Experimental Investigations on Rheological Properties of Mudstone in Kilometer-Deep Mine

The soft rock roadway in deep high-stress environment has the problems of strong rheology and large deformation. Based on the analysis of the stress distribution of the surrounding rock of the roadway in a kilometer-deep mine, rheological tests under different stress paths are carried out for mudstone in a kilometer-deep mine. The rheological deformation curve, damage characteristics, and change rule of the main mechanical parameters of mudstone under different stress conditions are studied. The results show the following: (1) the peak strength of the triaxial compression of mudstone is closely related to confining pressure, and, with increasing confining pressure, the confining pressure effect decreases gradually; (2) the strain increases slowly under uniaxial loading, and, with increasing axial pressure, the velocity of rheological deformation increases nonlinearly, and the amount of mudstone deformation increases with time; (3) under the condition of unloading confining pressure with constant axial pressure, with decreasing confining pressure, the instantaneous axial and radial strains of mudstone specimen increase nonlinearly, the rheological strain and velocity of mudstone increase gradually, and the lateral rheological strain is close to the axial rheological strain; and, (4) in the unloading confining pressure with axial compression triaxial test, with increasing deviating stress, the axial and radial instantaneous strain increments of mudstone decrease gradually, the lateral strain and rheological velocity of mudstone increase gradually, and the lateral strain is approximately 2.05 times the axial strain. These conclusions reveal the rheological characteristics of the mudstone under different surrounding rock conditions and provide a theoretical basis for the excavation deformation and support control of roadways.