Abstract: The paper, based on the geological data of a typical face near weathering zone in Liuhe coal mine of Shenhuo Group, analyzed the characteristics of deformation and failure in thin bedrock under the influence of small faults, built the model to passe through the faults. From this point, similar material was used through simulation to study the deformation and failure characteristics under influence of small faults. The occurrence, the nature of faults and the regularities of influence of overlying rock thickness on destruction induced by mining overlying rock under the same fault conditions have been got. Finally discrete element numerical simulation method was used to simulate corresponding coal mining activities, and verify the correctness of simulation experiment with the equivalent material. The research results have a guiding significance for the future work in similar mining areas.