How to put grouting technology in much wider use is always the concern of experts and engineers. One of the new subjects is its use in strata control of roadway. Based on the study of special change features of strength, deformation and consolidation properties of surrounding rock, this paper systematically analyzes the right moment of grouting and rational combination with other supporting methods of roadway. A new kind of combined supporting technology in view of grouting reinforcement, stepwise reinforcement technology, is introduced and illustrated with a successful supporting engineering in Lulin coal mine. For years the supporting of extremely soft rock roadway, which becomes more difficult with the increase of mining depth and worsening of mining conditions, has puzzled mining experts and engineers. This kind of roadway, influenced by strong horizontal stress and mining activities, is extremely unstable, and cannot be satisfactorily supported by the popularly-used support methods such as bolting-shotcreting, metal support, or bolt-timber combined support. Obviously a new kind of more effective supporting method is needed here.
Driving and supporting of softrock roadway is a nonlinear mechanic process, and unavoidably accompanied by deformation of inherent structure and change of stress states. This process is extremely complex and difficult to be described.
