Engineering Geology最新文献

{"title":"Strength and non-coaxiality behavior of warm frozen silt under inclined principal stress axes","authors":"Furong Liu ,&nbsp;Wei Ma ,&nbsp;Yanhu Mu ,&nbsp;Zhi Wen ,&nbsp;Mingde Shen ,&nbsp;Pengfei He","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108509","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108509","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Under the background of global climate changing, the warming of permafrost has led to numerous engineering infrastructures being operated on warm permafrost foundations with diminishing bearing capacity. Meanwhile, infrastructure construction not only increases the overburden load on permafrost foundations but also induces directional deviation of the principal stress axis relative to the vertical direction. Therefore, conducting study on the stress-strain behavior and strength characteristics along different principal stress directions in warm frozen soils is imperative for accurately assessing deformation evolution patterns and bearing capacity of warm permafrost foundations. Thus, the stress-strain relationships respond, non-coaxiality evolution and strength distribution characteristics during directional loading along different principal stress directions were systematically investigated. The results indicated that the influence of principal stress direction on the strength intensifies with decreasing initial mean principal stress (when <em>p</em>_<em>₀</em> = 500 kPa, the strength at <em>α</em> = 45° exhibits a 27.3 % reduction compared to the <em>α</em> = 0°). Concurrently, increasing initial mean principal stress diminishes both the stress-strain non-coaxiality angle and the directional dependence of strength. Furthermore, a novel strength model incorporating principal stress direction is proposed for warm frozen silt. These findings elucidate the correlation mechanisms between non-coaxiality evolution and strength anisotropy in warm frozen silt under fixed principal stress direction, providing theoretical foundations for optimizing engineering designs in permafrost regions under warming scenarios.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"361 ","pages":"Article 108509"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145785697","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cross-effects of roughness and shear cycle on frictional behavior and damage characteristics of faults in granite","authors":"Feili Wang ,&nbsp;Fanzhen Meng ,&nbsp;Junnan Zhang ,&nbsp;Shuhong Wang ,&nbsp;Zhanguo Xiu ,&nbsp;Zhengyang Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108493","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108493","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Faults experience different shear histories from the complicated and volatile deformation along tectonic plates, producing different structure complexities which are linked to the mechanical properties of faults; however, it is still unclear how the shear history-induced complex interior textures of the fault influence the shear behavior, particularly for fault with different roughness. Here, we study the effects of shear-induced structure complexities of rough and planar faults on frictional behaviors and associated off-fault damage using laboratory experiments. Tension-induced rough fractures (TF) and sawcut fractures (SF) were repeatedly sheared with gouges being cleaned or retained. TF exhibit greater shear strengths and more intense stick-slip events, yet show strength reduction and decreasing stress drops with shear cycle, whereas SF display strength enhancement and increasing stress drops. These frictional behaviors are governed by the evolution of roughness and the cumulation of shear-induced gouges. TF surfaces smooth progressively while SF surfaces roughen with successive shear cycles. Moreover, thicker gouge layers and larger damage zones were produced in TF than in SF. The mass and grain size of shear-induced gouges decrease with shear cycles in TF. Our results indicate that the shear cycle can produce complex fault structures that directly control the fault shear behaviors and damage characteristics, providing critical insights for assessing fault slip behavior and seismic potential.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"361 ","pages":"Article 108493"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145689432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of stability and cooling engineering effectiveness of the Qinghai-Tibet transportation routes: A first comprehensive assessment using space geodetic observations","authors":"Lingxiao Wang ,&nbsp;Lin Zhao ,&nbsp;Shibo Liu ,&nbsp;Huayun Zhou ,&nbsp;Guojie Hu ,&nbsp;Defu Zou ,&nbsp;Erji Du ,&nbsp;Guangyue Liu ,&nbsp;Yao Xiao ,&nbsp;Yueli Chen ,&nbsp;Jianting Zhao ,&nbsp;Wei Chen ,&nbsp;Xueying Wang ,&nbsp;Chong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108502","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108502","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The warming and thawing of ice-rich permafrost present major challenges for the stability of linear infrastructure across cold regions. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) and Highway (QTH), two critical transportation corridors on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, traverse extensive warm and ice-rich permafrost where maintaining long-term embankment stability has become a complex engineering challenge. A systematic evaluation of roadway stability and the effectiveness of engineered cooling measures is essential for ensuring safe operation and for guiding maintenance strategies. However, comprehensive route-scale assessments remain scarce due to the lack of suitable evaluation methods. In this study, we provide the first systematic assessment of the stability of ∼890 km of the QTR and QTH and the effectiveness of cooling engineering measures based on ground deformation through Sentinel-1 SBAS-InSAR monitoring. The performance of cooling measures is quantified by comparing deformation between road surface and adjacent natural terrain, and the dominant environmental and engineering controls on deformation variability are identified. Results reveal that geomorphological and ground thermal conditions strongly govern permafrost terrain deformation, with unstable segments concentrated where ground temperatures approach 0 °C, particularly across lacustrine plains and fluvial terraces. Overall, 92.8 % of the QTR and 86.7 % of the QTH do not exhibit worsening deformation compared to the surrounding natural terrain in both seasonal deformation and long-term velocities and QTR exhibits better stability and maintenance status than QTH. Approximately 15 km of QTH segments and 11 km of QTR segments exhibit long-term settlement rates more than 5 mm/a greater than those of nearby natural terrain. Cooling measures markedly suppress seasonal deformation, with only 9 km of QTH segments showing seasonal deformation exceeding adjacent natural terrain by more than 5 mm. This study provides a systematic framework for assessing route-scale transportation stability and the performance of cooling engineering measures in permafrost terrains, providing guidance for long-term maintenance and future engineering works.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"361 ","pages":"Article 108502"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145732134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving hydro-mechanical response of heavy metal contaminated soil to rainfall events through combination of biochar and microbial induced carbonate precipitation (BM) treatment","authors":"Huicong Hu ,&nbsp;Chao-Sheng Tang ,&nbsp;Zhengtao Shen ,&nbsp;Xiaohua Pan ,&nbsp;Kai Gu ,&nbsp;Mengtao Wang ,&nbsp;Wen Mu ,&nbsp;Bao-Jun Wang ,&nbsp;Huan Liu ,&nbsp;Zhihan Ji ,&nbsp;Weiqiang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108503","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108503","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The hydro-mechanical properties of heavy metal contaminated soil can be significantly altered during rainfall events, which may affect the leaching, migration, and dispersion of heavy metals. Enhancing the structural strength and water stability of soils may be a viable strategy to cope with the effects of rainfall. This study proposes a novel treatment, referred to as the BM treatment, which combines biochar and microbial induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) technology, aiming at effectively improving hydro-mechanical response of soil and remediating heavy metal contamination. Targeting lead (Pb) as the contaminant, we experimentally introduced biochar into Pb contaminated Xiashu soil, a silt clay, followed by MICP treatment cycles ranging from 3 to 10. The structural strength and water stability of the contaminated soil were assessed through penetration and slaking tests, respectively. The mobility of Pb was evaluated based on the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP). The surface morphology of the soils was explored using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The results showed that BM treatment significantly improved the hydro-mechanical response and reduced Pb mobility, with these effects being notably correlated with the number of MICP treatment cycles. The improved remediation was attributed to synergistic effect of biochar and MICP. Biochar facilitated microbial activity, penetration of MICP solution, and Pb adsorption. MICP generated calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) to fill pores, protect biochar, and immobilize Pb. They formed effective cementing areas and surface barriers to buffer against rainfall-induced mechanical stress and heavy metal desorption. This study provides valuable insights for improving climate adaptation and environmental remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"361 ","pages":"Article 108503"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145704919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fast trace mapping on 3D rock point clouds using anomaly detection without normal estimation","authors":"Jiawei Xie ,&nbsp;Anna Giacomini ,&nbsp;Shui-Hua Jiang ,&nbsp;Yuting Zhang ,&nbsp;Jinsong Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108492","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108492","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study proposes an innovative method for fast mapping rock traces on 3D outcrops directly from point cloud data. Unlike traditional approaches that rely on computationally intensive calculations of normal vectors and curvatures, the proposed method leverages a key geometric insight: points along rock traces typically exhibit geometric deviations from planar surfaces compared to points on a flat plane. This characteristic manifests in larger tetrahedral volumes when these trace points are combined with three random neighboring points. Conversely, points on a plane tend to form tetrahedra with nearly zero volume when combined with random neighbors. By repeatedly sampling tetrahedron volumes around each point and employing the Extended Isolation Forest algorithm for anomaly detection, the proposed method efficiently identifies potential trace points. These points are then refined using a proposed local regression method and connected via a line-growing algorithm to map the complete traces. The proposed approach offers significant computational advantages over traditional methods. While traditional methods have complexity dependent on data dimensionality and neighborhood size, the proposed method calculates tetrahedron volumes with a constant time complexity of O(1) per point, independent of the number of neighboring points. The efficiency and accuracy of this method is validated with multiple synthetic and real-world datasets. Results demonstrate that the proposed method reduces 99 % of the time required by traditional approaches while maintaining the accuracy of trace intensity measurements.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"361 ","pages":"Article 108492"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145658133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interpretable regional-scale geological mapping using a contrastive graph attention network for multimodal data fusion and recognition of controlling factors","authors":"Fanfan Yang ,&nbsp;Renguang Zuo ,&nbsp;Oliver P. Kreuzer","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108508","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108508","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Data-driven deep learning approaches have exhibited promising performance in engineering geological mapping. However, existing methods face challenges in geological mapping based on multimodal data fusion due to their limited ability to exploit the complementary features among geoscience data. Moreover, the poor interpretability of deep learning methods limits their applicability for downstream engineering decision-making. To address these issues, this study designed a novel interpretable framework combining a contrastive multimodal graph attention network (CMGAT) with GNNExplainer (generating explanations for graph neural networks) for geological mapping. CMGAT was developed to extract discriminative features from multimodal graphs and align cross-modal representations via contrastive learning, while GNNExplainer was applied to quantify the influence of graph structure and geological features on the identification of geological units. The proposed CMGAT outperformed other unimodal models, achieving overall accuracies of 91 % and 82.9 % in lithological and fault mapping, respectively, in southwestern Fujian Province of China. Moreover, the GNNExplainer analysis identified key graph structure and geological indicators for geological unit delineation, strengthening the credibility of the predictive results. The framework can be further extended to diverse engineering geological mapping tasks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"361 ","pages":"Article 108508"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145731549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysis of rockfall-induced retreat and influencing factors in a sandstone-marl interbedded rock wall in a low-elevation environment","authors":"Li Fei,&nbsp;Michel Jaboyedoff,&nbsp;Tiggi Choanji,&nbsp;Marc-Henri Derron","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108506","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108506","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Over the past two decades, accelerated rock wall retreat has become a growing concern due to its link to global warming. While most research has focused on high-altitude cryosphere and deglacial regions, rock wall retreat in low-elevation areas remains understudied, despite posing higher risks to infrastructure and public safety. To address this gap, we investigated a molasse rock wall at La Cornalle located in the subalpine region (Vaud, Switzerland), composed of interbedded marl and sandstone layers. Using monthly Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), we established a detailed four-year rockfall inventory and examined it with meteorological factors, including precipitation (including the snow melting), air temperature, and evapotranspiration (ET), collected from two nearby weather stations. A total of 4051 rockfall events, with a cumulative volume of 285 m³, were recorded. The annual retreat rates for sandstones and marls were 35.6 mm/yr and 26.0 mm/yr, respectively, with newly exposed rock faces showing a higher retreat rate (43.8 mm/yr) for marls. Spatially, rockfalls were concentrated in steep, thinly bedded, and highly fractured zones, as well as around large sandstone overhangs. Temporally, rockfall frequency peaked during winter and wet spring-summer periods, with duration of rainfall emerging as the primary driver, as prolonged rain facilitates deep water infiltration and weakens the water-sensitive marl layers. Following an extreme heatwave in August 2022, a notable spike in small rockfall events was observed at the early autumn (from Mid-September to Mid-October), indicating that local climatic shifts, such as extreme heatwave (coupled drying and heating) followed by effective water input (wetting), can significantly destabilize rock walls. This study highlights the importance of understanding temporal variations in rockfall activity and rock wall retreat by incorporating geological and climatic factors to improve rockfall hazard assessments in low-elevation regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"361 ","pages":"Article 108506"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145732132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to “Spatial-temporal patterns of sinkhole development in the Konya Basin, Türkiye. Implications for susceptibility and time-variant hazard assessment” [Engineering Geology 360 (2026) 108480]","authors":"Ergin Gökkaya ,&nbsp;Francisco Gutiérrez ,&nbsp;Esra Tunçel","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108517","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108517","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"361 ","pages":"Article 108517"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145823491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A cohesive zone model and coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian combined approach of landslide-induced waves modeling and its application on a slope of the Lancang River","authors":"Qingxiang Meng ,&nbsp;Kan Yan ,&nbsp;Xiaoying Zhuang ,&nbsp;Jiamin Chen ,&nbsp;Yu Ning ,&nbsp;Weijiang Chu ,&nbsp;Chun Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108498","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108498","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Landslide-induced waves may result in significant hazards. This paper proposes a coupled method of the Cohesive Zone Model (CZM) and Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) to analyze the phenomenon of landslide-induced waves. The movement of the landslide is analyzed using an explicit finite element method (FEM) with cohesive elements and the reservoir water is simulated using CEL. The coupling between the solid part and the fluid part is realized using the immersed boundary method (IBM). This work is further validated through a comparative analysis with published laboratory experiments. The results demonstrate that the numerical method can effectively simulate the whole process of landslide-induced waves and predict their characteristics. Then, the practical engineering application of the aforementioned method is investigated, with an in-depth analysis conducted on the impact of three factors: mesh size of slide, friction coefficient, and reservoir water level, on the generation and propagation of waves triggered by landslides. The results indicate that an increase in mesh size, a reduction in the friction coefficient, and a decrease in reservoir water level contribute to larger wave heights induced by landslides. Among these factors, the friction coefficient has the most significant influence on the generated wave height and runup height. This study provides a useful tool for hazard assessment in reservoir areas and lays the foundation for future investigations involving large-scale 3D simulations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"361 ","pages":"Article 108498"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145689419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimental investigation and analysis of monotonic and cyclic behaviour of a natural sand in intact and reconstituted states","authors":"Xiaotong Yang ,&nbsp;Wenming Peng ,&nbsp;Jian-Min Zhang ,&nbsp;Jian Li ,&nbsp;Qixun Luo ,&nbsp;Fulong Ma ,&nbsp;Rui Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108497","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108497","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sandy soil structure formed during geological deposition critically controls its mechanical properties, directly impacting engineering design. However, challenges in obtaining undisturbed specimens hinder comprehensive understanding of in-situ sand behaviour. In this study, high-quality intact specimens were obtained from a deep caisson, frozen on-site, and precisely trimmed using specifically designed apparatuses. For comparison, reconstituted specimens with identical gradation and density were prepared via air pluviation. Systematic element tests were conducted using a hollow cylinder torsional shear apparatus to compare the monotonic and cyclic behaviour of both specimen types. Furthermore, anisotropic monotonic tests, unconfined drying tests, and X-ray Computed Tomography (XRCT) analyses were performed to identify the origins of the intact sand's distinctive mechanical properties. The results indicate that under monotonic loading, intact specimens exhibit a shear modulus more than twice that of the reconstituted specimens, accompanied by significantly greater initial dilatancy, while attaining comparable peak strength. Under undrained cyclic loading, intact specimens demonstrate more than twice the liquefaction resistance of their reconstituted counterparts. Notably, the normalized accumulation of excess pore pressure and its relationship with shear strain during undrained cyclic loading follow nearly identical trends for intact and reconstituted specimens. Under drained cyclic loading, intact specimens exhibit weaker contraction and greater modulus. The observed similar anisotropic mechanical patterns between intact and reconstituted soils contribute only marginally to their mechanical disparities. Rather, particle interlocking emerges as the dominant factor governing the behaviour of this sand. This study offers insights into the mechanical behaviour of sand at engineering sites with analogous geological origins.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"361 ","pages":"Article 108497"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145689250","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}