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Advances in Rock Mechanics in Deep Resource Development
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Advances in Rock Mechanics in Deep Resource Development

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Civil Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 1679

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Quan Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: high-efficiency rock-breaking technology; non-pillar gob-side entry retaining formed by roof cutting; green mining; deep rock mechanics; efficient exploitation of dry hot rocks and unconventional oil and gas
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Chun Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: the theory and technology of microwave-induced thermal effects in rock; intelligent ore sorting for metallic minerals; safe and efficient mining techniques for metal mines
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Manchao He

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics & Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: deep rock mechanics; green mining methods; tunnel surrounding rock control; rock mass disaster early warning
Dr. Xiao Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Energy and Mining Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, China
Interests: stress wave propagation theory; prevention and control of dynamic disasters in underground engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Deep resource development has become an important strategic direction for ensuring energy security and achieving sustainable development. With the gradual depletion of shallow resources, the development of deep coal, metal mines, geothermal and oil and gas resources continues to extend to the deep parts of the Earth, facing severe challenges from complex mechanical environments such as high ground stress, high ground temperature, high permeability and pressure, and strong engineering disturbances. These challenges urgently require breakthroughs in new theories, technologies, and methods in the field of rock mechanics. In this context, the field of rock mechanics and engineering is undergoing a profound transformation from basic theory to practical technology, driving the leapfrog development of deep earth engineering towards innovative frontiers, intelligent research, and ecological practice.

This Special Issue covers various types of resources such as coal, metal mines, geothermal energy, oil, and gas, aiming to gather original research in basic theoretical innovation, key technological breakthroughs, intelligent method applications, and major engineering practices, promote interdisciplinary integration, and provide scientific support for the safe and efficient development of deep resources.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Deep rock mechanics constitutive theory;
  2. Mechanism of THMC multi field coupling;
  3. Efficient rock breaking methods, theories, and applications;
  4. Stability control of surrounding rock in deep mining;
  5. Disaster warning and control in deep energy development;
  6. In situ testing technology for deep engineering;
  7. Artificial intelligence methods in energy extraction;
  8. Efficient utilization of deep space;
  9. Research and development of engineering materials under extreme conditions;
  10. New theories, methods, and technologies in the process of deep mining.

Dr. Quan Zhang
Dr. Chun Yang
Prof. Dr. Manchao He
Dr. Xiao Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mining engineering
  • geomechanics
  • rock mechanics
  • numerical simulation
  • rock breaking methods
  • oil and gas engineering deep resource extraction

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 3921 KB  
Article
Research on Ground Subsidence Prediction and Risk Assessment for Deep Potassium-Rich Brine Extraction
by Yinping Li, Ahu Zhao, Jiangyu Fang, Xilin Shi, Hongling Ma and Mingnan Xu
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(7), 3415; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16073415 - 1 Apr 2026
Viewed by 400
Abstract
Potash is a strategically critical mineral resource essential for ensuring national food security, thereby necessitating the exploration of new deposits to sustain long-term supply. This study systematically evaluates the risk of ground subsidence associated with a “brine extraction–replenishment equilibrium” mining scheme through an [...] Read more.
Potash is a strategically critical mineral resource essential for ensuring national food security, thereby necessitating the exploration of new deposits to sustain long-term supply. This study systematically evaluates the risk of ground subsidence associated with a “brine extraction–replenishment equilibrium” mining scheme through an integrated framework combining three-dimensional geological modeling and numerical simulation. The research focuses on deep potassium-rich brine resources in the Sanshui Basin, Guangdong Province, China. Geological data from 95 boreholes were processed to construct a high-resolution three-dimensional geological model (61.40 km × 35.20 km × 3.50 km) using Petrel software. Numerical simulations based on poroelastic theory were conducted under multiple extraction scenarios, and the predicted subsidence was assessed against relevant engineering standards for highways and building foundations. The results indicate that: (1) brine extraction from consolidated sandstone represents a fluid displacement process, where the equilibrium scheme induces only minor effective stress redistribution without forming dissolution cavities; (2) global subsidence investigations suggests consolidation primarily affects Quaternary unconsolidated strata, making consolidated sandstone extraction associated with extremely low risk; (3) the maximum subsidence is 5.55 mm and 6.82 mm in the primary and secondary exploration areas, with corresponding surface inclinations of 0.00047‰ and 0.00040‰; (4) unlike solution mining that creates large cavities, deep brine extraction generates no significant inter-stratal pressure differentials. These findings demonstrate that under the extraction–replenishment equilibrium scheme, ground subsidence remains well below the regulatory limits, posing no risk to surface infrastructure. This research provides a scientific foundation for safe development of similar deep brine resources globally. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Rock Mechanics in Deep Resource Development)
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24 pages, 4920 KB  
Article
Study on Multi-Parameter Collaborative Optimization of Enhanced Geothermal System in Guanzhong Basin
by Quan Zhang, Wan Zhang, Rongzhou Yang, Kai Chen, Sijia Chen, Xiao Wang and Manchao He
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(6), 2770; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16062770 - 13 Mar 2026
Viewed by 306
Abstract
This study investigates the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupling impacts on seepage and heat transfer characteristics to enhance the efficient utilization of hot dry rock resources in the Guanzhong Basin. A computational model of thermo-hydro-mechanical three-field coupling for an enhanced geothermal system is developed based [...] Read more.
This study investigates the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) coupling impacts on seepage and heat transfer characteristics to enhance the efficient utilization of hot dry rock resources in the Guanzhong Basin. A computational model of thermo-hydro-mechanical three-field coupling for an enhanced geothermal system is developed based on the geological context and rock thermophysical properties of the Huazhou-Huayin target area in the Guanzhong Basin. The effects of differential pressure during injection and production, injection temperature, and well configuration on the reservoir stress field, permeability variations, temperature distribution, and heat recovery efficiency of the system are carefully simulated and analyzed. Simulations indicate that increasing the injection–production pressure differential from ±1 MPa to ±7 MPa dramatically enhances heat recovery, yielding a fivefold increase in the extraction rate and an 11.54-fold rise in cumulative heat production. Conversely, this aggressive approach severely impacts long-term sustainability, accelerating thermal breakthrough and drastically cutting the operational lifespan by 93.30%. Lowering the injection temperature from 60 °C to 20 °C yields a 24.14% enhancement in heat output over the same duration, together with a 24.14% increase in the geothermal extraction rate. Increasing the number of injection–production wells from one to two broadens the heat extraction range and improves system heat production by 35.82%, concurrently diminishing lifespan by 39.50%. This work possesses theoretical importance for the progression of hot dry rock initiatives similar to those in the Guanzhong Basin and other geological settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Rock Mechanics in Deep Resource Development)
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17 pages, 3271 KB  
Article
Spatial–Temporal Energy Data Analysis and Elemental Fractal Interpretation of Microseismic Monitoring for Rock Mass Area Failure
by Naigen Tan, Congcong Zhao, Yi Liu, Zhentao Li and Liang Zhao
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(5), 2172; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16052172 - 24 Feb 2026
Viewed by 392
Abstract
The early warning of rock mass failure in deep hard-rock mines presents a significant challenge for mine safety management. Microseismic monitoring data offer a novel analytical approach to address this issue. This study investigates the evolutionary patterns of rock mass failure in mining [...] Read more.
The early warning of rock mass failure in deep hard-rock mines presents a significant challenge for mine safety management. Microseismic monitoring data offer a novel analytical approach to address this issue. This study investigates the evolutionary patterns of rock mass failure in mining areas through the analysis of spatiotemporal energy data from microseismic events. Initially, key spatiotemporal energy parameters are extracted to identify microseismic events associated with localized damage and their periodic characteristics. Subsequently, a spatiotemporal fractal dimension analysis method is established to achieve fractal interpretation of the data by integrating field cloud maps. Finally, an early warning model centered on temporal energy is constructed, which delineates warning zones through a comprehensive evaluation of fractal dimensions, thereby providing decision-making support for mine safety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Rock Mechanics in Deep Resource Development)
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