Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment最新文献

{"title":"Geological evolution and engineering stability of a complex colluvial deposit: a case study from the lawa hydropower station, upper Jinsha River","authors":"Chenglin Ye,&nbsp;Jianhui Deng,&nbsp;Siyuan Zhao,&nbsp;Hua Li,&nbsp;Jianhua Han,&nbsp;Chenxi Xie","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05378-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05378-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Determining representative shear strength parameters for coarse, heterogeneous colluvial deposits is difficult, particularly where in situ testing is limited and slope geometry is strongly three-dimensional. This study presents an engineering case study of Colluvial Deposit VIII at the Lawa Hydropower Station on the upper Jinsha River. Geological investigation, stratigraphic observations, optically stimulated luminescence and radiocarbon dating, two-dimensional back-analysis, and three-dimensional strength-reduction modelling were combined to reconstruct the deposit evolution and evaluate its stability. Sediments preserved in front of the deposit indicate that Colluvial Deposit VIII formed before 2.55 ka BP. Correlation with the regional damming chronology tentatively suggests emplacement around 4.0 ka BP, although the deposit itself has not been directly dated. Its high permeability, absence of persistent groundwater and springs, and lack of a continuous basal shear zone indicate long-term overall stability before recent toe disturbance. Using this field-constrained stability state, representative shear strength parameters were calibrated as 80 kPa and 28.5° for the colluvial deposit and 90 kPa and 27.5° for the basal interface. Three-dimensional analyses show that the 2018 Baige outburst flood caused localized toe erosion and reduced the local safety margin without triggering overall instability. After installation of anti-slide piles, the calculated factors of safety satisfied the design requirements under both construction and operation conditions. The Lawa case demonstrates how site-specific geological and chronological evidence can be combined with conventional stability-analysis methods to support parameter selection and reinforcement design for complex colluvial slopes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149338640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Copula-based probabilistic analysis of soil–water characteristic curve for Korean residual soil deposits","authors":"Chang Hee Lim,&nbsp;Joon Kyu Lee","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05345-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05345-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Residual soils produced by in-situ weathering of granitic parent rock are widespread in South Korea and are normally unsaturated. Although the soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC) is essential for modeling water movement in residual soils, studies focusing on these soils remain limited. To address this gap, this study presents a probabilistic framework for evaluating the SWCC using uncertain data obtained from site-specific residual soils. An SWCC dataset was established using Korean residual soils classified as well-graded sand (SW), poorly graded sand (SP), and silty sand (SM) according to the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS). Simulation of copulas is carried out to establish the bivariate probability distribution of SWCC data with nonlinear dependence structures. A variety of copula functions and marginal distribution functions are tested to develop the realistic representative of SWCC for different soil groups and to propose the corresponding empirical parameters underlying the van Genuchten (1980) equation. The results indicate that the Frank copulas for SW and SP soils and the Gaussian copula for SM soils best capture the negative dependence between suction and water content with the Weibull marginal distribution. Other copulas, including the Plackett and No. 16 copulas, showed inferior performance. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the uncertainty in SWCCs of Korean residual soils and is beneficial for preliminary assessment of unsaturated soil properties in practice.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149338641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seismic response of slopes in coral sand under groundwater fluctuations: shaking table tests and numerical simulations","authors":"Yanling Zhang,&nbsp;Xuanming Ding,&nbsp;Qi Wu","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05381-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05381-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Climate change causes global sea level fluctuations. However, the impact of changes in groundwater levels on the seismic stability of coral sand slopes is a largely unexplored area. Through the combination of shaking table testing and numerical calculations, the failure modes of the coral sand slopes with different groundwater levels under earthquakes were explored. Specifically, the effect of groundwater fluctuations on the stress–strain relationships and post-liquefaction behavior of coral sand slopes was discussed. Moreover, the mechanisms of the differences in dynamic response caused by the internal grain-pore fabric change of coral sand due to groundwater fluctuations were revealed. The results show that the acceleration response of slopes in coral sand decreases with the rising groundwater level. This can be attributed to the decrease in effective contacts between coral sand particles due to the increase of excess pore water pressure ratio. When the groundwater level rises, the nonlinearity of the coral sand slope increases and the dynamic stiffness decreases. Moreover, it is worth noting that groundwater level fluctuations have different effects on the horizontal and vertical displacement of the coral sand slope, which should be paid attention to in the seismic fortification of coral sand slopes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149338642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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 internal hydro-thermal evolution and instability risk of loess fill slope under seasonal precipitation and freeze-thaw environment","authors":"Jinpeng Zhao,&nbsp;Jinqing Jia,&nbsp;Lulu Liu,&nbsp;Xiaoyan Liu,&nbsp;Xuegang Pan,&nbsp;Guojun Cai","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05387-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05387-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In high-altitude loess regions, highway subgrades face critical threats from coupled frost damage and water infiltration induced by seasonal precipitation and extreme climate events, ultimately undermining slope stability and transportation safety. This study systematically investigates the failure mechanisms of the loess subgrade along the Guyuan section of the G85 highway, focusing on the evolution of temperature-moisture dynamics and settlement deformation. Field monitoring identified the slope toe and highway shoulder as the most vulnerable zones to hydrothermal fluctuations. The minimum subgrade temperature recorded was approximately 0.9 °C, indicating shallow freezing penetration (depth &lt; 2 m). Under extreme precipitation, these critical zones exhibited water accumulation and infiltration, leading to the formation of a shallow wetting band, localized strength degradation, and cracking. These processes collectively promote the development of an incipient sliding surface in the lower slope, micro‑cracks were observed at the highway shoulder zone over the extended monitoring period. The subgrade settlement evolution displayed three distinct stages: rapid (driven by construction and extreme precipitation), slow, and stable. The lower subgrade stabilized earlier than the upper section, six months after the highway opened to traffic, the settlement rate decreased to less than 1 mm/week. Material testing confirmed the degradative effects of traffic loads, environmental fluctuations on the subgrade filling material. This results provide academic references for the prevention of frost damage and water damage of highway, slope stability in high-altitude seasonal precipitation regions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149338639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative compression behavior of structured soils under positive and vacuum pressures","authors":"Chuanyang Liang,&nbsp;Xu Chen,&nbsp;Nan Wang,&nbsp;Xiulian Shi,&nbsp;Yuedong Wu,&nbsp;Jian Liu,&nbsp;Lihua Li","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05382-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05382-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Current studies on the compression behavior of structured soils have predominantly focused on positive pressure effects, largely overlooking the influence of vacuum pressure. To address this gap, a series of isotropic compression tests were performed on structured soils with varying initial structural characteristics under both positive and vacuum pressures. Results show that vacuum pressure consistently induces smaller compression deformation than positive pressure. This difference becomes more pronounced at higher pressures and in soils with stronger initial structure. For example, at 80 kPa and a sensitivity of 11.5, deformation under vacuum is about 48% lower than under positive pressure. The structural evolution follows a distinct three-stage pattern: strengthening, weakening, and adjustment. This evolution is governed by the soil’s structure yielding strength. Microscopic analysis further reveals that vacuum pressure transmits through pore fluid and drives particle rearrangement via drainage, rather than directly compressing the soil skeleton. This mechanism causes less structural damage and pore collapse under vacuum compared to positive pressure. These findings advance the mechanistic understanding of structured soil behavior under vacuum conditions. They also provide a quantitative and theoretical basis for improving compression theory and guiding vacuum preloading practice.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149338142","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"InSAR-based stability assessment of creep-type landslides: A case study in the Wudongde Reservoir area","authors":"Yi Yu,&nbsp;Chengsheng Yang,&nbsp;Zufeng Li,&nbsp;Yunjie Wei,&nbsp;Sainan Zhu,&nbsp;Huilan Ding,&nbsp;Ziqian Wang","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05380-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05380-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Creep landslides are characterized by slow, progressive deformation and subtle surface expression; however, they may accelerate under external forcing and pose threats to people and infrastructure. In this study, we propose an integrated stability assessment framework for creep-type landslides. The framework combines Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) deformation monitoring, three-dimensional deformation inversion, surface-kinematic diagnostics, and uncertainty-aware volume estimation to characterize deformation patterns and assess potential instability. We applied this framework to the Wudongde Reservoir region in the Jinsha River Basin, where 69 potential landslide hazards were identified by integrating InSAR observations with high-resolution optical imagery and topographic data. Most mapped landslides deform at rates lower than 10 cm/yr and preferentially occur at elevations of 1,800–2,000 m on slopes of 15°–40°. Two representative landslides were analyzed, and their three-dimensional deformation rate fields were reconstructed using a surface-parallel flow (SPF) model. Both landslides are dominated by horizontal deformation, while the north–south component has relatively higher uncertainty. Surface shear strain-rate and areal dilatation-rate proxies reveal spatially heterogeneous deformation, including differential motion and extension–compression patterns. Using a profile-constrained elliptical-paraboloid model, the estimated volumes of Landslides No. 41 and No. 24 are 4.50 × 10⁸ m³ and 5.62 × 10⁷ m³, with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals of 4.16–5.29 × 10⁸ m³ and 4.17–8.62 × 10⁷ m³. Wavelet decomposition and lagged cross-correlation analysis indicate that rainfall-related hydrological variability may contribute to the periodic deformation. The proposed framework offers a transferable method for assessing the deformation characteristics and potential instability of hard-to-access creep-type landslides in river-basin settings.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149338434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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 semi-analytical approach for phreatic line prediction in dry-stack tailings ponds with corrected downstream boundary water depth","authors":"Bize Wu,&nbsp;Qiang Li,&nbsp;Mengfan Zhang,&nbsp;Feng Guo,&nbsp;Jun Huang","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05373-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05373-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Accurate calculation of the phreatic line is essential for assessing internal moisture distribution in dry-stack tailings dams, predicting seepage risks, and ensuring long-term stability. Existing analytical solutions for the phreatic line adopt simplified or assumed downstream boundary conditions during the solution process, which introduces uncertainty and limits their practical applicability. To address this issue, this study proposes a semi-analytical method that derives a corrected formula for the downstream boundary water depth through piecewise solution. Specifically, an analytical solution for the phreatic line in the starter dam is derived based on Darcy’s law and the energy equation to determine the phreatic line water depth along the inner slope of the starter dam. Building on this, the gplearn symbolic regression algorithm is employed to model the rise of the phreatic line at the junction between the starter dam and the tailings embankment, incorporating all key variables of the theoretical model. The result is a downstream boundary formula with higher accuracy and broader applicability. Comparisons among the corrected boundary, the existing analytical solution, and numerical simulation show that the existing method's relative error at the phreatic line's minimum burial depth is 0.37% to 253%, but the corrected solution aligns well with simulations, with errors below 0.87%. This study improves the theoretical calculation framework for the phreatic line in dry-stack tailings ponds, enhances both computational accuracy and applicability, provides a basis for stability analysis and long-term operational management of tailings dams, and offers a reference technical approach and theoretical framework for similar engineering problems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149338436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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-scale effects of crack propagation in the fracturing processes of rocks with different grain sizes: from microcrack initiation to macroscopic instability","authors":"Chengnan Lin,&nbsp;Xiangxin Liu,&nbsp;Xun You,&nbsp;Hui Chen,&nbsp;Bin Gong","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05379-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05379-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Grain size is an important structural characteristic influencing rock fracture. This study investigated grain-size associated differences in the shear-slip failure evolution of Large-grained White (LW), Medium-grained Red (MR), and Small-grained Yellow (SY) sandstones through laboratory shear-slip tests, digital image correlation (DIC), acoustic emission (AE) monitoring, and the numerical simulation software PFC^2D. The experimental results indicate that: First, crack localization and macroscopic fracture morphology differed among the three sandstones. LW sandstone developed a broader damage zone and more secondary cracks, whereas damage in SY sandstone was concentrated near the prefabricated crack and formed a clearer principal slip plane. Second, the sandstones also exhibited distinct mechanical and AE energy-release responses. LW sandstone showed the highest strength and a concentrated energy burst near peak stress, MR sandstone displayed comparable strength and multiple energy bursts across several stages, and SY sandstone had the lowest strength, accompanied by gradual and dispersed energy release. Third, gaussian mixture modeling of the RA-AF and average frequency further revealed distinct fracture-mode evolution. The tensile-crack proportion in LW sandstone increased from 12.5% to 30.0% as failure progressed, whereas MR and SY sandstones remained shear dominated and showed decreasing tensile-crack proportions. The experimental and numerical results collectively indicate that representative mineral grain-size characteristics are associated with crack localization, fracture morphology, post-peak shear response, and AE energy-release patterns. These findings provide an important theoretical basis for understanding the relationship between rock structure and mechanical response in rock materials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149338435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Landslide susceptibility assessment in Huangdeng (HD) and Dahuaqiao (DHQ) reservoirs, China, based on rough set and deep learning algorithms","authors":"Yixuan Zou,&nbsp;Wei Wang,&nbsp;Yuhang Jiang,&nbsp;Lifang Zou,&nbsp;Yajun Cao","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05362-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05362-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>To proactively mitigate landslide hazards in reservoir areas, there is an increasing need for scientific and reliable landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM). This study aims to address the uncertainty in susceptibility assessments caused by different combinations of conditioning factors. A rational factor selection method and a machine learning framework were developed to enhance the predictive performance of LSM. Focusing on the Huangdeng (HD) and Dahuaqiao (DHQ) reservoirs in Yunnan Province, China, landslide inventory maps were compiled, and 20 initial factors—including topographic, geological, surface cover, meteorological, hydrological, and anthropogenic variables—were selected to construct the baseline dataset. Using rough set theory (RS) and a genetic algorithm as the selection strategy, five less relevant factors were eliminated to obtain an optimized subset. This refined dataset was then used to train support vector machine (SVM), convolutional neural network (CNN), and CNN–LSTM models, resulting in three hybrid models: RS-SVM, RS-CNN, and RS-CNN–LSTM. The results indicate that: (1) the RS-based selection strategy significantly improves LSM accuracy by filtering out insignificant factors; (2) compared with conventional machine learning (SVM), deep learning models (CNN and CNN–LSTM) show clear advantages in processing multidimensional and large-scale landslide data for regional susceptibility assessment; and (3) the RS-CNN–LSTM model achieved the highest predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.954), outperforming the RS-SVM (AUC = 0.916) and RS-CNN (AUC = 0.943) models. The resulting susceptibility map identifies high-risk zones mainly around the DHQ reservoir, Panying Township, Laba, and Zhonglu Township, which correspond well with observed geomorphological conditions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149309550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Elastoplastic Constitutive Framework for Fiber-Reinforced Structured soils","authors":"Wen-hua Liu,&nbsp;Yu-shan Gao,&nbsp;Pan Hu,&nbsp;Wu-gang Li,&nbsp;Ming-yao Wang","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05366-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05366-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper presents an advanced approach for modelling the mechanical behavior of fiber-reinforced structured soil, accounting for both bond strength degradation and the reinforcing effect of fibers. To simulate the effect of structure on the mechanical and deformation characteristics of structured soils, the compression index is formulated as a function of the degree of structure. By analyzing the impact of fiber on the mechanical and deformation characteristics of soil, a fiber influence factor related to shear strain is introduced, and an elastoplastic constitutive model for fiber-reinforced structured soil is proposed. This model extends an existing framework developed for structured soil without considering the impact of fiber, allowing this model to revert to the structured soil model. The basic properties and performance of the proposed constitutive model are illustrated by numerical examples involving varying degrees of structure and fiber contents. The proposed model is validated using experimental data for structured soil, fiber-reinforced soil, and fiber-reinforced structured soil. The results show that the model effectively captures the mechanical behavior across all three soil types.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149338404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}