Advances in Slope Stability and Rock Fracture Mechanisms
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Civil Engineering".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 111
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Rock slope stability is inherently governed by discontinuous fracture networks and damage evolution within rock masses. Traditional continuum-based theories face significant limitations in addressing the multi-scale defects (e.g., joints, pores, microcracks) that dominate rock failure. Recent advances integrate micromechanical fracture modeling, cross-scale monitoring, and nonlinear system analysis to reveal the chained processes from microcrack coalescence to macroscopic rupture. This Special Issue highlights cutting-edge methodologies for rock fracture mechanics in slope engineering, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Multi-physics coupling mechanisms under hydromechanical forcing (e.g., rainfall/freeze–thaw);
- Three-dimensional damage propagation modeling using GPU-accelerated DEM-PFEM frameworks;
- Fracture evolution laws from laboratory tests to field-scale UAV mapping;
- Real-time fracture monitoring via distributed fiber optics/microseism;
- Machine learning-based early-warning of slope instability.
Original work highlighting the latest research and technical development is encouraged, but review papers and comparative studies are also welcome.
Dr. Penghai Zhang
Guest Editor
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 slopes
- cross-scale failure
- hydromechanical fracturing
- multi-physics coupling
- landslide early warning systems
- instability criteria
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
