Experimental study on revealing the mechanism of rockburst prevention by drilling pressure relief: status-of-the-art and prospects

Abstract

High stress caused by excavation is an inevitable part of deep underground rock mass engineering or mining process, which is the key to induce disasters such as rockbursts. Drilling pressure relief (DPR) is a measure to eliminate deep excavation stress and prevent rockburst disasters, which is simple but effective. The experimental research results based on macroscopic (mechanical behavior characteristics, energy evolution) and microscopic (crack evolution) perspectives to study the mechanism of rockburst prevention by DPR were reviewed. According to the stress state of deep surrounding rock and current testing equipment conditions, six development directions for studing the mechanism of rockburst prevention by DPR were proposed: (1) developing drilling rig test equipment for real-time DPR simulation test under high stress; (2) considering real-time DPR simulation test with cyclic load disturbance factors; (3) exploring the relationship between drilling’s spatial size and surrounding rock stress field and strain energy evolution under two-dimensional high stress; (4) combining with true triaxial testing system to simulate the real-time DPR after rock excavation; (5) focusing energy perspective to study the mechanism of rockburst prevention by DPR; and (6) calculating and visualizing the energy evolution inside the rock mass based on ‘real-time DPR test + numerical simulation calculation’.