Advanced Materials and Technologies in Deep Rock Engineering

Dear Colleagues,

Underground mineral resources are a necessity for human development. However, with resource mining processes continuously developing deep into Earth, the high ground pressure, large deformation of surrounding rocks, and complex tectonic geologies tend to become increasingly serious. Moreover, mining wastes such as gangue and tailings erode arable land and forests while polluting water and air. These issues deteriorate sustainability and ecological security. Researchers have been working hard to develop, explore, and optimize materials, methods, and technologies for solving these issues. However, due to differences in stress conditions, complexities of material components, and opacities of geological structures, conventional mechanical theories, modification methods, and construction plans find difficulty in achieving achievements and breakthroughs. Developing advanced materials and technologies for safe, green, and efficient mining in deep underground settings is now critical. In addition to new discoveries, insights, and detections in the mechanical behavior of deep rocks, we encourage publications that investigate advanced materials and technologies for solving deep-rock engineering problems. Materials that can both benefit mining safety and sustainability are particularly welcome, such as cemented waste-rock backfill materials for solving the control problems of deep strata, grouting materials for preventing groundwater disasters, functional materials for energy storage, self-healing materials and carbon capture, etc. Moreover, observations of the interactions of these materials with rocks are also welcomed. Overall, this Topic will focus on advanced materials and technologies in deep-rock engineering while promoting the sustainable development of deep mineral resources from the multi-disciplinary intersection of geotechnic, materials, and environmental areas. Underground cases, laboratory experiments, and numerical and physical simulation studies related to this Topic are encouraged. We welcome both original research and review papers. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Mechanical behavior of deep rock;
• Cemented waste rock backfill;
• Waste-rock leaching and solidification evaluation;
• Cement-based grouting material;
• Material functionalization applications in deep underground settings;
• Long-term stability of surrounding deep rock;
• Multi-source information monitoring of deep rock;
• Disaster prevention of deep mining;
• Filling mines for controlling strata movements.

Dr. Jiangyu Wu
Prof. Dr. Hong Wong
Prof. Dr. Lang Liu
Dr. Wen Zhong
Prof. Dr. Dan Ma
Topic Editors