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Rock Mechanics in Geotechnical and Tunnel Engineering

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2025 | Viewed by 10722

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yun Lin

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Guest Editor

School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: multi-field coupling rock mechanics; intelligent early warning and control of geotechnical disasters
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Chun Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Mining Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: numerical modelling; microwave-assisted rock breakage; mining; rock mechanics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rock mechanics is the scientific study of the deformation and failure behavior of rocks under external forces, which directly relates to the stability and safety of geotechnical and tunnel engineering. It plays an irreplaceable role in the design, construction, and operation of engineering projects. With the development of industry, the acceleration of urbanization, and the deepening of underground space utilization, higher requirements have been put forward for the safety and reliability of geotechnical and tunnel engineering. Simultaneously, there is a continuous pursuit of higher economic benefits and lower environmental costs. Therefore, research and application of rock mechanics have become particularly important. By focusing on the frontier issues of rock mechanics in geotechnical and tunnel engineering fields, this theme aims to enrich the theory of rock mechanics, enhance the stability analysis level of geotechnical engineering, and provide scientific support for underground space development such as tunnels and mineral resource exploitation.

This Special Issue will cover a wide range of topics relating to the rock mechanics in geotechnical and tunnel engineering. We invite scientists and investigators to contribute original research and review articles, addressing the main issues facing the field.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

Geotechnical engineering detection technology;
Rock blasting and excavation methods;
Geotechnical challenges in underground tunneling;
Application of machine learning in geotechnical and tunnel engineering;
Rheological instability mechanism of surrounding rock mass of deep water-rich tunnels;
Study on the mechanism and prevention of water inrush disasters in tunnels;
Multiscale, multifield, and continuum–discontinuum analysis in geomechanics;
Large-scale modeling and high-performance calculation of geotechnical and tunnel engineering;
Thermal–wet–mechanical–chemical multi-field coupling analysis and experiments;
Rock burst and microseismicity;
Shield tunnel construction.

Dr. Yun Lin
Dr. Chun Yang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

rock engineering
mechanical behavior
geotechnical and tunnel engineering
underground space
numerical modelling
monitoring technology
blasting techniques
big data analytics
stability assessment
machine learning and artificial intelligence

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 8040 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving Hard Rock Materials Cuttability by Hydraulic Fracturing at Mining Working Face

by Haojie Li, Benben Liu, Qingyuan He, Yanan Gao, Dan Ma, Haiyan Yang, Jingyi Cheng, Jiqing Ye and Guoqiang Liu

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(24), 11908; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142411908 - 19 Dec 2024

Viewed by 797

Abstract

During advancing the working face at Guojiawan Coal Mine, hard rock faults are encountered, which hinder the normal cutting of the shearer. Hydraulic fracturing is applied to pretreat the hard rock materials. Un-directional hydraulic fracturing experiments in transparent gelatin samples are carried out. The influence of the differential stress, the borehole dip angle on the initiation and propagation of un-directional hydraulic fractures (HFs) are investigated. Three field test schemes of hydraulic fracturing are proposed and implemented at the 51207 working face of Guojiawan Coal Mine. Compared with the results of different test schemes, the cutting current ratio of the shearer is reduced by 51.70% and the cutting efficiency is increased by 89.93%. Therefore, the feasibility of hydraulic fracturing to improve the cuttability of the hard rock materials is verified, which provides a theoretical basis and field guidance for hydraulic fracturing pretreatment of the hard rock materials at a coal mining working face. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rock Mechanics in Geotechnical and Tunnel Engineering)

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15 pages, 6479 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of Strength Factors in Microbial Solidification of Uranium Tailings Using Response Surface Methodology

by Sucheng Hu, Zhijun Zhang, Huaimiao Zheng, Qing Yu, Yakun Tian, Lin Hu and Lingling Wu

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(23), 11170; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142311170 - 29 Nov 2024

Viewed by 675

Abstract

Once the uranium tailings dam collapses, it will cause great harm to the surrounding ecological environment and people’s safety. This study experimentally investigates microbial grouting reinforcement of uranium tailings to advance microbial reinforcement technology and facilitate its large-scale engineering applications. The study simulated original environmental conditions and used tap water to prepare the culture medium and cement without sterilization or pH adjustment. The response surface method was employed to optimize parameters affecting the immobilization of uranium tailings, and the results were verified. The mechanical strength of the immobilized uranium tailings was determined through unconfined compression tests, while their microstructures were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and computed tomography. The findings indicate that the response surface method optimizes test parameters accurately, with the concentration of the cementation solution and the grouting amount being two main factors influencing the compressive strength of the solidified uranium tailings. Without pH adjustment, sterilization, or slurry modification using tap water, the bacteria−cementation ratio was set at 1, the concentration of the cementation solution was 1.3 mol/L, and the grouting volume was 70 mL. Notably, the strength of the uranium tailings increased 27-fold after seven rounds of grouting compared to the water-only group, and 6-fold compared to the cementation solution-only group. This study contributes to reducing the complexity associated with the application of microbial grouting technology in soil stabilization and provides valuable references for other engineering practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rock Mechanics in Geotechnical and Tunnel Engineering)

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22 pages, 19176 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Natural Creation of Large Rock Cavern: Can We Construct Them? Jenolan Caves as a Case Study

by Keith Kong, Mojtaba Rajabi and Jurij Karlovsek

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(23), 10983; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142310983 - 26 Nov 2024

Viewed by 829

Abstract

The Jenolan Caves are the most spectacular limestone caves in Australia. Within this cave system, the Grand Arch, which is 24 m high, 55 m wide, and 127 m long, is the largest open cave in the country. A cave of this size could potentially accommodate small city streets, buildings, and other facilities. This paper examines a stability simulation of the Grand Arch, using numerical models to deduce foundational insights into rock openings under different geological and rock mass conditions. Following this, using numerical analysis, we investigate the creation of a man-made rock opening with the same span, height, and ground conditions of the Grand Arch but formed in two different arch shapes (i.e., with and without rock reinforcement as a stabilization measure). With all stability simulations conducted in this study, a clear explanation to describe the relationship and interaction between various parameters, such as rock mass structure and quality, rock mass strength, and in situ stress field, as well as different arch roofs shapes of the rock opening, is provided. Through its comparisons between natural rock cave and man-made rock openings, this study provides some findings and deep insight, as well as further questioning on creating a large size rock-reinforced cavern in different shapes to be opened in a range of rock conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rock Mechanics in Geotechnical and Tunnel Engineering)

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11 pages, 3453 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Study on the Damage Evolution Law of Layered Rocks Based on Ultrasonic Waves Considering Initial Damage

by Jiawei Liu, Shuchen Xuan and Gao Liu

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(19), 9076; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14199076 - 8 Oct 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1060

Abstract

The damage evolution process of layered rock is influenced by its fine structure, lamination direction, and confining pressure, exhibiting significant anisotropic characteristics. This study focuses on shale as the research object, employing indoor tests and theoretical analysis to define damage variables and initial damage based on ultrasonic wave velocity. This research investigates the damage evolution law of layered rock under varying confining pressures and dip angles. The findings reveal that damage variables defined using transverse wave velocity effectively reflect the damage evolution process. Additionally, confining pressure significantly affects damage evolution, with increasing pressure causing a rightward shift in the damage variable–strain curve and an increase in initial damage. The slab inclination angle also influences damage evolution; samples with 45° and 60° inclinations are more susceptible to damage, with initial damage showing a trend of increasing and then decreasing. To accurately describe the relationship between damage variables and strain during the loading process, this paper establishes a segmented damage evolution equation characterized by wave velocity. Initially, an inverse proportional function is employed to characterize the strain before crack closure. Subsequently, a logistic function represents the curve from crack strain to peak strain. This combined approach provides a comprehensive depiction of the damage evolution. This study underscores the importance of considering confining pressure and laminar inclination in the analysis of rock stability and integrity. These results provide critical insights into the damage evolution characteristics of layered rocks, offering valuable references for engineering safety assessments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rock Mechanics in Geotechnical and Tunnel Engineering)

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19 pages, 11597 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Roughness Evolution of Granite Flat Fracture Surfaces during Sliding Processes

by Hengtao Yang, Bing Bai and Hang Lin

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(13), 5935; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14135935 - 8 Jul 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1160

Abstract

Roughness is an essential factor affecting the shear process of discontinuous surfaces, and the evolution of roughness is closely related to the mechanical behavior of discontinuous surfaces. In this paper, with the help of granite specimens, a direct shear test was carried out on flat fracture surfaces obtained by sawing in order to study the evolution of roughness with shear slip. During the tests, the roughness evolution was evaluated using the arithmetic mean, root mean square and power spectral density of the roughness. The variation in these parameters all indicate that the friction surface with large slip tends to be rougher, at least under the loading conditions in this paper. And the increase in normal force will enhance this process, while the loading rate seems to have little effect on the roughness evolution. Finally, the analysis of the power spectral density shows that the roughness evolution in the spatial frequency of the profile line is mainly reflected in the middle– and low–frequency part, while the high–frequency part corresponding to the microscopic roughness body does not change much throughout the shear process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rock Mechanics in Geotechnical and Tunnel Engineering)

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22 pages, 4194 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Deep Learning in Rockburst Intensity Level Prediction: Performance Evaluation and Comparison of the NGO-CNN-BiGRU-Attention Model

by Hengyu Liu, Tianxing Ma, Yun Lin, Kang Peng, Xiangqi Hu, Shijie Xie and Kun Luo

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(13), 5719; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14135719 - 29 Jun 2024

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2058

Abstract

Rockburst is an extremely hazardous geological disaster. In order to accurately predict the hazardous degree of rockbursts, this paper proposes eight new classification models for predicting the intensity level of rockbursts based on intelligent optimisation algorithms and deep learning techniques and collects 287 sets of real rockburst data to form a sample database, in which six quantitative indicators are selected as feature parameters. In order to validate the effectiveness of the constructed eight machine learning prediction models, the study selected Accuracy, Precision, Recall and F1 Score to evaluate the prediction performance of each model. The results show that the NGO-CNN-BiGRU-Attention model has the best prediction performance, with an accuracy of 0.98. Subsequently, engineering validation of the model is carried out using eight sets of real rockburst data from Daxiangling Tunnel, and the results show that the model has a strong generalisation ability and can satisfy the relevant engineering applications. In addition, this paper also uses SHAP technology to quantify the impact of different factors on the rockburst intensity level and found that the elastic strain energy index and stress ratio have the greatest impact on the rockburst intensity level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rock Mechanics in Geotechnical and Tunnel Engineering)

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17 pages, 3982 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Simulation Study on the Deformation Patterns of Surrounding Rock in Deeply Buried Roadways under Seepage Action

by Xuebin Xie and Liang Li

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(12), 5276; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14125276 - 18 Jun 2024

Viewed by 873

Abstract

To reveal the deformation patterns of the surrounding rock in deeply buried straight-wall arch-shaped roadways under seepage action, this study, based on an FLAC3D numerical simulation and classic elastoplastic theory, investigates the influences of surrounding rock classification, roadway burial depth, pore water pressure, and roadway cross-sectional dimensions on the deformation of surrounding rock. A multivariate regression prediction model for rock deformation was established based on the numerical simulation conclusions, and the correctness of the conclusions was verified through comparative analysis. Correlation analysis of various factors with rock deformation was conducted, ranking their impact as follows: pore water pressure > roadway burial depth > surrounding rock classification > roadway height > roadway width. The research results can provide guidance for the construction and support of deeply buried roadways under seepage action. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rock Mechanics in Geotechnical and Tunnel Engineering)

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16 pages, 12403 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamic Responses and Failure Characteristics of Deep Double U-Shaped Caverns under Disturbing Loads

by Lisha Liang, Xibing Li and Zhixiang Liu

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(11), 4543; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14114543 - 25 May 2024

Viewed by 903

Abstract

The instability of double-cavern structure subjected to dynamic disturbances is a key issue for deep rock engineering. To investigate the dynamic responses of deep double U-shaped caverns, comprehensive analyses are conducted by Particle Flow Code (PFC2D), and the influences of incident directions of stress wave, cavern clearances, and cavern height ratios are discussed. The results indicate that the decreasing cavern clearance aggravates the static stress concentration on the intermediate rock pillar. When the stress wave is horizontally incident, the presence of the incident side cavern reduces peak tangential stress and kinetic energy on the non-incident side cavern; the higher the incident side cavern, the less damage on the non-incident side cavern. A vertically incident stress wave causes more severe damage in the intermediate rock pillar compared to a horizontally incident stress wave; the smaller the cavern clearance, the more violent the rockburst in the intermediate rock pillar. Comparatively, the cavern with a lower height exhibits more severe failure at the adjacent sidewall compared to the cavern with a higher height. This work can provide guidelines for disaster prevention of deep double-cavern structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rock Mechanics in Geotechnical and Tunnel Engineering)

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23 pages, 12552 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Jointed Rock Mass on Seismic Response of Metro Station Tunnel-Group Structures

by Ruozhou Li and Yong Yuan

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(10), 4080; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14104080 - 11 May 2024

Viewed by 973

Abstract

A jointed rock mass (JRM) is the usual case in practical engineering, which has significant effects on its mechanical performance. To clarify the difference in the seismic responses of underground structures in JRM sites or homogeneous rock mass (HRM) sites, two models were prepared to take shaking table tests in a structural laboratory. The HRM site was prepared following the similitude relations of material; meanwhile, underground structures of a metro station were embedded during the casting of the models. The JRM site and structure were made with the same material but produced random joints after the natural drying process. Different frequencies of harmonics were used to excite along the two models in the transverse or the longitudinal direction, respectively. The dynamic effect was evaluated by time-frequency and frequency-domain analyses. The test results compared with the HRM model indicated that the JRM model had a 22% reduction in the transverse fundamental frequency, but the dynamic response of the ground surface was enhanced due to the effect of the joints. Under harmonic excitations of the same intensity, the JRM model produced a greater energy response to the station structure and reduced the acceleration response of the platform in the high-frequency region. Meanwhile, the JRM model produced a peak tensile strain at the connections of the main and subsidiary structures that was 31% larger than that of the HRM model, and the range of tensile strains observed at the platform connecting the horizontal passage was 1.5 times larger than that of the HRM model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rock Mechanics in Geotechnical and Tunnel Engineering)

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