stress. Rock Mech Rock Eng 54:759–775

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He MC, Nie W, Zhao ZY, Guo W (2012) Experimental investigation of bedding plane orientation on the rockburst behavior of sandstone. Rock Mech Rock Eng 45:311–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He S, Lai J, Zhong Y, Wang K, Zhang C (2021b) Damage behaviors, prediction methods and prevention methods of rockburst in 13 deep traffic tunnels in China. Eng Fail Anal 121:105178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu L, Ma K, Liang X, Tang C, Wang Z, Yan L (2018) Experimental and numerical study on rockburst triggered by tangential weak cyclic dynamic disturbance under true triaxial conditions. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 81:602–618

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu L, Feng XT, Xiao YX, Wang R, Zhang W (2019a) Effects of structural planes on rockburst position with respect to tunnel cross-sections: a case study involving a railway tunnel in China. Bull Eng Geol Env 79:1061–1081

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu X, Su G, Chen G, Mei S, Feng X, Mei G, Huang X (2019b) Experiment on rockburst process of borehole and its acoustic emission characteristics. Rock Mech Rock Eng 52:783–802

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu X, Su G, Li Z, Xu C, Yan L (2021) Suppressing rockburst by increasing the tensile strength of rock surface: an experimental study. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 107:103645

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Itasca Consulting Group I (2016) Itasca PFC2D (Particle Flow Code in 2 Dimensions) Manual. edn. Minneapolis, Minnesota: ICG; 2016 version 5.0

  • Jiang J, Su G, Zhang X, Feng XT (2020) Effect of initial damage on remotely triggered rockburst in granite: an experimental study. Bull Eng Geol Env 79:3175–3194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang H, Lv H, Gao F, Meng X, Feng Y (2018) Understanding mechanisms of destressing mining-induced stresses using hydraulic fracturing. Int J Coal Geol 196:19–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Konicek P, Schreiber J, Nazarova L (2019) Volumetric changes in the focal areas of seismic events corresponding to destress blasting. Int J Min Sci Technol 29:541–547

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Konicek P, Soucek K, Stas L, Singh R (2013) Long-hole destress blasting for rockburst control during deep underground coal mining. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 61:141–153

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li T, Wang X, Meng L (2011) A physical simulation test for the rockburst in tunnels. J Mt Sci 8:278–285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu F, Tang CA, Ma T, Tang L (2018) Characterizing rockbursts along a structural plane in a tunnel of the Hanjiang-to-Weihe River Diversion Project by microseismic monitoring. Rock Mech Rock Eng 52:1835–1856

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Xu G, Zhang C, Kong B, Qian J, Zhu D, Wei M (2017) Time effect of water injection on the mechanical properties of coal and its application in rockburst prevention in mining. Energies 10:1783

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Zhu W, Zhang P, Li L (2021) Failure in rock with intersecting rough joints under uniaxial compression. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 146:104832

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luo Y (2020) Influence of water on mechanical behavior of surrounding rock in hard-rock tunnels: an experimental simulation. Eng Geol 277:105816

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma C, Li T, Zhang H, Jiang Y, Song T (2019) A method for numerical simulation based on microseismic information and the interpretation of hard rock fracture. J Appl Geophys 164:214–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manouchehrian A, Cai M (2018) Numerical modeling of rockburst near fault zones in deep tunnels. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 80:164–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manouchehrian A, Kulatilake PHSW (2022) Numerical study on rock failure around a tunnel destressed by a conceptualized notched technique. Undergr Space 7:1086–1097

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manouchehrian A, Kulatilake PHSW, Wu R (2022) Strainburst control in deep tunnels using a slotted excavation method. Int J Geomech 22:04022008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meng F, Zhou H, Wang Z, Zhang L, Kong L, Li S, Zhang C (2016) Experimental study on the prediction of rockburst hazards induced by dynamic structural plane shearing in deeply buried hard rock tunnels. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 86:210–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitri HS (2018) Destress blasting – from theory to practice. The 4th World Congress on Mechanical, Chemical, and Material Engineering

  • Sainoki A, Emad MZ, Mitri HS (2016) Study on the efficiency of destress blasting in deep mine drift development. Can Geotech J 54:2016–2260

    Google Scholar 

  • Sammonds PR, Meredith P, Murrell S, Main I (1994) Modelling the damage evolution in rock containing pore fluid by acoustic emission. Rock Mechanics in Petroleum Engineering, Society of Petroleum Engineers

  • Schopfer M, Abe S, Childs C, Walsh JJ (2009) The impact of porosity and crack density on the elasticity, strength and friction of cohesive granular materials: Insights from DEM modelling. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 46:250–261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Si X, Gong F (2020) Strength-weakening effect and shear-tension failure mode transformation mechanism of rockburst for fine-grained granite under triaxial unloading compression. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 131:104347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simser BP (2019) Rockburst management in Canadian hard rock mines. J Rock Mech Geotech Eng 11:1036–1043

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song D, Wang E, Liu Z, Liu X, Shen R (2014) Numerical simulation of rock-burst relief and prevention by water-jet cutting. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 70:318–331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Su G, Feng X, Wang J, Jiang J, Hu L (2017) Experimental study of remotely triggered rockburst induced by a tunnel axial dynamic disturbance under true-triaxial conditions. Rock Mech Rock Eng 80:6023–6045

    Google Scholar 

  • Su G, Shi Y, Feng X, Jiang J, Zhang J, Jiang Q (2018) True-triaxial experimental study of the evolutionary features of the acoustic emissions and sounds of rockburst processes. Rock Mech Rock Eng 51:375–389

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tian WL, Yang SQ, Wang JG (2021) A new method to model the mechanical behavior of granitic basement rock in PFC2D. Arab J Geosci 14:1538

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vazaios I, Diederichs MS, Vlachopoulos N (2019) Assessment of strain bursting in deep tunnelling by using the finite-discrete element method. J Rock Mech Geotech Eng 11:12–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vennes I, Mitri H, Engineering MM, University MG (2017) Geomechanical effects of stress shadow created by large-scale destress blasting. J Rock Mech Geotech Eng 9:1085–1093

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang C, Chen Z, Liao Z, Hou X (2020a) Experimental investigation on predicting precursory changes in entropy for dominant frequency of rockburst. J Cent South Univ 27:2834–2848

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang GF, Li G, Dou LM, Mu ZL, Cai W (2020b) Applicability of energy-absorbing support system for rockburst prevention in underground roadways. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 132:104396

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Apel DB, Pu Y, Hall R, Sepehri M (2020c) Numerical modeling for rockbursts: a state-of-the-art review. J Rock Mech Geotech Eng 13:457–478

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Wang E, Liu X, Zhou X (2021) Micromechanisms of coal fracture: insights from quantitative AE technique. Theoret Appl Fract Mech 114:103000

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wojtecki Ł, Konicek P, Mendecki MJ, Zuberek WM (2017) Application of seismic parameters for estimation of destress blasting effectiveness. Procedia Eng 191:750–760

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yao J, Yin Y, Zhao T, Ren W, Qiu Y, Guo W (2020) Segmented enlarged-diameter borehole destressing mechanism and its influence on anchorage support system. Energy Sci Eng 8:2831–2840

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yokota Y, Zhao Z, Nie W, Dateb K, Iwano K, Koizumi Y, Okada Y (2020) Development of a new deformation-controlled rock bolt: numerical modelling and laboratory verification. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 98:103305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang C, Feng X, Hui Z, Qiu S, Wu W (2012a) A top pilot tunnel preconditioning method for the prevention of extremely intense rockbursts in deep tunnels excavated by TBMs. Rock Mech Rock Eng 45:289–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang C, Feng XT, Hui Z, Qiu S, Wu W (2012b) Case histories of four extremely intense rockbursts in deep tunnels. Rock Mech Rock Eng 45:275–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang P, Yang T, Xu T, Yu Q, Zhou J, Zhu W (2018) Rock stability assessment based on the chronological order of the characteristic acoustic emission phenomena. Shock Vib 2018

  • Zhu QH, Wen-Bo LU, Sun JS, Luo Y, Chen M, (2009) Prevention of rockburst by guide holes based on numerical simulations - ScienceDirect. Min Sci Technol 19:346–351

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu W, Duan J, Tang CA, Wang S (2006) Digital image based simulation on failure process of heterogeneous brittle materials. Key Eng Mater 324–325:315–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu WC, Li ZH, Zhu L, Tang CA (2010) Numerical simulation on rockburst of underground opening triggered by dynamic disturbance. Tunn Undergr Space Technol 25:587–599

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Support from the National Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41941018, 51904057, and U1906208) and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (Grant No. N2101026) are gratefully acknowledged.

Funding

This work is funded by the National Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41941018, 51904057, and U1906208) and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (Grant No. N2101026).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mining Engineering, Center for Rock Instability and Seismicity Research, School of Resource and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, China

    Xige Liu, Wancheng Zhu, Yuehuan Han, Kai Guan & Ruibo Qin

Authors
  1. Xige Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wancheng Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yuehuan Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kai Guan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ruibo Qin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xige Liu.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liu, X., Zhu, W., Han, Y. et al. Experiments and numerical simulations of rockburst prevention based on the slotting method. Bull Eng Geol Environ 82, 383 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-023-03405-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-023-03405-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation