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Fractal Fract
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Fractal Analysis and Its Applications in Rock Engineering, Second Edition
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Fractal Analysis and Its Applications in Rock Engineering, Second Edition

A special issue of Fractal and Fractional (ISSN 2504-3110). This special issue belongs to the section "Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 788

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xiaohan Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Resources Engineering, Central Queensland University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Interests: fractal analysis; rock mechanics; coal/rock burst; underground mining; geomechanics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Lihai Tan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Resource Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang 412001, China
Interests: fractal analysis; rock mechanics; discreet numerical modelling; damage mechanics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Gaofeng Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. School of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454003, China
2. Collaborative Innovation Center of Coalbed Methane and Shale Gas for Central Plains Economic Region, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454003, China
Interests: fractal characteristics; fuel; energy; geology; mining
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In rock mechanics, fractal analysis is used to study the behavior and properties of rock fractures, including their size distribution, orientation, and connectivity. This allows researchers to better understand the mechanics of rock fractures and their impact on different aspects of rock mass behavior, including deformation, stability, and permeability. Fractal analysis has also been applied to study the fragmentation of rocks, including the study of rock blasting and rock cutting. By analyzing the fractal dimensions of rock fragments, researchers can develop models that predict the size, distribution, and shape of rock fragments after blasting, which is crucial for planning mining operations. The application of fractal analysis in rock mechanics and rock engineering has broadened our understanding of the mechanical behavior of rocks and rock masses at various scales, and has the potential to improve the design and safety of rock engineering projects.

The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• The fractal analysis of rock fractures and their properties, such as their size distribution, orientation, and connectivity.

• The fractal modeling and simulation of rock fragmentation processes, including the study of rock blasting and rock cutting.

• Applications of fractal analysis in rock engineering, including the characterization of rock mass properties and the prediction of rock mass behavior.

• The fractal analysis of geomechanical processes, such as the faulting, folding, and deformation of rocks.

• The fractal analysis of rock microstructures, including the study of grain size distribution and pore space characterization.

Dr. Xiaohan Yang
Dr. Lihai Tan
Dr. Gaofeng Liu
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. Fractal and Fractional is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2700 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

  • fractal analysis and modeling
  • fragmentation
  • rock mechanics
  • rock fractures
  • rock microstructures
  • rock engineering
  • geomechanical processes
  • engineering application

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 7083 KiB  
Article
Pore Structure Evolution Characteristics and Damage Mechanism of Sandstone Subjected to Freeze–Thaw Cycle Treatment: Insights from Low-Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Testing and Fractal Theory
by Xin Xiong, Feng Gao, Jielin Li, Keping Zhou and Chengye Yang
Fractal Fract. 2025, 9(5), 293; https://doi.org/10.3390/fractalfract9050293 - 1 May 2025
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Abstract
To investigate the pore structure evolution characteristics and damage mechanism of sandstone subjected to treatment with freeze–thaw cycles, quantitative analyses were conducted on the longitudinal wave velocity (LWV) and T2 spectrum of sandstone before and after 10, 20, 30, and 40 freeze–thaw [...] Read more.
To investigate the pore structure evolution characteristics and damage mechanism of sandstone subjected to treatment with freeze–thaw cycles, quantitative analyses were conducted on the longitudinal wave velocity (LWV) and T2 spectrum of sandstone before and after 10, 20, 30, and 40 freeze–thaw cycles, using longitudinal wave velocity testing, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) testing, and fractal theory. The results show that, with the increase in the number of freeze–thaw cycles, the LWV of sandstone gradually decreases, the amplitude of the saturated T2 spectrum gradually increases, the amplitude of the centrifugal T2 spectrum gradually decreases, the total porosity and effective porosity increase, and the residual porosity decreases. After undergoing freeze–thaw cycles, sandstone exhibits obvious fractal characteristics in both the total porosity NMR fractal dimension and the effective porosity NMR fractal dimension, and the growth rates of both decrease exponentially with the increase in the number of freeze–thaw cycles. The magnitude of the fractal dimensions reflects the complexity of the pore structure, with smaller fractal dimensions indicating better pore connectivity. In summary, the damage evolution mechanism of sandstone under freeze–thaw cycles is characterized by the gradual expansion and interconnection of internal closed micro-pores (cracks), along with increased total porosity and effective porosity, leading to enhanced freeze–thaw damage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fractal Analysis and Its Applications in Rock Engineering, Second Edition)
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18 pages, 20166 KiB  
Article
Degradation Characteristics of Coal Samples Under the Dry–Wet Cycle Action of Acidic, High-Salinity Solutions: Experimental Study and Fractal Analysis
by Leiming Zhang, Min Wang, Bin Zhang, Xun Xi, Ying Zhang and Jiliang Pan
Fractal Fract. 2025, 9(4), 221; https://doi.org/10.3390/fractalfract9040221 - 1 Apr 2025
Viewed by 284
Abstract
Uniaxial compression tests were conducted on coal samples subjected to different dry–wet cycling treatments to investigate the damage and degradation mechanisms of coal samples under the dry–wet cyclic action of acidic, high-salinity solutions. The damage process of the coal samples was monitored in [...] Read more.
Uniaxial compression tests were conducted on coal samples subjected to different dry–wet cycling treatments to investigate the damage and degradation mechanisms of coal samples under the dry–wet cyclic action of acidic, high-salinity solutions. The damage process of the coal samples was monitored in situ using acoustic emission (AE). The degradation evolution of the mechanical parameters and macroscopic failure modes with the number of cycles was analyzed. Based on the AE ringing parameters, the RA-AF distribution and the AE fractal dimension’s variation characteristics were studied. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the microstructure of the coal samples. The results showed that with the increase in the number of dry–wet cycles, both the peak strength and elastic modulus of the coal samples exhibited varying degrees of degradation, and the failure mode gradually shifted from tensile failure to shear failure. AE ringing counts decreased progressively, while the proportion of shear cracks based on the RA-AF classification increased. At the same time, the mean AE fractal dimension of the coal samples increased, and the fractal dimension decreased with an increase in AE ringing counts. The sharp drop in fractal dimensions could serve as an early warning signal for a major failure in the coal samples. Furthermore, under the influence of dry–wet cycling in acidic, high-salinity solutions, defects such as pores and cracks in the microstructure of the coal samples became more pronounced, and the degradation effect continuously intensified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fractal Analysis and Its Applications in Rock Engineering, Second Edition)
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