Failure Characteristics of Deep Rocks, 3rd Edition

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, the design and construction of geotechnical engineering projects, such as mines, tunnels, hydropower stations, and nuclear waste repositories, have been surging in scale, and this trend is expected to continue in the future. These large-scale engineering projects are closely related to geomaterials (such as rock and soil) and geomechanics. When rock engineering enters increasingly deep exploitations, two critical scientific problems pose a serious threat to people's lives and property: the construction efficiency of projects and the ecological environment. Of great concern are geological disasters, including rockbursts, landslides, and slabbing, which frequently occur during the construction and operation of rock projects where there is a high geostress. Scientists aim to prevent the instability and breakage of surrounding rock, while researchers and workers seek to break hard rock efficiently during the excavation process. Therefore, the investigation and better understanding of the mechanical and fracture behavior of deep rocks is of key importance to the scientific design and safe operation of deep rock engineering. This Topic is dedicated to being a specific platform for all geomechanics research. This Topical Section can serve as the missing link between applied and fundamental research journals. Therefore, “Failure Characteristics of Deep Rocks” welcomes all geo-based scientific research in order to develop our understanding of deep geohazards. Authors are invited to submit their relevant research contributions to this Topic.

Dr. Zhenyu Han
Prof. Dr. Diyuan Li
Dr. Xin Cai
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Applied Sciences applsci	2.9	6.1	2011	15 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Buildings buildings	3.4	5.6	2011	14.7 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
GeoHazards geohazards	2.3	2.6	2020	18.9 Days	CHF 1400	Submit
Geosciences geosciences	2.3	4.4	2011	22.7 Days	CHF 1800	Submit
Minerals minerals	2.7	4.9	2011	17 Days	CHF 2400	Submit

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All Minerals Buildings Geosciences Applied Sciences GeoHazards

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32 pages, 7443 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Slope Rock Mass Classification Using Deep Forest Optimized by Three Metaheuristic Algorithms: A Case Study of Luming Molybdenum Mine

by Rongjian Chen, Diyuan Li, Jiahao Sun, Jianfu Cao, Tong Zhou and Chen Zhang

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(11), 5275; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16115275 - 25 May 2026

Viewed by 309

Abstract

Accurate and efficient rock mass quality classification is a prerequisite for assessing slope stability, designing support schemes, and ensuring mining safety in open-pit mines. However, traditional empirical classification methods rely heavily on expert judgment and often struggle to capture the complex, nonlinear relationships [...] Read more.

Accurate and efficient rock mass quality classification is a prerequisite for assessing slope stability, designing support schemes, and ensuring mining safety in open-pit mines. However, traditional empirical classification methods rely heavily on expert judgment and often struggle to capture the complex, nonlinear relationships among factors influencing slope stability. Existing intelligent classification models also suffer from limitations, including sensitivity to incomplete data, insufficient feature interaction learning, and unstable performance on small-scale datasets. To address these issues, this study develops a deep forest (DeepForest) model optimized by three metaheuristic algorithms—brown bear optimizer (BBO), tuna swarm optimizer (TSO), and sparrow search algorithm (SSA)—to intelligently classify slope rock mass quality. A rock mass quality dataset containing 204 groups of slope and non-slope cases was established to train and evaluate the classification performance of the DeepForest models. Six influencing factors were set as input parameters: uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of rock, rock quality designation (RQD), spacing of discontinuities (Sd), rock mass integrity coefficient (Kv), groundwater conditions (W), and site type (St). Multivariate imputation by chained equations (MICE), isolation forest (IsoForest), and synthetic minority over-sampling technique (SMOTE) were used to handle missing values, outliers, and imbalance in the dataset, respectively. The performance of the proposed models was evaluated using five metrics: accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The experimental results indicate that the BBO-DeepForest model performed best on the independent test set, with accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and average AUC values of 0.878, 0.682, 0.678, 0.678, and 0.961, respectively. A comparison with seven well-known imputation algorithms revealed the superiority of the selected imputation algorithm in recovering incomplete rock mass quality datasets. Model interpretation results showed that RQD and UCS are critical feature parameters for classifying slope rock mass quality. At last, the proposed BBO-DeepForest model was employed to verify the rock mass quality of three slopes at the Luming molybdenum mine, resulting in classifications consistent with on-site observations. It demonstrates that combining DeepForest with metaheuristic optimization algorithms is a feasible and accurate approach for intelligently classifying the rock mass quality of slopes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Failure Characteristics of Deep Rocks, 3rd Edition)

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23 pages, 14875 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Study on Mechanics of Carbonate Outcrops from the Cambrian and Sinian Systems in the Tarim Basin

by Chunsheng Wang, Ning Li, Yan Jin, Yunhu Lu, Jiaqi Luo, Yang Xia and Wentong Fan

Minerals 2026, 16(5), 553; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16050553 - 20 May 2026

Viewed by 385

Abstract

This study investigates Cambrian and Sinian carbonate outcrops in the Tarim Basin using 19 stratigraphically diverse rock samples. Through integrated X-ray diffraction mineralogical analysis, triaxial compression testing, and Brazilian splitting experiments, we systematically characterized rock mechanical properties and their correlations with microscopic mineral [...] Read more.

This study investigates Cambrian and Sinian carbonate outcrops in the Tarim Basin using 19 stratigraphically diverse rock samples. Through integrated X-ray diffraction mineralogical analysis, triaxial compression testing, and Brazilian splitting experiments, we systematically characterized rock mechanical properties and their correlations with microscopic mineral constituents. Key findings demonstrate remarkably distinct mechanical properties across formations: vuggy dolomites from the Xiaqiulitage formation exhibit the lowest compressive strength (minimum 200.0 MPa) and tensile strength (3.85 MPa), while the Yuertusi formation’s Y5 layer dolomites achieve exceptional tensile strength (21.69 MPa). Mineral composition fundamentally controls rock strength: dolomite or quartz concentrations exceeding 90% significantly enhance strength, whereas calcareous minerals (calcite, fluorapatite) degrade mechanical integrity. Most specimens display pronounced brittle failure characteristics; uniquely, basal dolostones of the Awatage formation exhibit distinctive plastic deformation. This research elucidates the synergistic effects of tectonic history, mineral assemblages, and microtextural attributes on rock mechanical behavior, providing critical theoretical underpinnings for deep carbonate reservoir development in overpressured basins. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Failure Characteristics of Deep Rocks, 3rd Edition)

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24 pages, 9485 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Damage Characteristics of Rock Mass Under Cutting Blasting in Sharp Inclined Narrow Vein Mines

by Shenggang Wu, Zhixiang Liu, Zilong Zhou, Cheng He, Guihua Zeng and Xin Cai

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(6), 2980; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16062980 - 19 Mar 2026

Viewed by 516

Abstract

In the drift mining of sharp, inclined, narrow veins, the efficacy of cutting blasting directly governs the efficiency of blasting operations. However, the mechanisms of rock mass damage and fracturing induced by cutting blasting in sharp inclined narrow vein mines remain inadequately understood. [...] Read more.

In the drift mining of sharp, inclined, narrow veins, the efficacy of cutting blasting directly governs the efficiency of blasting operations. However, the mechanisms of rock mass damage and fracturing induced by cutting blasting in sharp inclined narrow vein mines remain inadequately understood. This study employs a 3D numerical model of cutting blasting calibrated with field test data to analyze the damage and fracture processes of rock mass under cutting blasting in sharp inclined narrow vein mines. A parametric study further examines the effects of vein thickness and in situ stress on blast-induced damage and fracturing of a rock mass. The results show that cutting blasting produces a significantly asymmetric damage distribution in sharp, inclined, narrow vein mines. Under conditions of small vein thickness, the propagation of damage along the vein–rock interface increases, and the clamping effect on the rock in the cutting blasting zone intensifies. Additionally, high bidirectional equal in situ stress substantially suppresses blast-induced damage development, with the suppression intensity showing a positive correlation to in situ stress magnitude. The findings provide a theoretical basis for cutting blasting design in the drift mining of sharp inclined narrow veins. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Failure Characteristics of Deep Rocks, 3rd Edition)

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22 pages, 6340 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Creep Instability and Acoustic Emission Responses of Bedded Coal Subjected to Compressive Loads and Acidic Water Saturation

by Zhenhua Zhao, Lin Han, Hongjie Sun, Hongtao Li, Rui Zhang, Xinyu Bai and Yu Wang

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(2), 1005; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16021005 - 19 Jan 2026

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 355

Abstract

This study investigates the creep behavior and acoustic emission (AE) characteristics of bedded coal samples under acidic water environments. Uniaxial graded creep tests coupled with AE monitoring were conducted on samples with bedding angles of 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90°, respectively. The anisotropic [...] Read more.

This study investigates the creep behavior and acoustic emission (AE) characteristics of bedded coal samples under acidic water environments. Uniaxial graded creep tests coupled with AE monitoring were conducted on samples with bedding angles of 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90°, respectively. The anisotropic mechanical behavior and acoustic emission characteristics in terms of stress–strain, deformation, AE count, AE energy, and spectrum characteristics were revealed. The experimental results show that the strength of the coal samples gradually decreases as the saturation duration increases. At the same axial stress level, the axial deformation of the coal samples becomes larger with increasing saturation duration. The mechanical strength exhibits a distinct “U-shaped” relationship with the bedding angle, initially decreasing and then increasing. Correspondingly, axial deformation at a given stress level first increases and then decreases as the bedding angle increases. AE activity, particularly the AE ring count and energy, peaks at specimen failure, indicating significant fracture development. Spectral analysis revealed that under conditions of severe strength degradation (e.g., 0° bedding after 60-day saturation or 60° bedding after 30-day saturation), high-frequency, high-amplitude AE signals were absent. This suggests a shift in the dominant fracture mechanism from small-scale cracking to larger-scale fracture propagation in weakened samples. These findings offer valuable theoretical insights for the prevention and early warning of coal mine disasters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Failure Characteristics of Deep Rocks, 3rd Edition)

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