Smart Support Systems for Soft Rock Roadway Control

Dear Colleagues,

As coal resource extraction gradually extends to greater depths, the geological and mechanical environment of deep mine roadways is becoming increasingly complex. The combined effects of high in situ stress, intense mining-induced disturbance, coal pillar stress concentration, tectonic stress, groundwater, and weakly bedded rock masses cause soft rock roadways to commonly exhibit large deformation, strong rheological behavior, asymmetric failure, support structure failure, and repeated roadway rehabilitation. In particular, under weakly cemented, fractured, water-bearing, and coal–rock interbedded conditions, the surrounding rock is characterized by poor integrity, well-developed structural planes, and an extensive shallow fractured zone. The anchorage interface is prone to bond degradation and shear slip, making conventional control methods dominated by single support measures and passive load-bearing mechanisms insufficient to meet the long-term stability requirements of deep roadways. Therefore, deep soft rock control urgently requires systematic innovation in intelligent identification of surrounding rock structures, the interpretation of catastrophe mechanisms, collaborative load-bearing of support systems, reinforcement of anchorage interfaces, active grouting modification, and dynamic feedback-based regulation. This Topical Collection focuses on fundamental theories, key technologies, and engineering applications related to the control of weak surrounding rock in deep coal mines. It aims to gather the latest research advances in mining engineering, rock mechanics, material science, intelligent sensing, data-driven modeling, and numerical simulation; promote the transformation of deep soft rock roadway control from experience-based design to mechanism-guided design, from passive support to active modification, from local reinforcement to systematic collaboration, and from static design to intelligent dynamic regulation; and provide theoretical support and technical references for the safe and efficient exploitation of deep coal resources.

Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Catastrophe mechanisms and control theory innovation for surrounding rock in deep soft rock roadways;
• Structural evolution and bearing capacity deterioration mechanisms of deep weak surrounding rock;
• Multi-source information sensing and intelligent identification methods for deep soft rock roadways;
• Deformation monitoring and catastrophe risk warning for deep soft rock roadways;
• Collaborative load-bearing mechanisms of bolts and cables in deep soft rock roadways;
• Failure and reinforcement mechanisms of anchorage interfaces in fractured weak surrounding rock;
• Grouting modification and active reconstruction technologies for surrounding rock in deep soft rock roadways;
• Collaborative control theory, numerical simulation, and intelligent prediction of surrounding rock–support–grouting systems;
• Intelligent design and dynamic regulation methods for deep soft rock roadways.

Dr. Zhengzheng Xie
Dr. Chongyan Liu
Dr. Eugene Wong
Collection Editors

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