A New Method of Cutting Seam for Preventing Strain Rock Burst: Insights from Experimental and Numerical Tests

Rock burst prevention is a critical concern in deep rock engineering. Combining laboratory tests and numerical simulations, this work investigates the cutting-seam method and its mechanism for preventing strain rock bursts. In the laboratory test, the true triaxial loading system is used to simulate rock strain bursts. The test results show that the cutting-seam samples better preserve their integrity compared to the sample without the measure. The cutting seam effectively halts the development of penetrating cracks on the free face. After the rock burst, the number of fragments from the cutting-seam samples significantly reduces compared to the intact sample. The debris characteristic analysis shows a better fractal characteristic in the fragment size-number than the fragment size-mass, with the fractal dimension decreasing from the intact sample to the single-seam and further to the double-seam sample. Acoustic emission results demonstrate that the cutting seam reduces the stored strain energy and cumulative damage in the rock sample during the loading, and the double-seam effect is better than the single-seam case. Based on the laboratory tests, discrete element simulations are conducted to reveal that the position, depth, and spacing of the cutting seam influence its effectiveness in preventing rock bursts. The influence mechanism and the parameter selection are also discussed. Finally, simulations applied to an engineering project verify that the cutting-seam method alters the surrounding stress distribution of the tunnel, shifting stress concentration zones deeper and effectively reducing strain energy density near the seams. These findings are expected to enhance the understanding of the cutting-seam approach and provide theoretical support for its practical application.