Advances in Rock Mechanics: Theory, Method, and Application
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Civil Engineering".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: computational geomechanics; damage and fracture; flow and transport; seepage; underground engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: rock mechanics; coal pillar; numerical simulation; ground control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: discrete element method; computational fluid dynamics; carbon capture and storage; sand production
Interests: tunnel engineering; large deformation of soft rock; deformation control; tunnel construction mechanics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Rock mechanics has made remarkable progress over recent decades. Classical theories and methods, including constitutive modelling, damage and fracture mechanics, seepage analysis, multi-field coupling, and numerical simulations, have laid a solid foundation for understanding the physical behaviours of rocks. These advances have been successfully applied in engineering projects such as underground construction, energy resource exploitation, and geological hazard prevention, significantly contributing to infrastructure development and societal safety. In recent years, the complexity of engineering challenges has continued to grow, driven by deeper excavation, more extreme environments, and the demand for sustainable development. Traditional approaches in rock mechanics are expected to be further enhanced through the integration of emerging technologies. In particular, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analysis, and digital twin techniques open new avenues for theory, method, and application. These advanced tools provide powerful capabilities for predictive modelling, real-time monitoring, and intelligent decision-making, complementing classical rock mechanics theories and offering novel perspectives for research and practice.
This Special Issue titled "Advances in Rock Mechanics: Theory, Method, and Application" aims to highlight the integration of traditional rock mechanics with advanced technologies. Contributions are welcome on theoretical developments, methodological innovations, and engineering applications that advance the understanding of rock behaviour and support sustainable solutions in underground engineering, energy development, geohazard mitigation, and other rock mechanics-related fields.
Dr. Luyu Wang
Dr. Qing Ma
Guest Editors
Dr. Tuo Wang
Dr. Jinpeng Zhao
Guest Editor Assistants
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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
- geomechanics
- numerical methods
- constitutive models
- geological hazard
- deep energy storage
- reservoir engineering
- underground engineering
- coupled multi-physics processes
- artificial intelligence
- data-driven models
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