{"title":"Digital tunnel geometry model (DTGM): A multimodal data fusion framework for rock mass feature quantification","authors":"Haoran Xu, Shibin Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106212","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106212","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate acquisition of rock mass parameters in complex tunnel environments remains challenging due to limitations of conventional non-contact measurement techniques. This study introduces a novel digital tunnel geometry model (DTGM) framework designed to address the limitations associated with reliance on a single data source. By implementing multi-source data fusion of LiDAR and photogrammetric measurements, the DTGM achieves millimeter-level geometric accuracy in rock mass characterization. In the study, three innovative contributions are introduced: (1) an automated robust denoising algorithm for tunnel point clouds, (2) a surface reconstruction optimization algorithm emphasizing the preservation of rock mass morphological undulations and fracture structures, and (3) a parametric data fusion methodology coupling geometric models with rock mass attributes. Comparative analysis shows that the proposed method offers higher computational efficiency and reconstruction quality. Case studies validate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in acquiring critical rock mass parameters, showing 51 % (dip direction) and 58 % (dip angle) improvement in discontinuity analysis accuracy over traditional point cloud inputs. The quantification of fracture/trace plane parameters overcomes the inherent limitation of dimensional deficiency in image-based 3D modeling. Results establish the engineering superiority of the DTGM in rock mass parameter resolution and quantitative analysis while also advancing digital twin implementation through a novel virtual modeling paradigm.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"194 ","pages":"Article 106212"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144580851","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}
Kai Bröker , Xiaodong Ma , Shihuai Zhang , Nima Gholizadeh Doonechaly , Marian Hertrich , Gerd Klee , Andrew Greenwood , Eva Caspari , Domenico Giardini
{"title":"Corrigendum to “Constraining the stress field and its variability at the BedrettoLab: Elaborated hydraulic fracture trace analysis” [Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 178 (2024) 105739]","authors":"Kai Bröker , Xiaodong Ma , Shihuai Zhang , Nima Gholizadeh Doonechaly , Marian Hertrich , Gerd Klee , Andrew Greenwood , Eva Caspari , Domenico Giardini","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106210","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106210","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"194 ","pages":"Article 106210"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144613184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A new modified maximum principal stress criterion for predicting rock fracture toughness under mixed-mode I/III loading","authors":"Kun Zheng , Linjian Ma , Haifeng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106192","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106192","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fracture toughness (i.e., critical stress intensity factor) is recognized as an inherent strength property representing rock resistance to crack growth. Under pure mode-III loading, the edge-notched disk bending (ENDB) specimen exhibits a completely twisted fracture trajectory with anti-symmetry, whereas the fracture morphology of the double-edge notched disk compression (DENDC) specimen is almost co-planar and mirror-like. The pure mode-III fracture toughness obtained from the shear-based DENDC specimen is apparently higher than that obtained from the tension-based ENDB specimen. Consequently, the ENDB and DENDC specimens can serve as appropriate specimens for determining the lower- and upper-bound benchmarks of rock mixed-mode I/III fracture toughness, thus providing crucial design parameters for rock engineering projects. To theoretically predict the onset of mixed-mode I/III fracture in rocks subjected to combined tension-torsion loads, a 3D modified maximum principal stress (3D-MMPS) criterion is established by differentiating the contributions of volumetric and deviatoric stresses to crack propagation. The proposed fracture criterion is validated against mixed-mode I/III test data from the published literature. Based on the commonly used fracture criteria, the maximum ratio of mode-III fracture toughness to mode-I fracture toughness predicted is only 1, demonstrating that the derivation and establishment of existing fracture models are based on tensile-type conceptual frameworks. The developed fracture criterion has a profound physical meaning: the spherical stress tensor represents volumetric variation, while the deviatoric stress tensor represents shape change, effectively reflecting the fracture mechanisms of different rock specimens.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"194 ","pages":"Article 106192"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144580852","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}
Changhao Lyu , Weiya Xu , Yaolai Liu , Wei Huang , Long Yan , Huanling Wang , Timon Rabczuk
{"title":"Data assimilation-based inversion of rock rheological parameters in fault zones: A case study from a hydropower site in southwest China","authors":"Changhao Lyu , Weiya Xu , Yaolai Liu , Wei Huang , Long Yan , Huanling Wang , Timon Rabczuk","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106207","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106207","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study tackles the uncertainty and equifinality challenges in estimating heterogeneous rheological parameters and characterizing complex rheological behavior for rock masses in fault-influenced zones of a hydropower project in Southwest China, using advanced data assimilation (DA) methods. High-quality observational data were obtained from laboratory triaxial rheological tests and served as the foundation for subsequent model calibration. Heterogeneity within the rock mass was identified and partitioned into subregions using image-processing techniques, enabling localized parameter updates. Both Iterative Local Updating Ensemble Smoother (ILUES) and the Ensemble Smoother with Multiple Data Assimilation (ESMDA) were employed to invert rheological parameters for the homogeneous model. Uncertainty and correlation of posterior parameters were assessed. The results demonstrate that ILUES significantly outperforms ESMDA in this context, providing more accurate and reliable estimations of rheological behavior and a clearer representation of uncertainties. The integration of ILUES with image-based heterogeneity modeling offers a robust framework for addressing the challenges of equifinality and high dimensionality in rheological parameter estimation of fault-influenced rock masses. This work contributes to a deeper understanding of rheological processes in fault zones and offers scientific support for the stability assessment of hydropower infrastructure in complex geological conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"194 ","pages":"Article 106207"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572890","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}
Brett S. Kuwik , Max Daud , Gangmin (Jacob) Kim , Aidan Looney , Samuel Budoff , Mohmad M. Thakur , Ryan C. Hurley
{"title":"Corrigendum to “Microscopic and macroscopic failure mechanisms in sintered soda-lime glass spheres used as sandstone surrogates” [Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 192 (2025) 106124]","authors":"Brett S. Kuwik , Max Daud , Gangmin (Jacob) Kim , Aidan Looney , Samuel Budoff , Mohmad M. Thakur , Ryan C. Hurley","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106209","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106209","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"194 ","pages":"Article 106209"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144613214","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}
Akang Li , Hua Cheng , Zhongwen Yue , Chuanxin Rong , Peng Wang , Jian Lin
{"title":"Mechanical performance analysis of fully grouted bolts considering yield and hardening characteristics","authors":"Akang Li , Hua Cheng , Zhongwen Yue , Chuanxin Rong , Peng Wang , Jian Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106197","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106197","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents a coupling numerical method to study the mechanical performance of fully grouted bolts under the yield state. In this study, the tri-linear bond-slip model was utilized for modeling the damage characteristics of the bolt-grout interface and the yield characteristic of bolt was simulated using the bi-linear plastic-hardening model. A series of pull-out tests were conducted to validate the efficacy of this numerical model. Subsequently, this numerical model was adopted to analyze the mechanical performance of fully grouted bolts in high-stress tunnel by considering the effects of the support timing, dilation angle and endplate force. The results reveal that the installation timing of bolts depends not only on the bonding strength at the anchoring interface, but also on the yield strength of bolts. Installing the bolts too early may cause the yield failure of the bolts, resulting in a reduction in the support capacity of the bolts. In addition, the influence of the dilation angle on the mechanical behavior of bolts is also related to the installation timing of the bolts. The endplate can effectively enhance the support capability of the bolts. However, once the bolt enters the yielding state, the endplate only has a slight impact on the support capability of the bolts. This study offers meaningful insights into the mechanical behavior of fully grouted bolts under the yielding state, which contributes to uncovering the interaction mechanism of the bolt-grout interface when bolts yield and providing a guidance for the design of fully grouted bolts in high-stress tunnel.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"194 ","pages":"Article 106197"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144549301","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":"Controls of lithological heterogeneity on self-sealing behavior of propped fractures in Marcellus shale","authors":"Zeynal Abiddin Erguler , Derek Elsworth","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106208","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106208","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Developments in drilling technology and hydraulic fracturing methods have made shale formations an important geo-energy source and repository for energy-related wastes. Their very low permeability and outstanding potential for self-sealing are assets in sequestering wastes, but a limitation in sustaining shale gas production. We measure the permeability and self-sealing evolution of proppant-filled fractures in Marcellus shale, including the effect of time, normal stress, loading and unloading conditions, temperature and fluid composition. Permeabilities are measured over a first cycle of 24 h, with a hiatus of 56–91 days, and then remeasured to define impacts of physicochemical degradation (slaking) in a second cycle. Permeability reduces by up to 63 % where proppant crushing is isolated as a mechanism in embedment-eliminated steel split cores. In shales, lithological heterogeneity causes micro-slaking of clay-rich laminae appearing as stripes on the proppant oriented parallel to bedding planes with different proppant embedments resulting in differentiation in initial permeability values at the same proppant loading concentration. Intact rock compaction and mechanical closure-based self-sealing reduces permeability between 7.7 % and 21.6 % with an average value of only 14.5 %. Slaking, embedment, and swelling behavior in the Marcellus shale are responsible for all of the other remaining reductions in permeability. The reductions in permeability during all loading conditions correlate exponentially with time and can be defined by a single relation. The dimensionless constants of this equation depend on normal stress, physicomechanical properties and effective aperture. Long-term permeability measurements in a second cycle after 56–91 days show self-sealing through mineral precipitation in the Marcellus shale with a cohesive layer in the otherwise cohesionless proppant. The significant reductions between the initial and the second cycle permeability measurements reveal that time is a significant controlling factor in the self-sealing behavior of Marcellus shale in terms of reflecting creep deformation, slaking, and long-lasting geochemical processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"194 ","pages":"Article 106208"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144557587","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}
Sheng-Qi Yang , Ming-Hui Cao , Rui Yong , Shi-Gui Du , Cheng Zhao , P.G. Ranjith
{"title":"Experimental investigation on mechanical behaviors and shear fracture mechanisms of rough jointed sandstone under conventional triaxial compression","authors":"Sheng-Qi Yang , Ming-Hui Cao , Rui Yong , Shi-Gui Du , Cheng Zhao , P.G. Ranjith","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106205","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106205","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conventional triaxial compression tests were conducted on rough jointed sandstone to investigate the mechanical behaviors and failure mechanisms of fractured rocks. The influences of confining pressure, axial loading rate, joint dip angle, and joint surface roughness on the failure mechanisms of jointed sandstone were investigated. The stress-strain curve, shear stress, shear displacement, friction coefficient, and energy release process during the failure of jointed sandstone were analyzed. Failure modes and the evolution of rough surface wear in jointed sandstone were observed through both macroscopic and microscopic analysis. Results indicate that as the dip angle increases from 30° to 60°, the triaxial peak strength, crack damage threshold, and peak axial strain of jointed sandstone gradually decrease. With the increase in confining pressure, axial loading rate, and joint surface roughness, peak strength, deformation, crack damage threshold, and residual strength of jointed sandstone with a 60° dip angle gradually increase. For the jointed sandstone with 30° and 40° dip angles, shear fracture failure occurs along the direction perpendicular to the joint surface, resulting in the joint surface fractures into two segments. For the jointed sandstone with 50° and 60° dip angles, shear slip instability occurs along the joint surface, accompanied by deformation and fracture at the joint surface ends. Shear slip along the joint surface reduces the roughness and fractal dimension of the jointed sandstone and transgranular crack failure is the dominant failure mode of the joint surface. The debris and powder formed after the shear slip wear of the joint surface form fault gouge and attach to the micro-pores and micro-cracks on the joint surface. As the dip angle increases, the damage to the joint surface gradually intensifies. These findings can provide a theoretical basis for understanding the failure mechanisms of fractured rock masses induced by underground engineering construction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"194 ","pages":"Article 106205"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144534957","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":"Non-destructive, fast and intelligent identification of coal and gangue via spatial-spectral fusion of hyperspectral images","authors":"Zhenhao Xu , Shan Li , Peng Lin , Qianji Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106187","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106187","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coal and gangue identification is a crucial part of the intelligent and green coal industry. Traditional coal and gangue sorting has problems such as low efficiency, poor accuracy, and limited applicability. This article proposes a coal and gangue identification method based on the MambaHSI model, leveraging the non-destructive, fast, and information-abundant attributes of hyperspectral imaging technology. Firstly, the coal and gangue hyperspectral images undergo preprocessing procedures, including image stretching enhancement, data dimensionality reduction, and normalization, with the aim of enhancing image quality and data processing efficiency. Next, in order to fully utilize the advantages of the “spectrum integration” of hyperspectral imaging technology, the model takes the hyperspectral images of the entire coal and gangue as input. Using an end-to-end approach for training, explore the differences in texture or local distribution of coal and gangue in two-dimensional space, as well as the differences in reflection characteristics in different bands of one-dimensional spectra. The Spatial Feature Extraction Module is dedicated to discerning the long-distance dependence relationships at the pixel level, thereby enabling the capture of the spatial distribution coherence of coal and the interrelationships among neighboring pixels. The Spectral Feature Extraction Module segments the spectral vectors of coal and gangue into multiple spectral groups and delves into the relationships between disparate spectral groups. The Spatial-Spectral Feature Fusion Module adaptively integrates the spatial and spectral information of coal and gangue. Finally, the proposed method is applied to hyperspectral image datasets of coal and gangue originating from three distinct sources. The results show that the classification performance based on the MambaHSI model is excellent, and the overall accuracy of coal and gangue classification can reach up to 99.65 %; The highest average accuracy can reach 99.62 %; The Kappa coefficient can reach up to 100 %; The mean Intersection over Union can reach up to 99.56. This method has the characteristics of high identification accuracy, good real-time performance, and strong robustness. The results of this study can be used for in-situ, non-destructive, and intelligent identification of coal and gangue underground in mining areas, promoting the rapid development of intelligent coal gangue separation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"194 ","pages":"Article 106187"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144517749","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}
Sarah Webster , Nicolas Francois , Edward Andò , Mark Knackstedt , David Beck , Mohammad Saadatfar
{"title":"Coupled micro-computed tomography and micromechanical experiment on the failure of discontinuous porphyry rock","authors":"Sarah Webster , Nicolas Francois , Edward Andò , Mark Knackstedt , David Beck , Mohammad Saadatfar","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106180","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106180","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rock is a discontinuous, heterogeneous material with complex mechanical behaviour. The variable material properties create uncertainty in response to load, associated rock mass damage and communition. Traditional approaches in rock mechanics rely on laboratory tests on intact specimens and mapping of structures to characterise the material properties and make predictions of damage scales. This paper expands on conventional triaxial laboratory tests using in situ x-ray micro-computed tomography and digital volume correlation to continuously track strain field changes during the experiment. Within a defect-rich porphyry, high-resolution imaging at 9 μm shows the micromechanical ductile-brittle fracture processes where microscopic defects lead to failure in the rock. Our methodology allows simultaneous observation of stress, strain, and elastic properties, spatially linking stress-induced strain localisation to discontinuities and pores. We present an integrated analysis, combining strain field data with tomogram attenuation values, revealing micromechanical feature evolution from initial strain to failure and post-peak behaviour. A remarkable product of the analysis was the multiple datasets that complemented the illustration of the micromechanisms. We show micro and macro fracture closure mechanisms visible in tomograms, which can be mapped as negative volumetric strain and generate increased specimen stiffness. Another important observation was the progression of the shear zone from strain localisation, visualised as both positive and negative volumetric strain regions in a 3D point cloud with the meshed shear. Our study provides valuable insights into the mechanics of fractured rock through the stages to failure. Understanding these underlying mechanisms and the strain field evolution at the specimen scale can improve our understanding of rock mechanics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"194 ","pages":"Article 106180"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144517070","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}