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Applied Sciences
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Emerging Trends in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering
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Emerging Trends in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 May 2025) | Viewed by 2027

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yanhua Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: rock mechanics; CO2 geological sequestration; underground engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Wenling Tian

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, China
Interests: deep rock mechanics and underground engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The application of digital intelligent technology has improved the efficiency of rock mechanics research and rock engineering application. The close intersection of rock mechanics, geology, material science and other disciplines has promoted technological innovation and development of rock engineering. Meanwhile, with the increasingly prominent environmental issues, sustainable development has become crucial, emphasizing environmental protection, low-carbon technology development and rational use of resources.

This Special Issue will publish high-quality and original papers focusing on the new trends in rock mechanics and rock engineering. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: rock mechanics testing methods, rock constitutive models, rock numerical simulations, digital and intelligent applications, interdisciplinary integration of rock mechanics, improvement of disaster prevention and control technology, and other rock engineering applications.

Dr. Yanhua Huang
Dr. Wenling Tian
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 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

  • rock mechanics
  • constitutive model
  • numerical simulation
  • rock mass engineering
  • instability control
  • digitization and intelligence

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 4282 KiB  
Article
Stability Assessment of Hazardous Rock Masses and Rockfall Trajectory Prediction Using LiDAR Point Clouds
by Rao Zhu, Yonghua Xia, Shucai Zhang and Yingke Wang
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(12), 6709; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15126709 - 15 Jun 2025
Viewed by 66
Abstract
This study aims to mitigate slope-collapse hazards that threaten life and property at the Lujiawan resettlement site in Wanbi Town, Dayao County, Yunnan Province, within the Guanyinyan hydropower reservoir. It integrates centimeter-level point-cloud data collected by a DJI Matrice 350 RTK equipped with [...] Read more.
This study aims to mitigate slope-collapse hazards that threaten life and property at the Lujiawan resettlement site in Wanbi Town, Dayao County, Yunnan Province, within the Guanyinyan hydropower reservoir. It integrates centimeter-level point-cloud data collected by a DJI Matrice 350 RTK equipped with a Zenmuse L2 airborne LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) sensor with detailed structural-joint survey data. First, qualitative structural interpretation is conducted with stereographic projection. Next, safety factors are quantified using the limit-equilibrium method, establishing a dual qualitative–quantitative diagnostic framework. This framework delineates six hazardous rock zones (WY1–WY6), dominated by toppling and free-fall failure modes, and evaluates their stability under combined rainfall infiltration, seismic loading, and ambient conditions. Subsequently, six-degree-of-freedom Monte Carlo simulations incorporating realistic three-dimensional terrain and block geometry are performed in RAMMS::ROCKFALL (Rapid Mass Movements Simulation—Rockfall). The resulting spatial patterns of rockfall velocity, kinetic energy, and rebound height elucidate their evolution coupled with slope height, surface morphology, and block shape. Results show peak velocities ranging from 20 to 42 m s−1 and maximum kinetic energies between 0.16 and 1.4 MJ. Most rockfall trajectories terminate within 0–80 m of the cliff base. All six identified hazardous rock masses pose varying levels of threat to residential structures at the slope foot, highlighting substantial spatial variability in hazard distribution. Drawing on the preceding diagnostic results and dynamic simulations, we recommend a three-tier “zonal defense with in situ energy dissipation” scheme: (i) install 500–2000 kJ flexible barriers along the crest and upper slope to rapidly attenuate rockfall energy; (ii) place guiding or deflection structures at mid-slope to steer blocks and dissipate momentum; and (iii) deploy high-capacity flexible nets combined with a catchment basin at the slope foot to intercept residual blocks. This staged arrangement maximizes energy attenuation and overall risk reduction. This study shows that integrating high-resolution 3D point clouds with rigid-body contact dynamics overcomes the spatial discontinuities of conventional surveys. The approach substantially improves the accuracy and efficiency of hazardous rock stability assessments and rockfall trajectory predictions, offering a quantifiable, reproducible mitigation framework for long slopes, large rock volumes, and densely fractured cliff faces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering)
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15 pages, 5122 KiB  
Article
Experimental Study on the Effect of Rubber Particle Size on the Frost Resistance Characteristics of Concrete
by Xiao-Wen Huang, Jin-Song Zhang and Yi-Shun Bu
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(6), 3060; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15063060 - 12 Mar 2025
Viewed by 466
Abstract
In order to study the law of influence of rubber particle size on concrete frost resistance characteristics, this paper systematically evaluates the freeze–thaw characteristics of rubber concrete containing different particle sizes. Rubber concrete containing different particle sizes is subjected to 25, 50, 75, [...] Read more.
In order to study the law of influence of rubber particle size on concrete frost resistance characteristics, this paper systematically evaluates the freeze–thaw characteristics of rubber concrete containing different particle sizes. Rubber concrete containing different particle sizes is subjected to 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 freeze–thaw cycles. After the freeze–thaw cycles, the specimens are observed or measured for appearance, mass change rate, relative dynamic elastic modulus, internal damage degree, compressive strength, and tensile strength. The results show that the frost resistance of concrete mixed with rubber of different particle sizes is more excellent, and the surface of concrete specimens after different numbers of freezing and thawing cycles shows different degrees of spalling. Meanwhile, due to the presence of rubber, the compressive and tensile strengths of rubberized concrete are significantly inferior. Finally, the microscopic scanning results reveal the mechanism of rubber’s incorporation into concrete. The incorporation of rubber effectively reduces its internal pore development. To summarize, it can be seen that rubber incorporated into concrete is a worthwhile method to consider for frost resistance of engineering materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering)
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15 pages, 6760 KiB  
Article
A Modified Bearing Capacity Model for Inclined Shallow Anchor Cable with Experimental Verification
by Zhenhua Zhang, Guojuan Xu, Liangjun Dai, Tao Cheng, Banglu Xi, Mingliang Chen and Jiaqiang Yang
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(23), 11457; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142311457 - 9 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 876
Abstract
Most theoretical models of shallow anchor cables do not take the effect of anchor inclination into consideration, which is an important factor influencing load distribution, stress concentration, and failure mechanisms. In this paper, a modified bearing capacity was developed for a single anchor [...] Read more.
Most theoretical models of shallow anchor cables do not take the effect of anchor inclination into consideration, which is an important factor influencing load distribution, stress concentration, and failure mechanisms. In this paper, a modified bearing capacity was developed for a single anchor cable, taking the anchor inclination into consideration, based on the principle of limit equilibrium. Then, a series of indoor pull-out tests of single anchors with different inclinations were performed, where the effects of the anchor inclination on the bearing capacity and failure mechanisms were carefully analyzed. The experimental bearing capacities were compared to the predicted data of the proposed modified model, as well as other existing experimental results, aiming to verify the applicability and accuracy. The results show that the bearing capacity increases with decreasing anchor inclination because the vertical component of the force acting on the anchor cable increases. The failure models of the anchor cables, pulled out at different angles, exhibit an asymmetric “inverted trumpet” shape, which is caused by the varying stress distributions around the anchor cable during pull-out. In addition, the bearing capacities of the theory differ very little from the experimental and previous results, with a max error of nearly 10%. This study confirms that the proposed model reliably captures the effects of anchor inclination, providing valuable insights for designing inclined anchors in engineering practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Trends in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering)
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