Abstract: Shear beam model for interface failure was used for analyzing the fault rockburst occurrence. To analyze fault rockburst without considering the elasticity of the fault, the law of shear beam displacement and stress distributions, tearing crack length and critical load when fault rockburst occurred were obtained. The relation among tearing crack length, critical load and various kinds of mechanical parameters was analyzed. The results obtained show that if mining depth is large, and if the shear elastic modulus of the shear beam is low and thickness of the shear beam is large, and if shear softening ratio of faulted zone is large and thickness, coefficient of sliding friction, shear stress peak strength of faulted zone is low, then fault rockburst is easy to occur. These parameters of mining depth and the shear elastic modulus of the shear beam and shear softening ratio, shear stress peak strength, thickness of faulted zone have a more large influence on the fault rockburst occurrence. The theoretical foundation for fault rockburst prediction and prevention was proposed.

Key words: fault, rockburst, shear beam, stability analysis, critical load