{"title":"Numerical study of the effect of soil-plant-atmosphere interaction under future climate projections and different vegetation covers","authors":"Maryam Sadat Maddah Sadatieh , Aikaterini Tsiampousi , Athanasios Paschalis","doi":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100697","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100697","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil-plant-atmosphere interaction (SPAI) plays a significant role on the safety and serviceably of geotechnical infrastructure. The mechanical and hydraulic soil behaviour varies with the soil water content and pore water pressures (PWP), which are in turn affected by vegetation and weather conditions. Focusing on the hydraulic reinforcement that extraction of water through the plant roots offers, this study couples advances in ecohydrological modelling with advances in geotechnical modelling, overcoming previous crude assumptions around the application of climatic effects on the geotechnical analysis. A methodology for incorporating realistic ecohydrological effects in the geotechnical analysis is developed and validated, and applied in the case study of a cut slope in Newbury, UK, for which field monitoring data is available, to demonstrate its successful applicability in boundary value problems. The results demonstrate the positive effect of vegetation on the infrastructure by increasing the Factor of Safety. Finally, the effect of climate change and changes in slope vegetation cover are investigated. The analysis results demonstrate that slope behaviour depends on complex interactions between the climate and the soil hydraulic properties and cannot be solely anticipated based on climate data, but suctions and changes in suction need necessarily to be considered.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56008,"journal":{"name":"Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100697"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144270087","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":"MICP-enhanced wind erosion resistance of desert sand: process parameter optimization and microstructural mechanism","authors":"Jian Xu , Liangkun Ding , Zihan Li , Jiayuan Li","doi":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100735","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100735","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study employed the microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) technique to investigate the mechanism of desert sand stabilization through a multiscale approach, ranging from macro to micro levels. A multi-objective optimization model was created to enhance surface strength, CaCO<sub>3</sub> content, and solidified layer thickness using a comprehensive analysis of multiple factors. The solidification effect was validated with wind tunnel and water retention tests. Microstructural mechanisms were examined through XRD, SEM, and PCAS. Results indicate that the optimum parameters for MICP technology are the 1:2.12 mix ratio, the 1.895 mol/L cementation solution concentration, and 4 treatment cycles. There was also a clear correlation between the performance indexes after solidification. The parameters optimized by the response surface method were essentially the same as those obtained from the experiments, with a difference of less than 5 % between the repeated test results and the optimized results. Under conditions of high <em>CSC</em> (single treatment cycle) or low <em>CSC</em> (multiple treatment cycles), MICP-treated desert sands can achieve highly efficient sand fixation and long-lasting water retention. Microanalysis revealed that increasing <em>CSC</em> and <em>T</em><sub><em>c</em></sub> altered the mode of particle contact from point to surface, and a significant negative correlation was observed between pore parameters and surface strength. This proves that it improves the water retention and mechanical strength of desert sand.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56008,"journal":{"name":"Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100735"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144925645","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":"Numerical comparison between square and circular plate anchors in clay","authors":"Mohammadreza Jahanshahinowkandeh, Marina Miranda, Jorge Castro","doi":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100733","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100733","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper presents a numerical comparison of the vertical pull-out capacity of square and circular anchors in purely cohesive soils (i.e. clays in undrained conditions). For simplicity, ultrathin, infinitely rigid anchors are considered and to isolate the effect of anchor shape, comparisons are made between anchors of equal area and embedment depth. Finite Element Limit Analyses (FELA) are used to compute upper and lower bound values of the break-out factor over the full range of embedment ratios, and the associated failure mechanisms are identified. The results show for the first time (to the best of the authors’ knowledge) that square anchors exhibit slightly higher efficiency at shallow embedment ratios due to their larger perimeter, while at greater depths, circular anchors become more efficient as a result of the different failure mechanisms involved. The study also investigates the influence of anchor inclination and shows that inclined anchors have a higher pull-out capacity in vented conditions due to elongated failure mechanisms. Under attached conditions, the deep failure mechanism is obtained in most cases with the corresponding constant break-out factor. In addition, the paper analyses the influence of anchor spacing in anchor groups, identifying optimal spacing to avoid capacity reduction due to interaction effects. For shallow depths, a spacing of about two times the anchor width is sufficient, while deeper installations require larger spacings due to the extended failure zone. Once the deep failure mechanism is reached, spacing requirements decrease again, less than two times the anchor width. Overall, the presented numerical simulations offer insights for the design of plate anchors in cohesive soils, contributing to the advancement of offshore foundation technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56008,"journal":{"name":"Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100733"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144911968","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 settlement behavior of soil–rock mixtures under reservoir water level rise and fall","authors":"Siwei Wang , Guinan Wang , Shuyi Li","doi":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100705","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100705","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The terrain and landforms in the reservoir area of Baihetan Hydropower Station are complex, with many high mountains and hills. There are many resettlement sites with large scales, and a large amount of soil–rock mixtures are used. The newly filled soil is affected by the periodic rise and fall of the reservoir water level. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the settlement and deformation of high-fill soil–rock mixtures under the action of water level rise and fall. To this end, a device was developed to simulate the settlement of soil–rock mixtures under the action of water level rise and fall in the reservoir area. Large scale physical model experiments were conducted, with model dimensions of 2.8 m × 2.0 m × 2.7 m in length, width, and height. Pore water pressure, soil pressure, and settlement deformation sensors were buried at five different depths of the soil–rock mixtures, and observation windows were set up. The influence of water level rise and fall on the settlement and deformation law of soil and rock filling bodies was studied, and the settlement mechanism was preliminarily revealed (Large pores are filled and compressed due to permeability, while small pores are reduced due to wet dry cycles.).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56008,"journal":{"name":"Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100705"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144492070","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}
Lang Liu , Marcin Ireneusz Duda , Antonio F. Salazar Vásquez , Andreas Nicolas Berntsen
{"title":"A review of fiber optic sensing in geomechanical applications at laboratory and field scales","authors":"Lang Liu , Marcin Ireneusz Duda , Antonio F. Salazar Vásquez , Andreas Nicolas Berntsen","doi":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100699","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100699","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Geomechanical characterization and monitoring are essential for subsurface projects, including underground mining, geo-energy production, groundwater management, and geological storages of CO2 and radioactive waste. Traditional measurement techniques often face challenges such as limited spatial coverage and high operational costs. Fiber optic sensing (FOS) offers a promising alternative due to its scalability, durability, and high spatial resolution, making it particularly suitable for harsh environments and large-scale applications. This paper provides a comprehensive and critical review of the use of FOS in geomechanics, covering the principles of quasi- and fully distributed sensing and focusing on strain measurement in both laboratory and field settings. We discuss various techniques for fiber cable installation and explore the integration of FOS with other geomechanical monitoring techniques. Based on the challenges identified in the reviewed studies, we conclude that there is a need for improved fiber coupling and measurement corrections, efficient fiber cable installation, robust data handling and interpretation, and standardization across different geomechanical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56008,"journal":{"name":"Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100699"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144306720","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":"Unified models for water permeability in hydrate-bearing sandy soil considering pore morphology evolution","authors":"Lin-Yong Cui , Chao Zhou , Sheng Dai","doi":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100717","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100717","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The water permeability of hydrate-bearing sediments is of paramount importance for assessing the exploitation efficiency of methane hydrate from reservoirs. It is largely influenced by the interrelated factors of hydrate morphology and saturation. Experimental results revealed that as hydrate saturation increases, the pore morphology shifts from primarily grain-coating to predominantly pore-filling, but this coupling effect between hydrate morphology and saturation on water permeability is often overlooked in existing models. This study aims to model the water permeability of hydrate-bearing sandy soils, considering the evolution of pore morphology with changing hydrate saturation. An eccentric annulus is used to depict the pore structure of pore-filling hydrate, in contrast to the conventional unrealistic concentric annulus geometry. Two new models to describe water relative permeability were derived, each incorporating only a single parameter, assuming that grain-coating and pore-filling hydrates grow at different rates either sequentially or simultaneously. These models were validated using a dataset comprising 29 hydrate-bearing soils, with the hydrate saturations ranging from approximately 0 to 0.9. Comparison between model predictions and experimental data confirmed the good performance of both water permeability models, with low RMSE, MAE and GMV values of around 0.05, 0.03 and 1.28, respectively. Both models were further improved by correlating the two parameters with porosity data, which could ensure a rapid estimation of relative permeability based solely on porosity data without requiring any fitting parameters. Results in this study provide a novel perspective for understanding the impact of hydrate evolution on permeability reduction in hydrate-bearing soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56008,"journal":{"name":"Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100717"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144655434","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}
David Santillán , Cristina Vila , Juan Carlos Mosquera , Luis Cueto-Felgueroso
{"title":"The nucleation of injection-induced earthquakes on low-permeability strike-slip faults","authors":"David Santillán , Cristina Vila , Juan Carlos Mosquera , Luis Cueto-Felgueroso","doi":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100713","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100713","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The injection of fluids into underground formations may induce damaging earthquakes and increase the sensitivity of injection sites to remote triggering. If the fault constitutive behavior and geomechanical conditions permit the development of a frictional instability, slip may eventually accelerate and trigger a coseismic slip event. We investigate the frictional and hydromechanical mechanisms that control the slip instability preceding an induced earthquake, the nucleation phase. Understanding fault reactivation and the transition from quasi-static aseismic slip to dynamic rupture is an important objective, as the nucleation phase may provide the key to detect preseismic signals and estimate the magnitude of the resulting earthquake. Our simulations show that poroelasticity coupling delays the onset of slip and dynamic rupture and creates asymmetric slip and pressure distributions on the fault. Our results indicate that pressure-driven nucleation patterns, while qualitatively similar to those of tectonic earthquakes in elastic media, are controlled by flow processes and poroelastic couplings that favor nucleation-zone expansion. Our numerical results suggest that nucleation lengths <span><math><mi>L</mi></math></span> for induced events scale proportional to the classical scaling <span><math><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>L</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>∞</mi></mrow></msub><mo>=</mo><mfrac><mrow><mi>b</mi></mrow><mrow><msup><mrow><mrow><mo>(</mo><mi>b</mi><mo>−</mo><mi>a</mi><mo>)</mo></mrow></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></mrow></mfrac><mfrac><mrow><msup><mrow><mi>G</mi></mrow><mrow><mo>′</mo></mrow></msup><msub><mrow><mi>D</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>c</mi></mrow></msub></mrow><mrow><msubsup><mrow><mi>σ</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow><mrow><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mo>′</mo></mrow></msup></mrow></msubsup></mrow></mfrac></mrow></math></span> and time to nucleation with <span><math><msup><mrow><mi>L</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></math></span>. Moreover, since <span><math><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>τ</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>n</mi><mi>u</mi><mi>c</mi></mrow></msub><mo>∼</mo><msup><mrow><mi>L</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></mrow></math></span> and <span><math><mrow><mi>L</mi><mo>∼</mo><msub><mrow><mi>L</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>∞</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span>, then <span><math><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>τ</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>n</mi><mi>u</mi><mi>c</mi></mrow></msub><mo>∼</mo><msubsup><mrow><mi>L</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>∞</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msubsup></mrow></math></span>. A longer nucleation phase leads to higher pore pressures and a weaker fault at the onset of dynamic rupture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56008,"journal":{"name":"Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100713"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144695275","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":"Creep characteristics and damage mechanisms of rock in the plateau tunnel: Insights from acoustic emission and energy evolution","authors":"Yanzhe Li, Chuanxin Rong, Zhensen Wang, Yang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100720","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100720","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The in-situ stress in plateau tunnels is significantly high and exhibits a complex distribution. Consequently, the long-term creep behavior of deep surrounding rock poses a critical challenge to the stability and integrity of tunnel engineering in plateau mountainous areas. To address this issue, this study performs triaxial creep tests on gneissic granite samples obtained from plateau tunnels under various stress paths. Additionally, the mechanical analysis is enhanced by incorporating acoustic emission characteristics and energy evolution. Two stress paths—continuous loading and confining pressure unloading—were implemented. Key parameters, including AE count, cumulative energy, and energy competition ratio <em>R</em>, were analyzed. The results indicate that: (1) Under the confining pressure unloading path, the accelerated creep stage duration,which just occupied 1.33 % of total loading time, was significantly shorter than that under continuous loading, with a 12.3 % reduction in failure strength, suggesting lower confinement facilitates microcrack propagation and rapid instability; (2) AE parameters and energy release patterns effectively characterized creep stages: steady-state creep exhibited steady AE activity, while abrupt increased in N and ΣE mark accelerated creep, with shear-dominated failure of over 69.9 %; (3) The energy competition ratio <em>R</em> grew exponentially beyond the critical deviatoric stress, though localized energy aggregation still triggered shear failure. This study elucidates how stress paths govern energy distribution and damage evolution, providing theoretical insights for stability assessment and disaster prevention in plateau tunnel engineering.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56008,"journal":{"name":"Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100720"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144634529","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":"Coupled SPH–FEM modeling of waterjet-assisted coal cutting: Numerical simulation and experimental validation","authors":"Satar Mahdevari , Pedram Bakhtiari Haftlang","doi":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100732","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100732","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coal remains a cornerstone of global energy supply, driving the need for more efficient and technologically advanced extraction methods. This study introduces a numerical framework that couples the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) with the Finite Element Method (FEM) to model the dynamic response of coal under waterjet-assisted cutting—an emerging technique recognized for its applicability, minimal stress disturbance, and safe working conditions in underground mining. Implemented in LS-DYNA, the model captures two-phase fluid–solid interactions, including jet-induced fracture initiation, propagation, and material removal. A detailed parametric investigation evaluates the effects of jet velocity, nozzle diameter, impingement angle, and cutting duration on coal fragmentation behavior. Model predictions were rigorously validated through controlled laboratory experiments, achieving reliable correlation with empirical results—showing mean absolute errors of 7.2 % in Cutting Depth (CD) and 5.8 % in Cutting Volume (CV). To address the performance constraints of Pure Water Jet (PWJ) systems, extended simulations were conducted for Abrasive Water Jet (AWJ) and Ice Abrasive Water Jet (IAWJ) techniques. The AWJ configuration enhanced CD and CV by 51 % and 66 %, respectively, while IAWJ achieved up to 20 % improvement over PWJ. Stress field analysis further revealed that increased jet velocity is significantly more effective than nozzle enlargement in maximizing cutting efficiency. These findings not only validate the SPH–FEM model as a predictive tool but also offer actionable insights for optimizing next-generation waterjet systems in deep coal mining applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56008,"journal":{"name":"Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100732"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144886021","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":"Coupled hydro–mechanical simulation of the interaction between adjacent lined rock caverns subject to internal gas pressurisation","authors":"Chenxi Zhao , Zixin Zhang , Qinghua Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100701","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gete.2025.100701","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We develop a two-dimensional (2D) fully-coupled hydro–mechanical model to study the performance of gas pressurised adjacent lined rock caverns (LRCs) in water-saturated fractured rock masses. The 2D model represents the horizontal cross-section of LRCs and their surrounding rock masses subjected to various in-situ stress and pore pressure conditions. We explore different LRC operational scenarios, including a double cavern configuration with one cavern or both caverns under gas filling. We analyse the evolution of damage in both the rock mass and concrete lining, as well as tangential strain in the concrete and steel linings. Our simulation results indicate that damage in the rock mass develops in the form of wing cracks from pre-existing fracture tips while damage in the concrete lining is primarily induced by tensile cracking under cavern pressurisation. Pore pressure varies significantly in the surrounding rock mass during the cavern pressurisation, leading to pronounced damages. Among the different operational conditions explored in this study, we find that the configuration with one cavern under pressurisation while the other at a low initial/residual gas pressure can reach a higher gas infilling pressure, due to the higher compliance of the system. The insights gained from our study have important implications for optimising the design and performance of LRCs for sustainable underground hydrogen storage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":56008,"journal":{"name":"Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100701"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144605871","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}