Mechanical manifestation characteristics and damage evolution law of unloading perturbation damage in surrounding rock of deep roadways

• Published in: Geomechanics and Geophysics for Geo-Energy and Geo-Resources
• Main Authors: Xinfeng Wang, Tian Jiang, Chuanqi Zhu, Youyu Wei, Yunhui Jiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 2025-03-01
• Subjects: Rock mechanical characteristics; Excavation unloading disturbance; Roadway deformation and instability; Laws of evolution; Numerical simulation
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40948-025-00956-0

Abstract Aiming at the problems of stress concentration, large deformation and serious damage in surrounding rock of deep roadways under excavation unloading disturbance conditions, the micro and macro mechanical properties and damage patterns of deep rock internal structure deformation instability were analyzed by combining rock mechanics tests with XRD, SEM and AE test technology; a zonal distribution model for damage of surrounding rock was established using elastoplastic theory and yield strength criteria, with derived expressions for stress–strain, displacement, and radius of each zone; FLAC3D was used to investigate the spatiotemporal evolution of surrounding rock under different influencing factors. Results show that: ①Rock deformation and destabilization are closely related to the microstructural properties. There are numerous tiny cracks inside the rocks, which tend to expand and interconnect under external forces, leading to rock fracture. ②Rock damage progresses through five stages: initial compression, linear elastic deformation, nonlinear crack generation, post-peak strain softening and destruction. Rock fissure destabilization damage process has irregular, discontinuous, nonlinear time sequence evolution characteristics. ③The circle damage model of broken unstable zone, plastic softening zone, plastic fracture zone and elastic deformation zone was established. The peripheral rock disturbance destabilization has the distribution characteristics of zonal damage, stage development, and strong–weak evolution. ④Residual strength and original rock stress have significant influence on stress, displacement and plastic zone, and play the main control role on deformation of surrounding rock. The results provide theoretical support for disaster prevention and stability control of surrounding rock in deep roadways.