Engineering Geology最新文献

{"title":"Strength, stiffness, and microstructure of marine soft clay stabilized by ground granulated blast-furnace slag and bio enzyme","authors":"Zhouhuan Shi ,&nbsp;Sai Fu ,&nbsp;Chaofa Zhao ,&nbsp;Jintao Liu ,&nbsp;Xiao Wei ,&nbsp;Kun Pan","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108361","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108361","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The utilization of environmentally friendly materials for soil stabilization shows significant promise in solving the engineering geological challenges in marine soft clay environments. This study investigates the potential of bio enzyme and ground granulated blast-furnace slag for stabilizing cemented soft clay in ground improvement practices through a series of mechanical, mineral, and microstructural tests. The results indicate that the incorporation of Terrazyme enhances the strength, stiffness, and ultrasonic pulse velocity of the stabilized clay compared to the ordinary cemented specimens, with these improvements becoming more pronounced as the slag proportion increases. Both the unconfined compressive strength and secant modulus exhibit unique correlations with ultrasonic pulse velocity across various stabilization series, irrespective of curing time. Furthermore, mineralogical and microstructural analysis reveals a denser structure, decreased porosity, and heightened pore distribution, demonstrating a synergistic stabilization effect among cement, Terrazyme, and slag, which is attributed to the formation of hydrates through hydration and pozzolanic reactions. These findings provide valuable insights into the utilization of Terrazyme and ground granulated blast-furnace slag as binding agents for practical engineering applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 108361"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145093750","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 study on particle breakage in calcareous sand during large-displacement shear at soil-structure interfaces","authors":"Teng Wang ,&nbsp;Yongqiang Cui ,&nbsp;Zhihui Liu ,&nbsp;Xingxian Bao","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108358","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108358","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>During engineering construction in calcareous sand, its high compressibility and friability can alter the shear interaction between the sand and structural elements. To investigate the interface shear interaction and the particle breakage evolution law between calcareous sand and structure, a series of small-displacement and large-displacement monotonic shear tests were performed using a modified Geotechnical Digital System (GDS) interface shear device. The effects of normal stress, surface roughness, and shear displacement on interfacial shear resistance were systematically explored. Additionally, particle image velocimetry (PIV) and digital image processing (DIP) techniques were employed to analyze shear band deformation and particle breakage. The results showed that, unlike small-displacement shearing, the interfacial shear resistance under large-displacement conditions exhibited an increasing trend within the displacement range of 0.5–4 m and then tended to stabilize. Throughout the shearing stage, a non-uniform deformation zone formed near the soil-structure interface. As surface roughness and normal stress increased, the thickness of the shear band also increased, but it remained within the range of 5–12<em>D</em>₅₀. Under interface shearing, particle breakage primarily occurred through grinding. The particle breakage rate increased with cumulative shear displacement, but the rate of increase gradually decreased. An evolution equation of the particle breakage rate with cumulative displacement was established. The volumetric strain consisted of two parts: particle rearrangement and particle breakage, with the overall trend exhibiting shear contraction. Particle breakage during shear deformation significantly reduced the void ratio by filling intergranular voids with finer particles. A constitutive framework for the interfacial critical state, incorporating particle crushing effects, was developed to advance the formulation of soil-structure interface models.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 108358"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145093822","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":"Surface sediment consolidation-creep characteristics in deep-sea mining areas: A quantitative microstructural perspective","authors":"Xiaolei Liu ,&nbsp;Zhihao Li ,&nbsp;Yihan Liu ,&nbsp;Rita Leal Sousa ,&nbsp;Dongfang Liang ,&nbsp;Cong Li ,&nbsp;Xingsen Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108357","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108357","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The consolidation-creep behavior of deep-sea sediments is crucial for the stability of mining equipment but remains poorly understood in mining areas. This study investigates the surface sediments in the western Pacific Ocean deep-sea mining area, revealing their extreme properties (high water content, liquid limit, and void ratio) that make them more compressible than those in Nansha and Shanghai, while their relatively low organic matter content mitigates excessive deformation, reflecting the unique effects of the deep-sea sedimentary environment and guiding equipment settlement risk assessment, reflecting the unique effects of the sedimentary environment and guiding the assessment of equipment settlement risk. Deformation occurs in three stages: instantaneous compression, attenuation creep, and stable creep. The compression coefficient shows a nonlinear trend (first increasing, then decreasing) due to competition between particle aggregates fragmentation and compaction, a mechanism specific to these deep-sea sediments. The loading ratio has a significant impact on compression and secondary consolidation coefficients, with high ratios reducing the structural adjustment capacity. Microstructural analysis identifies lamellar honeycomb, skeleton, and flocculated structures, with pore distribution changes during consolidation-creep. A quantitative link between microstructural evolution and macroscopic deformation is established, which is rarely reported for such sediments. These findings deepen understanding of deformation mechanisms and guide optimization of mining equipment design and operation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 108357"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145093752","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":"Distributed fiber optic technology reveals hydraulic fracturing processes in a large-scale artificial sand-conglomerate model","authors":"Haoyu Lai ,&nbsp;Yibo Wang ,&nbsp;Jingchen Zhang ,&nbsp;Yi Yao ,&nbsp;Yang Zhao ,&nbsp;Junhao Hu ,&nbsp;Bin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108360","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108360","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding fracture evolution is essential for evaluating hydraulic stimulation performance. Conventional monitoring methods, such as sparse geophone arrays and piezoelectric sensors, often lack sufficient spatial resolution or temporal coverage. In this study, we demonstrate that distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) provides a robust alternative for real-time, full-cycle monitoring of hydraulic fracturing. A large-scale laboratory experiment was conducted on a 2 m × 2 m × 1 m artificial sand-conglomerate block under true triaxial stress. Embedded optical fibers recorded both high-frequency acoustic emission (AE) events and low-frequency strain-rate responses. The high-frequency DAS data captured 1333 AE events correlated with pressure variations, revealing distinct rupture stages and suggesting a fluid-driven fracturing mechanism (b = 1.26). The low-frequency responses resolved evolving three-dimensional strain-rate fields, identifying fracture propagation, polarity reversals, and delayed reactivation. Numerical simulations using a 3D displacement discontinuity method reproduced observed strain features and validated their link to fracture geometry and mechanical slip. These results highlight the potential of DAS to characterize fracture dynamics at high resolution, with implications for stimulation optimization, fracture modeling, and geohazard assessment in complex lithologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 108360"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145154875","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":"Mechanism of limestone degradation under alkaline wet-dry cycles using mel-frequency cepstral coefficient","authors":"Yucheng Chen ,&nbsp;Qiang Xie ,&nbsp;Hexing Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhengnan Tu ,&nbsp;Xianghuan Lei ,&nbsp;Xiang Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108355","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108355","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Periodic reservoir water level fluctuations subject rocks in the water-level fluctuation zone to repeated wet-dry cycles, leading to progressive mechanical degradation. The pH of the water plays a critical role in influencing rock behavior under these conditions. This study investigates the mechanisms of strength degradation in jointed limestone subjected to neutral and alkaline wet-dry cycles, reflecting the weakly alkaline conditions characteristic of the Yangtze River. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analyses were conducted to characterize microstructural changes. Acoustic Emission (AE) signals were processed using Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC), Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM), and gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) techniques.The results show that the peak strength of the sample decrease by 18.66 % in an alkaline environment, whereas in a neutral environment, the reduction is 9.7 %. The alkaline environment also increase the likelihood of surface spalling during failure due to dedolomitization reaction. Under both neutral and alkaline conditions, the MFCC spectrum entropy values exhibit an initial increase followed by a decrease with loading time. In contrast, the alkaline environment results in a significant increase in MFCC spectrum contrast, from 16.32 to 56.26, indicating a higher degree of brittle failure in the sample. Compared with the traditional b-value method, the average prediction lead time of the MFCC entropy-based method is 10.78 s earlier, which demonstrates superior overall prediction performance. This study clarifies the degradation mechanism of rock strength in alkaline environments and provides a scientific basis for mitigating engineering geological hazards in water-level fluctuation zone.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 108355"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145093749","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":"Probabilistic analysis for seismic displacement of width-limited 3D slope in spatially varying soils: A new perspective from discretized UBLA","authors":"Yining Hu ,&nbsp;Laurent Briançon ,&nbsp;Jian Ji","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108356","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108356","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The seismic stability of soil slopes is significantly influenced by soil spatial variability and uncertainty. While the probabilistic analysis method is capable to quantify the influence of soil uncertainty to seismic slope stability, the two-dimensional (2D) assumptions of infinitely long slopes remain predominant, overlooking the 3D characteristics of width-limited slope failure in realworld observations. To address this limitation, we propose a Newmark-based framework for probabilistically analyzing the seismic displacement in width-limited soil slopes with spatial variability. The 3D random field (RF) simulation technique is employed to characterize the soil spatial variability. The slope stability model employs a discretized upper bound limit analysis (UBLA) mechanism to determine the critical acceleration coefficient (<em>k</em>_c) and critical failure surface. It features an innovative ‘point-to-point’ technique overcoming the limitations of traditional UBLA in capturing spatial variability. To facilitate an effective slope reliability analysis, the Polynomial Chaos Kriging (PCK) surrogate model is developed to approximate the RF-based seismic slope stability. By implementing Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) onto the PCK, samples of <em>k</em>_c and failure surface shapes are obtained, which are then analyzed by the Newmark model to evaluate the seismic slope displacement. Our probabilistic seismic displacement analysis can systematically explore the effect of autocorrelation length, coefficient of variation, and strength cross-correlation on the seismic slope reliability, thus offering valuable insights for the quantitative risk assessment of width-limited 3D slopes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 108356"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145093751","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":"Mechanical response of tunnel surrounding rock under blasting disturbance with different stress conditions based on acoustic emission and digital image correlation","authors":"Tian-xiao Chen,&nbsp;Shi-da Xu,&nbsp;Ben-guo He,&nbsp;Yuan-hui Li,&nbsp;Han Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108354","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108354","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Deeply buried tunnels are highly susceptible to dynamic ground pressure disasters, such as roof collapse and rockburst caused by blasting disturbances, posing significant threats to the underground engineering safety. To clarify the dynamic response characteristics of tunnel surrounding rock under different boundary stress conditions, this study integrates theoretical analysis with laboratory experiments using acoustic emission (AE) monitoring and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) techniques. The combined AE–DIC approach enables simultaneous capture of internal fracture activity and surface deformation. Results show that blasting disturbances accelerate the rock failure. Under uniaxial loading, strain growth rate and the proportion of AE events increase as axial stress approaches peak strength. Under biaxial loading, as the lateral pressure coefficient (k) increases from 0.45 to 0.7, the strain-affected zone resulting by blasting becomes progressively narrower. The presence of confining pressure leads to a more disordered and complex spatial distribution of AE events and a marked increase in tensile cracking. These findings enhance the understanding of dynamic failure mechanisms in deep tunnel environments and provide engineering geological insights for optimizing excavation stability and disaster prevention strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 108354"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145093753","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":"Shear surface undulations modulate clayey gouge strength and contribute to divergent landslide acceleration","authors":"William H. Schulz ,&nbsp;Gonghui Wang ,&nbsp;Yao Jiang ,&nbsp;Brian D. Collins ,&nbsp;Mark E. Reid ,&nbsp;Mason M. Einbund","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108353","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108353","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Landslides display a spectrum of speeds for incompletely known reasons. Sliding occurs along slickensided undulatory shear surfaces within boundary shear gouge. Laboratory tests reveal that gouge shear strength generally decreases with finite cumulative displacement during relatively rapid failure and may increase or decrease with increasing shear rate; these behaviors can result in accelerating or decelerating landslide motion, which significantly affects consequent hazards. However, mechanisms responsible for such behaviors are poorly understood. We performed advanced ring shear strength testing that revealed such variable strength of a landslide near Oso, Washington, USA. We hypothesized that millimeter-scale undulations along shear surfaces caused the strength variability by imparting shear strength but while also modifying stresses that locally increase and decrease the typically considered particle-scale shear strength. We tested our hypotheses in the laboratory and with finite element soil deformation modeling. Lab results suggest that undulations contribute strength that decays with finite cumulative displacement. Modeling similarly reveals this, and that rapid shearing across undulations locally reduces effective normal stress by persistently elevating pore-water pressure and causing dilation. Consequent effects on strength differ by material with granular-rich, high-friction gouge losing strength and clay-rich, low-friction gouge losing little or gaining strength as shear rates increase. Ample testing by others reveals similar patterns. Hence, the propensity for gouge-controlled accelerating or decelerating failure may be estimated from simple index tests. Our findings on the effects of undulations reveal previously unknown mechanisms that may help to explain why some landslides reactivate catastrophically while others do not.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 108353"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046163","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":"Grouting pressure distribution in a parallel fracture","authors":"Haizhi Zang,&nbsp;Shanyong Wang,&nbsp;John P. Carter","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108344","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108344","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rock grouting is crucial for improving rock tightness in engineering projects. Grout, as a typical yield stress fluid, exhibits a complex flow behaviour characterized by a transition from liquid-like to solid-like regions. This critical transition between yielded stable flow and unyielded local flow complicates the accurate prediction of pressure decay but has received limited attention in grouting design. This study investigates the influence of the critical shear rate and the yield surface on pressure distribution during grout injection into a narrow, smooth fracture. A novel physical model was developed to simulate grout propagation and experimentally assess the limitations of the traditional Bingham model. The experimental results reveal a logarithmic pressure decay along the radial direction of penetration, which gradually approaches a linear trend as the grout nears full stoppage. Comparisons between experimental and analytical results indicate that the Bingham model tends to overestimate pressure distribution. By expanding the plug width to 1.01–1.3 times that predicted at zero shear rate, or by increasing the critical shear rate to approximately 4–8 s⁻¹, the modified analytical model aligns closely with experimental observations. These findings advance the understanding of grout rheology and its impact on pressure distribution, offering practical insights for minimizing hydraulic jacking risks and optimizing grouting strategies in fractured rock masses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 108344"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046161","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":"Floor heave failure mechanism and remediation measures in operational dolomite-gypsum interbedded tunnels: A case study","authors":"Taiqiang Huang ,&nbsp;Jiamei Zhou ,&nbsp;Junru Zhang ,&nbsp;Junfu Fu ,&nbsp;Jiahao Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108342","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108342","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Groundwater erosion of gypsum-bearing rock surroundings triggers the expansion of the plastic zone and the leaching of sulfate ions, weakening the surrounding rock and further corroding the concrete lining in high- speed railroad tunnels, which ultimately floor heave. This paper investigates the failure mechanisms of floor heave in the L tunnel by combining in-situ stress tests, field groundwater level monitoring, core drilling test data, and stratification monitoring. The degree of influence of basal surrounding rock deterioration and concrete corrosion on floor heave disease is revealed through numerical simulation methods. The results show that the dissolution of gypsum in the surrounding rock, driven by groundwater seepage, weakens its strength and contributes to the formation of fissures. The sulfate ions released from gypsum further corrode the concrete, reducing the support capacity of the inverted arch. The coupled effects of surrounding rock deterioration and concrete corrosion accelerate the deformation process. The study highlights that basal surrounding rock deterioration is the primary factor driving floor heave, while sulfate corrosion exacerbates deformation over time. A 6 % basalt fiber (BF) dosage improves the concrete's resistance to sulfate corrosion, offering a solution for mitigating floor heave. These findings provide valuable insights into the geological mechanisms behind tunnel failure in gypsum-bearing strata and offer practical recommendations for tunnel engineering in chemically aggressive geological environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11567,"journal":{"name":"Engineering Geology","volume":"357 ","pages":"Article 108342"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046162","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}