What are the advantages of the NATM over the traditional mining method? Compared with the traditional mining method, the NATM has the following significant advantages:

  1. Make full use of the self-bearing capacity of the surrounding rock: The NATM emphasizes maximizing the bearing capacity of the surrounding rock itself, and regards the surrounding rock as part of the tunnel structure to bear the load together. The traditional mining method relatively rarely considers the self-bearing role of the surrounding rock.

   2. High construction flexibility: During the construction process, the NATM can adjust the support parameters and construction methods in time according to the actual situation of the surrounding rock and monitoring data, and has stronger adaptability. The traditional mining method often carries out construction according to the predetermined plan, with little room for adjustment.

   3. Good support effect: The NATM adopts advanced support methods such as anchors and shotcrete, which can more effectively control the deformation and relaxation of the surrounding rock and improve the stability and safety of the tunnel. The support method of the traditional mining method is relatively simple, and the support effect may not be as good as the NATM.

  4. Better economy: Because the NATM can reasonably utilize the self-bearing capacity of the surrounding rock, reduce the use of support materials and reduce engineering costs. At the same time, due to the more flexible adjustments during the construction process, rework and waste caused by unreasonable design are reduced.

  5. Small impact on the environment: The disturbance to the surrounding rock during the construction of the NATM is relatively small, which is conducive to protecting the surrounding geological environment and ecological environment.

  6. High construction safety: Through real-time monitoring and feedback, potential safety hazards can be discovered and handled in a timely manner, reducing construction risks.

   The NATM has obvious advantages in improving the quality, safety and economy of tunnel construction, and is a construction method widely used in modern tunnel engineering.