Engineering Geology最新文献

{"title":"An equivalent state method for submarine spread modeling subject to hydrate dissociation","authors":"Fengyao Zhao ,&nbsp;Lulu Zhang ,&nbsp;Te Xiao ,&nbsp;Yangming Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108070","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108070","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spreading is one of the key factors shaping the ridge-and-trough submarine morphology. There is a certain spatial correlation between submarine spreading and the occurrence of methane hydrate, yet the mechanism is not well understood and numerical evidence of this process is insufficient. This study presents a numerical study on hydrate-induced submarine spreading. A novel scheme is developed to couple the thermal dissociation analysis of hydrate and large deformation analysis of spreading, in which an equivalent state method based on the theory of unsaturated soil strength is proposed to guarantee the physical continuity in phase pressures and phase saturations. A two-layer continental slope example in the South China Sea is used to investigate the key features of hydrate-induced submarine spreading. Three typical stages are identified: the initiation of spreading after hydrate dissociation, the propagation of basal shear band towards the downslope, and the formation of ridges and troughs. The simulated results are comparable to the field observations of submarine morphology in the presence of shallow hydrate reservoirs. The onset of spreading is primarily dominated by the length and continuity of hydrate layer, followed by its depth. This study reveals a potential mechanism on how the dissociated hydrate induces submarine spreading, which is beneficial for risk assessment of deep-sea infrastructures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"352 ","pages":"Article 108070"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143839648","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":"Integrated modeling of thermal decarbonation and three-dimensional poroelastic fluid behavior: Assessment of stored CO2 leakage along carbonate fault","authors":"Chan-Hee Jang ,&nbsp;Byung-Dal So ,&nbsp;Kyeong-Min Lee ,&nbsp;Hyun Na Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108065","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108065","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Estimation of permeability changes and fluid flow is necessary to ensure storage integrity during carbon storage in carbonate formations. This study evaluates the effect of thermal decarbonation driven by seismic slip along a carbonate fault on the leakage of pre-injected CO₂. We constructed a centimeter-scale one-dimensional thermal decarbonation (1D-TD) model to investigate fault geometry and thermochemical effects on porosity evolution with various geomechanical properties. Then, a three-dimensional poroelastic leakage (3D-PL) model was coupled, using permeability structures exchanged with the 1D-TD model, to calculate the leakage rate based on regional-scale fault geometry. The evolved fault permeability is positively correlated with fault depth and friction coefficient, while larger shear zone width and TD activation energy lead to lower permeability. In the 3D-PL model, CO₂ ascends along the fault as fault permeability increases after fault reactivation. The annual leakage rate measured at 0.5 km above the reservoir varies from 0.054 % to 4.56 % of the total injection amount, for the cases of fault depth = 3 and 5 km and shear zone width = 0.005 and 0.001 m, respectively. Our model suggests that the leakage rate &gt; 1 % can occur with a deep fault (5 km) and extremely localized shear zone. Since carbon storage reservoirs are typically between 1 and 3 km deep, fluid leakage due to the TD-driven permeability increase will be minimal. Furthermore, near-surface leakage is negligible as TD effects are attenuated at shallow depth due to low confining stress, limiting the permeability increase by a factor of three or less.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"352 ","pages":"Article 108065"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143839646","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":"Bearing capacity and deformation behavior of shallow footing loads on geogrid reinforced marine coral sand","authors":"Zhaogang Luo ,&nbsp;Xuanming Ding ,&nbsp;Qiang Ou ,&nbsp;Ting Zhang ,&nbsp;Xihong Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108069","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108069","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Investigation of the bearing behavior of geogrid-reinforced coral sand (GRCS) is essential for engineering construction safety in the island and coastal regions. Coral sand, characterized by its weak and irregularly shaped particles, presents unique challenges compared to clay and silty sand, influencing bearing and deformation performance. In this study, laboratory model tests are conducted to assess the impacts of various factors on the bearing capacity and deformation performance of rigid shallow footings on the GRCS, including footing size, the number of geogrids, burial depth, and spacing of geogrids. A three-dimensional discrete-continuous coupled numerical method was developed to explore the microscopic bearing and deformation mechanisms, focusing on the particle-crushing effect. Test results show that the bearing capacity suffers from the burial depth of the single-layer geogrid and decays more slowly than the conventional soils after reaching the critical depth. For multi-layer reinforcements, optimizing burial depths and spacing allows doubling of the bearing capacity compared to the unreinforced condition. The microscopic numerical results show that particle crushing reduces the stress level and failure area of the foundation soil, degrading the macroscopic bearing performance. Although various factors influence the bearing behavior, the geogrid-particle interaction within the core bearing zone determines bearing, settlement, stress, and particle crushing. This study enhances the understanding of the macro-micro bearing behavior of shallow footings on GRCS and provides insight into the potential reinforcement design and engineering geological disaster prevention on marine coral sand sites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"352 ","pages":"Article 108069"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143878745","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":"Low field NMR based relative permeability and drying model for unsaturated granular materials","authors":"Wonjun Cha ,&nbsp;Junghee Park ,&nbsp;Sang Inn Woo","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108071","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108071","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change and airflow variations critically influence soil-atmosphere interactions and subsurface evaporation processes. This study investigates the role of particle and pore sizes in the drying dynamics of unsaturated coarse-grained granular media under low-humidity airflow, employing coupled nuclear magnetic resonance <em>NMR</em> and matric suction measurements. Comprehensive experiments analyze grain size impacts on (1) drying rates, (2) matric suction evolution, and (3) <em>T</em>_<em>2</em> relaxation times. Results reveal that finer-grained specimens retain higher asymptotic saturation due to stronger capillary forces, while smaller mean grain sizes <em>d</em>_<em>50</em> correlate with elevated matric suction in constant-suction zones. A geometric constant (a = 4), derived from mercury intrusion porosimetry, BET specific surface analysis and NMR spectroscopy with various coarse-grained materials, enables direct conversion of <em>T</em>_<em>2</em> relaxation times to pore diameter <em>d</em>_<em>p</em> and assuming simple cubic packing allow to estimate <em>d</em>_<em>50</em>. This constant underpins a log-normal pore size distribution model that aligns with suction measurements. We propose a three-stage drying model integrating surface evaporation, capillary flow, and soil-internal vapor diffusion, validated against experimental data for glass beads and sand. NMR-derived hydraulic properties enable accurate predictions of drying curves, advancing non-destructive characterization of unsaturated soils for geotechnical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"352 ","pages":"Article 108071"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143823171","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":"Integrating DInSAR and detailed mapping for characterizing ground displacement in the Cardona salt extrusion related to diapiric uplift, disolutional lowering, landsliding and sinkholes","authors":"Guillermo Pérez-Villar ,&nbsp;Francisco Gutiérrez ,&nbsp;Giuseppe Bausilio ,&nbsp;Diego Di Martire","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108068","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108068","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Salt diapirs, despite their inherent instability related to salt flow and dissolution (<em>terra infirma</em>), are often the focus of significant economic activities and sensitive facilities (e.g., salt mining, hydrocarbon production, geostorage). Nonetheless, Differential Interferometry SAR (DInSAR) studies on active diapirs are relatively scarce and frequently lack field-based characterization and independent validation of displacement rates. This work analyses the complex spatial and temporal patterns of ground displacement at the Cardona salt extrusion (NE Spain) combining detailed mapping and DInSAR LoS (Line of Sight) and vertical displacement data obtained by both coherence-based (i.e. Small BAseline Subset – SBAS) and Persistent Scatterers-like (PS) approaches. Overall, the salt extrusion is affected by steady diapiric uplift driven by differential loading and increasing towards the axis of the salt wall to vertical rates of 2–3.5 cm/yr. The obtained rates are in agreement with long-term rates previously calculated using radiocarbon dated uplifted terraces and are comparable with those obtained at vigorously rising salt extrusions in the Zagros Mountains. DInSAR data reveal other local ground displacement processes substantiated by field mapping and damage on human structures, including: (1) rapid dissolutional lowering at salt exposures, showing a tight temporal correlation with rainfall data (&gt;5 cm/yr); (2) widespread dissolution-induced subsidence in valley-floor alluvium underlain by salt bedrock; (3) landsliding favored by diapiric rise and slope oversteepening; and (4) some large active sinkholes. This case study illustrates the practicality of integrating complementary DInSAR and field-based approaches for the comprehensive characterization of ground instability in salt diapirs, providing an objective basis for assessing the associated hazards.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"352 ","pages":"Article 108068"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799569","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":"Confinement pressure effect and influence mechanism of water injection-induced slip of shale fracture","authors":"Jianfeng Liu ,&nbsp;Yisong Ding ,&nbsp;Fujun Xue ,&nbsp;Jinbing Wei ,&nbsp;Hao Lin ,&nbsp;Hangyu Dai","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108061","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108061","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Water injection-induced fault slip is a prevalent phenomenon in shale gas extraction activities. To investigate the effects of confinement pressure on the slip behavior and its underlying mechanism, this study conducted water injection slip tests on shale samples with prefabricated fractures under varying confining pressures. The test results demonstrated significant confinement pressure effects on the slip characteristics of shale fractures. As confining pressure increased, the fracture openness decreased, and the initial slip water pressure rose, resulting in increased accumulated energy and the occurrence of significant “stick-slip” phenomena, which generated active acoustic emission (AE) signals. Additionally, an increase in confining pressure was accompanied by an elevation in the overpressure ratio, indicating a reduction in fracture permeability and an enhancement in fluid non-homogeneity. Furthermore, as confining pressure rose, the micro-projections interlocking the fracture surfaces underwent continuous breakage during slip, generating abundant rock debris. This debris accumulation subsequently caused a decrease in both the fractal dimension and roughness of the fracture surface. The research findings provide valuable insights for predicting and controlling fault slips and potential seismic activities induced by water injection during shale gas extraction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"352 ","pages":"Article 108061"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799567","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":"Seismically-induced failure mechanisms in massive rock slopes","authors":"Lorne Arnold ,&nbsp;Joseph Wartman ,&nbsp;Mary MacLaughlin","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108046","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108046","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article presents a study of seismically-induced failure of massive steep rock slopes. A dynamic implementation of the bonded particle model (BPM) for rock is used to simulate the dynamic response and initiation of fracture in the slopes. Observation of forces that develop within the model in response to wave transmission and dynamic excitation provides insight into the fundamental mechanisms at work in seismically induced rock slope failure. Five distinct mechanisms of failure initiation are identified using non-destructive simulations and confirmed with destructive simulations. Three distinct modes of rock mass movement enabled by the failure mechanisms are identified. The predominant co-seismic failure mode was a shallow, highly-disrupted cliff collapse. Cliff collapse is initiated by relatively low levels of shaking. Shallow failures are also triggered at higher levels of shaking prior to the initiation of deeper, more coherent failures in the same seismic event. The results of the numerical study agree with qualitative historical surveys of seismically-induced rock slope failure trends and provide insight into the mechanisms behind observed co-seismic rock slope behavior. The frequently observed shallow failures are triggered by high compression stresses near the cliff toe combined with shallow subhorizontal ruptures behind the cliff face. These mechanisms are not well-captured by simplified analysis methods which may lead to underprediction of shallow co-seismic events. Deeper failure surfaces from stronger shaking create a base-isolation effect, slowing further disruption in the failure mass. Slope dynamic response and damage accumulation were shown to be interdependent and complex, emphasizing the importance of further research into the interaction between rock mass strength, slope geometry, structure, and ground motion characteristics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"352 ","pages":"Article 108046"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143799559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multivariate Gaussian Process Regression for 3D site characterization from CPT and categorical borehole data","authors":"Orestis Zinas ,&nbsp;Iason Papaioannou ,&nbsp;Ronald Schneider ,&nbsp;Pablo Cuéllar","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108052","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108052","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate prediction of subsurface stratigraphy and geotechnical properties, along with quantification of associated uncertainties, is essential for improving the design and assessment of geotechnical structures. Several studies have utilized indirect data from Cone Penetration Tests (CPTs) and employed statistical and Machine Learning methods to quantify the geological and geotechnical uncertainty. Incorporating direct borehole data can reduce uncertainties. This study proposes a computationally efficient multivariate Gaussian Process model that utilizes site-specific data and: (i) jointly models multiple categorical (USCS labels) and continuous CPT variables, (ii) learns a non-separable covariance structure leveraging the Linear Model of Coregionalization, and (iii) predicts a USCS based stratigraphy and CPT parameters at any location within the 3D domain. The results demonstrate that integrating geotechnical and geological data into a unified model yields more reliable predictions of subsurface stratification, enabling the parallel interpretation of both USCS classification and CPT profiles. Importantly, the model demonstrates its potential to integrate multiple variables from different sources and data types, contributing to the advancement of methodologies for the joint modeling of geotechnical, geological, and geophysical data.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"352 ","pages":"Article 108052"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143816803","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":"Assessing uncertainty propagation in CPTu-based hydro-mechanical subsoil characterization using a multivariate stochastic simulation approach","authors":"Diego Di Curzio ,&nbsp;Annamaria Castrignanò ,&nbsp;Giovanna Vessia","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108064","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108064","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Estimating the spatial distribution of hydromechanical properties in the investigated subsoil by defining an Engineering Geological Model (EGM) is crucial in urban planning, geotechnical designing and mining activities. The EGM is always affected by (i) the spatial variability of the measured properties of soils and rocks, (ii) the uncertainties related to measurement and spatial estimation, as well as (iii) the propagated uncertainty related to the analytical formulation of the transformation equation. The latter is highly impactful on the overall uncertainty when design/target variables cannot be measured directly (e.g., in the case of piezocone Cone Penetration Test–CPTu measurements). This paper focuses on assessing the Propagated Uncertainty (PU) when defining 3D EGMs of three CPTu-derived design/target variables: the undrained shear resistance (<span><math><msub><mi>s</mi><mi>u</mi></msub></math></span>), the friction angle (<span><math><msup><mi>φ</mi><mo>′</mo></msup></math></span>), and the hydraulic conductivity (<span><math><mi>k</mi></math></span>). We applied the Sequential Gaussian Co-Simulation method (SGCS) to the measured profiles of tip (<span><math><msub><mi>q</mi><mi>c</mi></msub></math></span>) and shaft resistance (<span><math><msub><mi>f</mi><mi>s</mi></msub></math></span>), and the pore pressure (<span><math><msub><mi>u</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></math></span>), measured through CPTus in a portion of Bologna district (Italy). First, we calculated 1000 realizations of the measured variables using SGCS; then, we used the available transformation equations to obtain the same number of realizations of <span><math><msub><mi>s</mi><mi>u</mi></msub></math></span>, <span><math><msup><mi>φ</mi><mo>′</mo></msup></math></span>, and <span><math><mi>k</mi></math></span>. The results showed that PU is larger when the transformation equation used to obtain the design/target variable is very complex and dependent on more than one input variable, such as in the case of <span><math><mi>k</mi></math></span>. Instead, linear (i.e., for <span><math><msub><mi>s</mi><mi>u</mi></msub></math></span>) or logarithmic (i.e., for <span><math><msup><mi>φ</mi><mo>′</mo></msup></math></span>) transformation functions do not contribute to the overall uncertainty of results considerably.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"352 ","pages":"Article 108064"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143808426","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":"Unveiling the role of saturation and displacement rate in the transition from slow movement to catastrophic failure in landslides","authors":"Miguel Cueva ,&nbsp;Xuan Kang ,&nbsp;Shun Wang ,&nbsp;Enrico Soranzo ,&nbsp;Wei Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108042","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108042","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Landslides commonly evolve from slow, progressive movements to sudden catastrophic failures, with saturation and displacement rates playing significant roles in this transition. In this paper, we investigate the influence of saturation, displacement rate, and normal stress on the residual shear strength and creep behaviour of shear-zone soils from a reactivated slow-moving landslide in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, China. Results reveal a critical transition from rate-strengthening to rate-weakening behaviour with increasing displacement rates, significantly influenced by the degree of saturation. This transition governs the observed patterns of slow movement punctuated by periods of accelerated creep, highlighting the potential for exceeding critical displacement rates to trigger catastrophic failure. Furthermore, partially saturated soils exhibited higher residual strength and greater resistance to creep failure compared to nearly and fully saturated soils, underscoring the contribution of matric suction to shear strength.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"352 ","pages":"Article 108042"},"PeriodicalIF":6.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786215","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}