Abstract: The difference in meaning between rock material failure and rock project failure while losing its stability is distinguished. Based on the idea, it is incorrect that rock falure criterion and rock project failure are conisdered identical in numencal calculation for underground project and in-situ project design.Simultaneously, with the aid of system energy principle and catastrophe theory, the criterion of energy catastrophe for rock project system failure is put forward and used in the calculation of the finite element method (FEM) to judge the probability of rock project system failure.Proved by the real project, the ideas and criterion are correct and of certain value, the results of calculation coincide with the state of the mining proJect.