Mahmut Sari, Selcuk Alemdag, Mesut Melek, Aysel Seren
{"title":"Machine learning-based multi-class classification of rock mass permeability using integrated geotechnical and geophysical parameters","authors":"Mahmut Sari, Selcuk Alemdag, Mesut Melek, Aysel Seren","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05299-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05299-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In engineering applications, machine learning (ML) provides a promising approach when direct characterization of subsurface properties is challenging, time-consuming, and costly. This study developed a multi-class ML framework for classifying rock mass permeability based on Lugeon values using 86 observations from drilling and geophysical investigations at the Kırklartepe dam site in Bayburt, Türkiye. Seven predictors were considered: depth, Rock Quality Designation (RQD), joint frequency, Schmidt hammer hardness, P-wave velocity, S-wave velocity, and electrical resistivity. The observations were assigned to four permeability classes: very low, low, moderate, and high. Six classifiers were evaluated: Polynomial Kernel Support Vector Machine (P-SVM), Linear Discriminant Analysis, k-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN), AdaBoostM2, Bagged Trees, and Radial Basis Function SVM. Sequential Forward Feature Selection and Leave-One-Out Cross-Validation were used for feature selection and model evaluation, respectively. Robustness was further assessed using bootstrap confidence intervals, class-imbalance treatments, feature-selection stability, and learning curves. Among the baseline models, P-SVM using all seven predictors achieved the highest accuracy (79.07%), with a macro-F1 of 0.774 and the lowest Golden Distance (GD = 0.4372). When balanced class-wise performance was prioritized, k-NN with in-fold SMOTE achieved the lowest overall GD (0.4126) and a macro-F1 of 0.777. S-wave velocity and electrical resistivity were the most influential predictors. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the proposed framework effectively integrates geotechnical and geophysical data for rock mass permeability classification, providing a robust, data-driven decision-support approach that supports subsurface characterization and complements conventional permeability assessment in engineering applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148871848","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 granular thermodynamic model for unsaturated frozen soil considering water–ice phase transition","authors":"Bixia Zhang, Bing Bai, Liang Chen, Yongchen Zong","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05275-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05275-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A novel constitutive model for unsaturated frozen soil is developed within the granular thermodynamics framework by incorporating the water–ice phase transition and frost heave effect. Double entropy theory and granular temperature are introduced to describe energy dissipation, particle rearrangement, and microstructural evolution during freezing. The frost heave effect is embedded into the elastic potential energy density function, enabling a unified description of coupled thermal, hydraulic, and mechanical responses. Sensitivity analysis reveals that the limiting density parameter <i>M</i><sub>0</sub> predominantly controls the volumetric strain, while the phase transition parameter <i>B</i> governs the freezing rate. The model shows good agreement with experimental results in predicting the unfrozen water content, volumetric deformation, and stress–strain behavior. The model also captures the transition from strain softening to strain hardening as confining pressure increases, providing a practical tool for frost heave risk assessment and stability evaluation of cold-region geotechnical structures.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926585","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":"Dynamic damage behaviors of surrounding rock during tunnel construction based on a modified strain-softening model","authors":"Guowen Xu, Shu Wang, Chuan He, Bo Wang, Xu Chen","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05266-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05266-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In the tunnel engineering, to ensure the safety and the efficiency of the tunnel construction process, a variety of excavation methods and supporting measures were designed and adopted. To improve the tunnel stability meanwhile shorten the construction period, two novel modifications, namely advanced oblique cable supporting system and sync-three-bench method were first adopted in the Chongqing-Kunming high-speed railway project. In this paper, the excavation mechanism of tunnels under these two new modifications was revealed. Firstly, to better capture the mechanical response of surrounding rocks, a novel approach to describe the rock damage behaviors was put forward. Triaxial tests were conducted to acquire rock properties required in the proposed method, then the effectiveness of the acquired rock properties was examined through simulations. Secondly, the full tunnel excavation process was simulated, and the rock damage and deformation behaviors in both longitudinal and radial direction were explained according to the simulation results. To examine the rationality and the correctness of simulation results, the on-site monitoring data and testing data were adopted to compare with the simulation results. Thirdly, the influence of geo-stress, the rock GSI, the excavation footage and the liner thickness to the rock damage and rock mechanical parameters were analyzed systematically. The findings of this article can serve as a reference for promoting the use of these two novel modifications in drilling and blasting tunnels.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926584","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":"Multi-level InSAR coupling and spatially-probabilistic constrained imbalanced sampling for refined landslide susceptibility assessment in active tectonic orogens","authors":"Ziyue Xu, Shengyuan Song, Sicong Wang, Mingyu Zhao, Muye Ma, Haojie Li","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05296-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05296-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis (EHS) is characterized by extreme climate, intense tectonism, and rugged terrain. Traditional landslide susceptibility assessment (LSA) models face limitations including negative sampling randomness, label distortion, and over-reliance on sample balance. These problems hinder the effective application of LSA models in high-steep mountainous areas. To overcome these bottlenecks, this study focuses on EHS and proposes a dynamic LSA framework integrating spatio-probabilistic co-constrained negative sampling and semi-supervised imbalanced learning. A comprehensive landslide inventory was refined utilizing Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and high-resolution optical imagery. By combining Moran’s index and frequency ratio model, non-landslide sampling was achieved under the dual-constraints of spatial structure and local probability. Continuous probability labels were generated for non-landslide samples to reflect their potential instability. Landslide and non-landslide samples were subjected to semi-supervised imbalanced LSA through regression forest algorithm. Finally, the traditional InSAR slope projection model was optimized by integrating slope and aspect, and optimized slope deformation rate was integrated into the semi-supervised imbalanced LSA to obtain the final LSA result. Results demonstrate that the proposed spatio-probabilistic non-landslide sampling approach (the area under the curve (AUC) = 0.968) significantly outperforms traditional non-landslide sampling method. Integrating improved InSAR slope deformation rates boosted the optimal semi-supervised model’s (imbalance ratio 1:5) AUC to 0.987, accurately identifying Sedongpu Gully’s high-risk areas. Furthermore, Shapley Additive Explanations indicates that excessive vegetation coverage will have a negative hydrological feedback effect on the development of landslides. This study provides a reliable methodology for geological hazard assessment and prevention in active tectonic orogens.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926586","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 nonlinear constitutive model for fine sandstone considering freeze–thaw induced compaction and damage evolution","authors":"Qi Wu, Ruichen Luo, Bowen Li, Qinyan Qiu, Maiyong Jiang, Guan Rong","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05284-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05284-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Freeze–thaw (F-T) cycling induces extensive open micro-fissures in dense fine sandstone, a lithology common in cold-region engineering, substantially prolonging the nonlinear \"compaction-hardening\" stage during early loading. Existing statistical damage models struggle to capture this behavior. Weibull-based formulations idealize early deformation as linear-elastic and thus overestimate the initial tangent stiffness. Compaction-modified models, in turn, typically rely on empirical piecewise segmentation or stress-driven implicit formulations, which introduce discontinuity or computational complexity. Moreover, no consensus exists on which physical quantity best defines the F-T damage variable. To address these limitations, this study proposes a strain-driven instantaneous compaction compliance model, and builds on it a generalized statistical damage constitutive model with an explicit analytical solution. Three damage definitions based on P-wave velocity, elastic modulus, and peak strain energy are introduced and systematically compared. The peak strain energy, though obtainable only after failure, yields the best pre-peak fitting accuracy and is adopted in the proposed model, raising R<sup>2</sup> to 0.998 and reducing peak-stress prediction error to within 0.85% for the tested sandstone. External validation on independently published basalt, granite, and limestone datasets confirms that the compaction-correction mechanism generalizes across lithologies. The framework is calibrated under monotonic quasi-static uniaxial loading, and its compaction parameters, while correlated with initial porosity and F-T cycle number, are still obtained through curve fitting rather than direct microstructural measurement. Extending the framework to cyclic and triaxial stress paths, and calibrating its parameters directly from pore-structure characterization, remain promising directions for further development.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926587","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}
Zeliang Chen, Ping Xu, Zengguang Xu, Junrui Chai, Zhilong Liu
{"title":"Degradation trigger mechanism in compacted loess under seepage-stress coupling: correlated with microstructural evolution","authors":"Zeliang Chen, Ping Xu, Zengguang Xu, Junrui Chai, Zhilong Liu","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05282-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05282-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Compacted loess exhibits pronounced water sensitivity, and the seepage-stress coupling interaction ultimately leads to significant deformation and degradation in structures. To investigate the seepage-shear characteristics, structural degradation mechanisms, and triggering processes under this coupling effect, this study employed triaxial seepage-shear tests along with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The results demonstrate that seepage pressure significantly impacts the cohesion of compacted loess, causing a notable reduction in cohesion. The permeability coefficient exhibits an evolution pattern characterized by an initial decrease followed by an increase. The specimen was partitioned into five equidistant layers (L1-L5): Horizontal cross-sections were prepared for odd-numbered layers, while vertical cross-sections were obtained for even-numbered layers to capture multidimensional microstructural features. Pore directionality is diffusely distributed across the first, third, and fifth layers, while it remains concentrated in the vertical direction in the second and fourth layers. Under seepage-stress coupling, the degradation-triggering mechanisms in compacted loess diverge depending on the dominant physical field. The stress field prevails: small and medium pores evolve into larger pores, while decreased circularity and increased elongation facilitate pore interconnectivity and microcrack initiation. Conversely, the seepage field dominates: pore size distributions shift toward the medium pores range, and a significant increase in circularity leads to the proliferation of seepage overflow points. These findings offer valuable scientific insight into the deformation and degradation behavior of compacted loess in dams and other fill projects subjected to seepage-stress coupling conditions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926702","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":"Experimental study on the dynamic characteristics of sandstone-mudstone mixed rockfill based on large-scale cyclic triaxial tests","authors":"Jianqing Jiang, Dongyi Ya, Mingjun Tian, Youneng Liu, Guijiang Huang, Sizhou Yan, Jinqiang Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05295-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05295-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A comprehensive understanding of the dynamic properties of sandstone-mudstone mixed rockfill is crucial for the dynamic analysis of dam structures in pumped storage hydropower projects located in interbedded sandstone and mudstone terrains in Southwest China, a seismically active region. A series of cyclic triaxial tests, including dynamic shear modulus, damping ratio and dynamic residual deformation tests, were conducted on sandstone-mudstone mixed rockfill with three different mudstone contents (5%, 20%, and 25%) to investigate its dynamic characteristics. The results of the dynamic modulus and damping ratio tests revealed that within the framework of a modified viscoelastic model, the dynamic shear strength and shear modulus of the mixed rockfill decreased with increasing mudstone content, while the maximum damping ratio exhibited an opposite trend. On the other hand, the dynamic residual deformation test showed that the evolution of the residual deformation of the mixed rockfill material with varying mudstone contents followed approximately the same pattern. However, a prominent increase in residual strain was still observed as the mudstone content increased. Additionally, Shen's residual deformation model was introduced to fit the tested residual deformation. The model parameters controlling residual volumetric strain (<i>c</i><sub>1</sub> and <i>c</i><sub>2</sub>) increase with mudstone content. In comparison, the parameters controlling residual shear strain (<i>c</i><sub>4</sub> and <i>c</i><sub>5</sub>) show a greater increase and exert a stronger influence on residual deformation, especially at a mudstone content of 25%. The research findings enhance the understanding of the influence mechanism of mudstone content on the dynamic characteristics of sandstone-mudstone mixed rockfill materials. </p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926703","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":"The strength properties of marble and their intercorrelations: Insights into specimen size effect","authors":"Amin Jamshidi, Deniz Akbay","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05288-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05288-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Specimen size is a critical factor influencing the mechanical strength behavior of building stones. In this study, the effect of specimen size on the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), Brazilian tensile strength (BTS), and point load index (PLI) of different marbles was investigated. Furthermore, correlation equations for predicting UCS using BTS and PLI were developed, explicitly accounting for the effect of specimen size. To this end, UCS specimens with length-to-diameter (L/D) ratios of 2.0, 2.2, 2.4, 2.6, 2.8, and 3.0 were prepared from the marble samples. For BTS tests, specimens with thickness-to-diameter (T/D) ratios of 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, and 1.0 were extracted. Similarly, PLI specimens were prepared with T/D ratios of 0.30, 0.44, 0.58, 0.72, 0.86, and 1.00. The findings revealed a noticeable decrease in UCS, BTS, and PLI values as the L/D and T/D ratios increased. Based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, this trend was attributed to the higher probability of microcracks and internal flaws in larger-sized specimens. The results indicated that specimen size has a minor effect on the accuracy of the BTS and PLI-based correlation equations for predicting UCS. Additionally, it was observed that BTS is a more reliable parameter than PLI for predicting UCS.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838184","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":"Instability of gassy sand slopes during tidal drawdown: effects of fabric anisotropy and gas exsolution","authors":"Xuetao Wang, Yi Hong, Yifei Sun, Zhiwei Gao","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05261-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05261-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Soil anisotropy in fully saturated sands has been widely studied, whereas its role in gas-bearing sands remains insufficiently understood. Free gas can stabilise loose states yet weaken dense states, and existing models rarely reproduce gas-induced weakening or unloading-driven instability. These limitations hinder assessment of submarine slope stability under tidal water-level fluctuations, where pore-pressure changes and gas exsolution may occur. This study develops an anisotropic critical state framework for gassy sands by coupling pressure-dependent pore-fluid compressibility governed by Boyle’s and Henry’s laws with evolving deviatoric fabric anisotropy. The formulation is calibrated and validated against undrained isotropic unloading, constant-<i>q</i> unloading, and undrained triaxial compression and extension tests across loose-to-dense states and different gas types. Implemented in ABAQUS via coupled UMAT and UEL subroutines, the model reproduces gas-exsolution-induced collapse during unloading and captures stress-path-dependent reversals of gas effects in medium-dense sands. The framework is then applied to submarine slope simulations under rapid water-level drawdown, with instability tracked using second-order work. Results show that density, gas saturation, bedding inclination and drawdown magnitude jointly control failure initiation and shear-band development, and inclined bedding markedly amplifies deformation. The proposed approach links multiphase pore-fluid behaviour, fabric evolution and unloading-induced instability, providing a mechanistic basis for assessing geohazards in gas-bearing offshore slopes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838185","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}
Liang Yang, Qin Chen, Manqing Lin, Yang Wang, Jizhixian Liu, Thomas Glade
{"title":"Regional hazard assessment of excavation-disturbed translational rockslides in monoclinal strata: a probabilistic framework integrating failure extent and runout","authors":"Liang Yang, Qin Chen, Manqing Lin, Yang Wang, Jizhixian Liu, Thomas Glade","doi":"10.1007/s10064-026-05273-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10064-026-05273-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study proposes a probabilistic framework for regional hazard assessment of excavation-disturbed translational rockslides. The framework integrates field investigation, laboratory testing, key stratigraphic parameter prediction, and Monte Carlo limit-equilibrium analysis to quantify slope-unit failure probability under data-limited conditions. It was applied to 139 slope units in the resettlement town of Yanshan Township, Chongqing, where slopes are mainly composed of a shallow surficial deposit, fractured rock mass, weak interlayer, and hard bedrock. After considering excavation effects, a new high-hazard zone of 0.0449 km<sup>2</sup>, accounting for 3.21% of the study area, was identified, while the very-low-hazard area remained unchanged at 0.678 km<sup>2</sup>, accounting for 48.43%. SBAS-InSAR monitoring showed good agreement with the assessment results. The maximum annual displacement rates reached 24–35.5 mm/yr, and cumulative displacements exceeded 90 mm at several monitoring points. Excavation-affected slopes showed higher deformation rates of 6–24 mm/yr than non-excavated areas, which ranged from 0 to 15 mm/yr. These results indicate that excavation-induced stress redistribution can locally intensify landslide hazard. The proposed framework improves the interpretability and practical reliability of regional hazard assessment in densely excavated mountainous towns.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":500,"journal":{"name":"Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment","volume":"85 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838072","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}