Development Status and Prospect of Roof-Cutting and Pressure Relief Gob-Side Entry Retaining Technology in China
Source abstract
Abstract
China’s roof-cutting and pressure relief gob-side entry retaining (RCPR-GER) technology provides an efficient non-pillar mining solution that significantly enhances coal recovery. This paper presents a systematic review of the technological progress in Chinese coal mines from 2011 to 2023, based on an analysis of 1038 publications from CNKI, EI, and Web of Science using VOS viewer and Origin software. Four main technical approaches are examined: gob-side entry retaining without roadside filling, with roadside filling, with roof-cutting and pressure relief, and hybrid methods. Five key roof-cutting techniques are evaluated: dense drilling, high-pressure water-jet slotting, hydraulic fracturing, blasting, presplitting, and roof water injection softening. Successful applications have been documented in coal seams with thicknesses of 1.6–6.15 m and burial depths of 92–1037 m, demonstrating wide adaptability. The roof-cutting short-beam theory underpins the mechanism, which reduces roadway deformation, shortens the cantilever beam length, and alters stress transfer paths. Compared to previous reviews on general gob-side entry retaining, this study offers a dedicated synthesis and comparative analysis of RCPR-GER technologies, establishing a selection framework grounded in geological compatibility and engineering practice. Future research should focus on adaptive parameter design for deep hard composite roofs, quantitative modeling of passive roof-cutting effects, optimization of cutting timing and orientation, and floor-heave control technologies to extend applications under complex geological conditions.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Rock Mechanics and Modeling · Geomechanics and Mining Engineering · Coal Properties and Utilization
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
College of Mining Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
Key Laboratory of In-Situ Property-Improving Mining of Ministry of Education, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
School of Civil Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Funding
National Natural Science Foundation of China · Applied Basic Research Project of Shanxi Province, China
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