Pub Date : 2025-12-29DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106382
Wei Wang , Weizhong Chen , Jianping Yang , Haizeng Pan , Jiawei Huang , Feilong Liu , Ziang Xia
The rationality of applying the lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) to the study of gas permeation in porous media, particularly in rocks, requires further discussion. This article focuses on the study of micro-nano scale pores typical of rock structures. It explores the applicability of algorithms for mesoscale gas seepage in porous media, including collision stream, boundary condition, and relaxation time related to the Knudsen number, from the LBM principle. This research firstly verifies classic problems such as Couette flow, Poiseuille flow, around circular cylinder flow, and variable cross-section slit flow. Then, the seepage behaviours of various gases are simulated under different channel sizes. The improved quartet structure generation set (QSGS) method is employed to generate porous media grids for testing. Finally, the calculations for real microfluidic chip channels are performed and compared with experimental phenomena. Results indicate that the LBM algorithm used in this article can accurately simulate the shear collision behaviour between fluid particles as well as their interactions with obstacles. Using the relaxation time associated with the Knudsen number and the rebound-slip combination boundary can effectively replicate gas slip effects under micro-nano scales and demonstrate the differences in gas permeation behaviour of different types in LBM simulation. Additionally, LBM can also effectively reflect the influence of micro-nano scale porosity, directionality, and tortuosity on gas permeability. This research supports the credibility of LBM for simulating gas seepage in mesoscale porous media.
{"title":"Rationality analysis of lattice Boltzmann method simulation for gas seepage in mesoscale porous media","authors":"Wei Wang , Weizhong Chen , Jianping Yang , Haizeng Pan , Jiawei Huang , Feilong Liu , Ziang Xia","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106382","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106382","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rationality of applying the lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) to the study of gas permeation in porous media, particularly in rocks, requires further discussion. This article focuses on the study of micro-nano scale pores typical of rock structures. It explores the applicability of algorithms for mesoscale gas seepage in porous media, including collision stream, boundary condition, and relaxation time related to the Knudsen number, from the LBM principle. This research firstly verifies classic problems such as Couette flow, Poiseuille flow, around circular cylinder flow, and variable cross-section slit flow. Then, the seepage behaviours of various gases are simulated under different channel sizes. The improved quartet structure generation set (QSGS) method is employed to generate porous media grids for testing. Finally, the calculations for real microfluidic chip channels are performed and compared with experimental phenomena. Results indicate that the LBM algorithm used in this article can accurately simulate the shear collision behaviour between fluid particles as well as their interactions with obstacles. Using the relaxation time associated with the Knudsen number and the rebound-slip combination boundary can effectively replicate gas slip effects under micro-nano scales and demonstrate the differences in gas permeation behaviour of different types in LBM simulation. Additionally, LBM can also effectively reflect the influence of micro-nano scale porosity, directionality, and tortuosity on gas permeability. This research supports the credibility of LBM for simulating gas seepage in mesoscale porous media.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 106382"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884408","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-27DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106386
Binglong Liu , Zhonghui Li , Chaolin Zhang , Shan Yin , Zesheng Zang , Yuanming Hu
The gas concentration monitoring data contains a large amount of potentially effective early-warning information. However, the effective information that can be extracted from the raw data and its statistical features is limited, which restricts its application in the early warning of coal and gas outburst disasters. In this study, gas concentration monitoring data from different tunneling faces under various operational conditions were collected, along with gas outburst prediction indicators drilling cuttings weight from the tunneling faces. Based on the EN-TSFRESH method, a total of 784 features were extracted from 8-h (one work shift) gas concentration monitoring data, covering seven categories including statistical, time-frequency, trend, and stability features. The results indicate that the high-dimensional gas concentration features within each time window contain potential early-warning information and show correlation with static indicators. A weakly supervised feature selection method was employed to extract low-dimensional features such as Benford law correlation, peak value, cumulative value, absolute values of Fourier transform coefficients, and energy distribution across different time segments. By combining t-SNE and PCA for dimensionality reduction and visualization, unsupervised clustering methods were applied to classify various gas concentration monitoring datasets. Compared with k-means clustering, hierarchical clustering achieved the highest accuracy, approximately 97.2 %. The high-risk events identified through unsupervised clustering showed a strong correlation with on-site measured drilling cuttings weight, demonstrating the method's potential for early warning of gas outbursts. This study provides theoretical support for dynamic early warning of gas outbursts in tunneling faces and holds significant implications for safe and efficient coal mine production.
{"title":"Study on dynamic early warning method for coal and gas outburst disasters based on data mining and unsupervised clustering","authors":"Binglong Liu , Zhonghui Li , Chaolin Zhang , Shan Yin , Zesheng Zang , Yuanming Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106386","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106386","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The gas concentration monitoring data contains a large amount of potentially effective early-warning information. However, the effective information that can be extracted from the raw data and its statistical features is limited, which restricts its application in the early warning of coal and gas outburst disasters. In this study, gas concentration monitoring data from different tunneling faces under various operational conditions were collected, along with gas outburst prediction indicators drilling cuttings weight from the tunneling faces. Based on the EN-TSFRESH method, a total of 784 features were extracted from 8-h (one work shift) gas concentration monitoring data, covering seven categories including statistical, time-frequency, trend, and stability features. The results indicate that the high-dimensional gas concentration features within each time window contain potential early-warning information and show correlation with static indicators. A weakly supervised feature selection method was employed to extract low-dimensional features such as Benford law correlation, peak value, cumulative value, absolute values of Fourier transform coefficients, and energy distribution across different time segments. By combining t-SNE and PCA for dimensionality reduction and visualization, unsupervised clustering methods were applied to classify various gas concentration monitoring datasets. Compared with k-means clustering, hierarchical clustering achieved the highest accuracy, approximately 97.2 %. The high-risk events identified through unsupervised clustering showed a strong correlation with on-site measured drilling cuttings weight, demonstrating the method's potential for early warning of gas outbursts. This study provides theoretical support for dynamic early warning of gas outbursts in tunneling faces and holds significant implications for safe and efficient coal mine production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 106386"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145841287","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-27DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106388
Linghao Chen , Wanqing Shen , Shuitao Zhang , Zhilei Luo , Jianfu Shao , Linlin Wang
The mechanical response of shale under various saturation fluids is critical for many geo-engineering applications, whereas the analysis of elasto-plastic evolution on shale under such conditions remains limited. This study investigates the effect of pore fluid on the mechanical behavior of shales. The hydrostatic, uniaxial, and triaxial compression tests are conducted on specimens under dry, oil (nonpolar)-saturated, and water (polar)-saturated states. The experimental results are calibrated using two models, which enable the quantification of the influence of saturation fluids on the elasto-plastic properties (cohesion, frictional angle, strain hardening rate, etc.). In particular, the micromechanical model, explicitly considering the effect of porosity, enables quantifying the role of swelling, which is intuitively considered as a key mechanism governing the mechanical property of water-saturated shale. The results indicate that dry shale exhibits high stiffness and isotropy, while fluids reduce stiffness and induce anisotropy. The pore fluid also facilitates the rock to deform plastically. Calibration of the plasticity models indicates that the variation of plastic parameters is associated with a decrease in cohesion strength, rather than a reduction in the friction angle. The strain hardening rate decreases in shale saturated with oil or water, with water causing up to a twofold reduction. Contrary to common assumptions, the influence of saturation fluid on shale's elasto-plastic behavior is not primarily due to clay swelling or an increase in porosity, as swelling is limited. Instead, adsorption-related surface energy and fluid-induced damage have a more significant impact on shale's mechanical properties.
{"title":"Influence of pore fluid on the elasto-plastic property of shales","authors":"Linghao Chen , Wanqing Shen , Shuitao Zhang , Zhilei Luo , Jianfu Shao , Linlin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106388","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106388","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The mechanical response of shale under various saturation fluids is critical for many geo-engineering applications, whereas the analysis of elasto-plastic evolution on shale under such conditions remains limited. This study investigates the effect of pore fluid on the mechanical behavior of shales. The hydrostatic, uniaxial, and triaxial compression tests are conducted on specimens under dry, oil (nonpolar)-saturated, and water (polar)-saturated states. The experimental results are calibrated using two models, which enable the quantification of the influence of saturation fluids on the elasto-plastic properties (cohesion, frictional angle, strain hardening rate, etc.). In particular, the micromechanical model, explicitly considering the effect of porosity, enables quantifying the role of swelling, which is intuitively considered as a key mechanism governing the mechanical property of water-saturated shale. The results indicate that dry shale exhibits high stiffness and isotropy, while fluids reduce stiffness and induce anisotropy. The pore fluid also facilitates the rock to deform plastically. Calibration of the plasticity models indicates that the variation of plastic parameters is associated with a decrease in cohesion strength, rather than a reduction in the friction angle. The strain hardening rate decreases in shale saturated with oil or water, with water causing up to a twofold reduction. Contrary to common assumptions, the influence of saturation fluid on shale's elasto-plastic behavior is not primarily due to clay swelling or an increase in porosity, as swelling is limited. Instead, adsorption-related surface energy and fluid-induced damage have a more significant impact on shale's mechanical properties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 106388"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145841289","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-27DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106389
Xuemin Zhou , Haichun Hao , Lei Yang , Junjun Liu , Jing Xie , Yuanru Li , Lang Zhou , Jiahua Li , Mingzhong Gao
Laser rock breaking, an emerging noncontact and high-efficiency rock-breaking technique, has recently gained attention in deep resource development and extreme-environment drilling. Most studies focus on laser parameters, while the effects of real engineering environments on rock-breaking have received much less attention. In particular, the interaction mechanisms between lasers and rock under confining pressure remain poorly understood. In this study, typical red sandstone was selected as the research object, and a laser rock-breaking experimental system in which confining pressure is controlled was established. Combined with Computed Tomography (CT) scanning and uniaxial compression tests, the thermal response, fracture characteristics, and evolution of the mechanical behavior of rocks after laser irradiation under different confining pressures (0–3 MPa) were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. Furthermore, the influence mechanism of confining pressure on crack propagation was investigated. This research yielded the following results: (1) The laser-induced temperature field caused the red sandstone to undergo a heating–melting–evaporation–solidification phase transition process, altering its mineral composition. (2) The confining pressure affected the crack development morphology caused by the laser, and a lower confining pressure caused cracks to develop longitudinally. (3) The spatial distribution of internal cracks was analyzed by CT, revealing the fractal characteristics of different regions of the sample after laser irradiation under the influence of confining pressure. (4) After laser irradiation, both the uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of red sandstone decreased relative to the original sample, and higher confining pressure led to weaker mechanical degradation. The research findings presented in this paper reveal the crack evolution mechanisms and strength degradation effects of laser-induced rock breaking under confining pressure, providing a basis for a deeper understanding of the multi-field coupling between lasers and rock, and offering valuable insights and guidance for the efficient application of laser technology in complex stress environments and engineering practice.
{"title":"Mechanical and fracture behavior of red sandstone under confining pressure and laser irradiation using CT scanning and uniaxial compression","authors":"Xuemin Zhou , Haichun Hao , Lei Yang , Junjun Liu , Jing Xie , Yuanru Li , Lang Zhou , Jiahua Li , Mingzhong Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106389","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106389","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Laser rock breaking, an emerging noncontact and high-efficiency rock-breaking technique, has recently gained attention in deep resource development and extreme-environment drilling. Most studies focus on laser parameters, while the effects of real engineering environments on rock-breaking have received much less attention. In particular, the interaction mechanisms between lasers and rock under confining pressure remain poorly understood. In this study, typical red sandstone was selected as the research object, and a laser rock-breaking experimental system in which confining pressure is controlled was established. Combined with Computed Tomography (CT) scanning and uniaxial compression tests, the thermal response, fracture characteristics, and evolution of the mechanical behavior of rocks after laser irradiation under different confining pressures (0–3 MPa) were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. Furthermore, the influence mechanism of confining pressure on crack propagation was investigated. This research yielded the following results: (1) The laser-induced temperature field caused the red sandstone to undergo a heating–melting–evaporation–solidification phase transition process, altering its mineral composition. (2) The confining pressure affected the crack development morphology caused by the laser, and a lower confining pressure caused cracks to develop longitudinally. (3) The spatial distribution of internal cracks was analyzed by CT, revealing the fractal characteristics of different regions of the sample after laser irradiation under the influence of confining pressure. (4) After laser irradiation, both the uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of red sandstone decreased relative to the original sample, and higher confining pressure led to weaker mechanical degradation. The research findings presented in this paper reveal the crack evolution mechanisms and strength degradation effects of laser-induced rock breaking under confining pressure, providing a basis for a deeper understanding of the multi-field coupling between lasers and rock, and offering valuable insights and guidance for the efficient application of laser technology in complex stress environments and engineering practice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 106389"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145841288","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-24DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106390
Dongyu Li , Qingquan Liu , Heinz Konietzky , Kun Sang Lee , Peizhuang Han , Biao Lv
Permeability is a key parameter characterizing the flow capacity within porous reservoirs. The Transient Pressure Pulse Decay (TPPD) method is a widely employed technique for permeability characterization; its reliance on the formula necessitates regularly shaped samples. However, samples often experience fragmentation during coring, making it difficult to obtain regular specimens. This study proposes an innovative method combining a modified TPPD experiment for irregular samples with a mathematical model describing the entire testing process, where permeability is determined through inverse problem optimization. Initially, the study conducts tests on regular samples. The results demonstrate strong agreement between the numerically simulated and experimentally measured pressure differential data, with fitting accuracy (R2) beyond 0.9776. Those confirm that the proposed model accurately captures the physical process of the TPPD experiment. The best inverted permeability of 0.148 mD (95 % CI: [0.142, 0.156] mD) closely matches the formula-derived value of 0.143 mD, further validating the model's accuracy. Subsequently, irregular specimens are prepared from the original regular samples and tested by the new method. The results show excellent fitting precision, with R2 consistently exceeding 0.9659, proving that the model can also precisely replicate the testing process for irregular samples. However, the permeability differs significantly from that of the original sample, which is attributed to imperfections in the preparation process. The new method has removed the limitation of laboratory permeability measurement on the shape of rocks, facilitating the research on the flow in unconventional reservoirs.
{"title":"A permeability determination method for irregular rocks based on numerical Transient Pressure Pulse Decay (TPPD) testing","authors":"Dongyu Li , Qingquan Liu , Heinz Konietzky , Kun Sang Lee , Peizhuang Han , Biao Lv","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106390","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106390","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Permeability is a key parameter characterizing the flow capacity within porous reservoirs. The Transient Pressure Pulse Decay (TPPD) method is a widely employed technique for permeability characterization; its reliance on the formula necessitates regularly shaped samples. However, samples often experience fragmentation during coring, making it difficult to obtain regular specimens. This study proposes an innovative method combining a modified TPPD experiment for irregular samples with a mathematical model describing the entire testing process, where permeability is determined through inverse problem optimization. Initially, the study conducts tests on regular samples. The results demonstrate strong agreement between the numerically simulated and experimentally measured pressure differential data, with fitting accuracy (<em>R</em><sup>2</sup>) beyond 0.9776. Those confirm that the proposed model accurately captures the physical process of the TPPD experiment. The best inverted permeability of 0.148 mD (95 % CI: [0.142, 0.156] mD) closely matches the formula-derived value of 0.143 mD, further validating the model's accuracy. Subsequently, irregular specimens are prepared from the original regular samples and tested by the new method. The results show excellent fitting precision, with <em>R</em><sup>2</sup> consistently exceeding 0.9659, proving that the model can also precisely replicate the testing process for irregular samples. However, the permeability differs significantly from that of the original sample, which is attributed to imperfections in the preparation process. The new method has removed the limitation of laboratory permeability measurement on the shape of rocks, facilitating the research on the flow in unconventional reservoirs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 106390"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145823145","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-23DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106378
Rihua Jiang , Kang Duan , Luchao Wang , Qiangyong Zhang , Jingrui Liu , Xuejian Li
Understanding nonlinear seepage in fractures - strongly governed by mesoscale fracture surface morphology - is critical for hydrogeology, geothermal energy, and underground resource extraction. In this study, a geometric model for nonlinear flow in rough fracture is developed, which improves upon existing geometric formulations by incorporating Reynolds-number-dependent local resistance effects and establishing quantitative relationships between mesoscopic geometric parameters, the Reynolds number, and the Forchheimer coefficients (A and B). Model validation is performed through laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. Sensitivity analysis of mesh resolution reveals that reducing the number of fracture segments significantly decreases the coefficient B, and dimensionless analysis indicates that the number of fracture segments should exceed one-tenth of the fracture length-to-aperture ratio to ensure predictive accuracy. Using the model, A and B are computed for 553 fracture profiles, and the influence of roughness Z2 and apertures on seepage characteristics is studied. Results reveal that Z2 shows a power-law relationship with A, and a linear relationship with B. Larger apertures reduce both linear and nonlinear flow resistance, while increased roughness enhances inertial effects. A complex interplay is observed between aperture and roughness in controlling seepage dynamics, with roughness dominating at smaller apertures and aperture effects prevailing at larger scales. The critical Reynolds number exhibits a non-monotonic dependence on hydraulic aperture, decreasing initially and increasing thereafter, while higher roughness amplifies inertial effects and promotes nonlinear seepage. These findings advance the understanding of nonlinear flow transitions in fractured media by linking mesoscale geometric structure to key hydraulic parameters.
{"title":"Nonlinear flow in rough rock fractures: A geometric model incorporating mesoscale structure and Reynolds number effects","authors":"Rihua Jiang , Kang Duan , Luchao Wang , Qiangyong Zhang , Jingrui Liu , Xuejian Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106378","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106378","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding nonlinear seepage in fractures - strongly governed by mesoscale fracture surface morphology - is critical for hydrogeology, geothermal energy, and underground resource extraction. In this study, a geometric model for nonlinear flow in rough fracture is developed, which improves upon existing geometric formulations by incorporating Reynolds-number-dependent local resistance effects and establishing quantitative relationships between mesoscopic geometric parameters, the Reynolds number, and the Forchheimer coefficients (<em>A</em> and <em>B</em>). Model validation is performed through laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. Sensitivity analysis of mesh resolution reveals that reducing the number of fracture segments significantly decreases the coefficient <em>B</em>, and dimensionless analysis indicates that the number of fracture segments should exceed one-tenth of the fracture length-to-aperture ratio to ensure predictive accuracy. Using the model, <em>A</em> and <em>B</em> are computed for 553 fracture profiles, and the influence of roughness <em>Z</em><sub>2</sub> and apertures on seepage characteristics is studied. Results reveal that <em>Z</em><sub>2</sub> shows a power-law relationship with <em>A</em>, and a linear relationship with <em>B</em>. Larger apertures reduce both linear and nonlinear flow resistance, while increased roughness enhances inertial effects. A complex interplay is observed between aperture and roughness in controlling seepage dynamics, with roughness dominating at smaller apertures and aperture effects prevailing at larger scales. The critical Reynolds number exhibits a non-monotonic dependence on hydraulic aperture, decreasing initially and increasing thereafter, while higher roughness amplifies inertial effects and promotes nonlinear seepage. These findings advance the understanding of nonlinear flow transitions in fractured media by linking mesoscale geometric structure to key hydraulic parameters.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 106378"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145823137","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-19DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106385
Jingsong Sima, Qiang Xu, Xiujun Dong, Haoliang Li, Qiulin He, Bo Deng
Discontinuity trace is a critical geological information element in engineering geology. However, existing point cloud-based methods still face challenges, including insufficient trace connectivity and ambiguous topological relationships between trace. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a voxel-based morphology-topology approach instead of complex point connection algorithms. Initially, we coarsely extract trace points by applying the elbow method to optimize K-means++ clustering, which based on normal vector neighborhood deviations of point clouds. After voxelizing the trace points, we enhance and refine spatial connectivity through morphological dilation and an improved secondary erosion process. We then define Euler characteristics to characterize the topological properties of the voxels. Finally, obtain a simplified voxel skeleton containing trace points through topological iterative deletion, generate vectorized trace paths by connecting voxel centers, followed by post-processing. We validate the method through three slope cases, the topological connectivity rate compared to existing methods is the highest reaching 90.48 %, 90.91 %, and 91.97 %, respectively. demonstrating its ability to identify finer trace details more precisely than alternative approaches. The proposed method enables robust extraction of vectorized paths from the trace spatial skeleton, which shifting from connecting points to simplifying a topological structure. This approach offers reliable technical support for digital geological logging and intelligent assessment of engineering stability.
{"title":"Rock mass discontinuity trace mapping using a voxel-based morphology-topology framework","authors":"Jingsong Sima, Qiang Xu, Xiujun Dong, Haoliang Li, Qiulin He, Bo Deng","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106385","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106385","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Discontinuity trace is a critical geological information element in engineering geology. However, existing point cloud-based methods still face challenges, including insufficient trace connectivity and ambiguous topological relationships between trace. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a voxel-based morphology-topology approach instead of complex point connection algorithms. Initially, we coarsely extract trace points by applying the elbow method to optimize K-means++ clustering, which based on normal vector neighborhood deviations of point clouds. After voxelizing the trace points, we enhance and refine spatial connectivity through morphological dilation and an improved secondary erosion process. We then define Euler characteristics to characterize the topological properties of the voxels. Finally, obtain a simplified voxel skeleton containing trace points through topological iterative deletion, generate vectorized trace paths by connecting voxel centers, followed by post-processing. We validate the method through three slope cases, the topological connectivity rate compared to existing methods is the highest reaching 90.48 %, 90.91 %, and 91.97 %, respectively. demonstrating its ability to identify finer trace details more precisely than alternative approaches. The proposed method enables robust extraction of vectorized paths from the trace spatial skeleton, which shifting from connecting points to simplifying a topological structure. This approach offers reliable technical support for digital geological logging and intelligent assessment of engineering stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 106385"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145784971","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-18DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106356
Minghe Ju , Han Zhu , Liyuan Yu , Yang Zou , Xin Peng , Linming Dou , Qiang Zhang , Xiaofeng Li
Mining disturbances can induce fault unloading slip, posing major challenges in underground engineering. This study examines fault slip behavior under varying fault roughness and confining pressures using laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. Acoustic Emission (AE) and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) were employed to capture full-process slip characteristics, while Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) revealed microstructural changes on fault surfaces. Discrete element modeling with the Smooth Joint Model (SJM) in PFC was used to explore microcrack evolution and localized stress–strain responses. Results show that fault unloading slip is governed by the evolution of normal and shear stresses on the fault plane and proceeds through four stages. In the linear steady stage, stress and deformation fields remain stable. When confining pressure reduces to 80 %–85 % of its initial value, the nonlinear steady stage emerges, with stable displacements. Further unloading leads to the meta-instability stage, characterized by 5 %–10 % stress fluctuations, localized displacements, and increased high-energy AE events. Finally, the instability stage exhibits strong stress oscillations and rapid macroscopic slip. Energy release cycles lengthen with increasing confining pressure and roughness. For a 180-grit fault, the cycle extends from 58 s at 10 MPa to 105 s at 30 MPa; at 30 MPa, roughness from 1000-grit to 60-grit increases the cycle from 68 s to 142 s. CLSM and simulations confirm that high-roughness surfaces concentrate stresses at asperities, enhancing damage, whereas smooth surfaces show uniform wear. With confining pressure ≥30 MPa and roughness ≤180-grit, deformation shifts from elastic to plastic and wear from abrasive to adhesive. Coupled AE b-value and entropy evolution—transitioning from high to low states—effectively indicate slip stages. These findings advance understanding of fault slip instability in deep coal mining and provide guidance for monitoring and early warning.
{"title":"Confining pressure effects on mining-induced unloading failure characteristics along a rough fault: Experimental and numerical investigations","authors":"Minghe Ju , Han Zhu , Liyuan Yu , Yang Zou , Xin Peng , Linming Dou , Qiang Zhang , Xiaofeng Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106356","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106356","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mining disturbances can induce fault unloading slip, posing major challenges in underground engineering. This study examines fault slip behavior under varying fault roughness and confining pressures using laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. Acoustic Emission (AE) and Digital Image Correlation (DIC) were employed to capture full-process slip characteristics, while Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) revealed microstructural changes on fault surfaces. Discrete element modeling with the Smooth Joint Model (SJM) in PFC was used to explore microcrack evolution and localized stress–strain responses. Results show that fault unloading slip is governed by the evolution of normal and shear stresses on the fault plane and proceeds through four stages. In the linear steady stage, stress and deformation fields remain stable. When confining pressure reduces to 80 %–85 % of its initial value, the nonlinear steady stage emerges, with stable displacements. Further unloading leads to the meta-instability stage, characterized by 5 %–10 % stress fluctuations, localized displacements, and increased high-energy AE events. Finally, the instability stage exhibits strong stress oscillations and rapid macroscopic slip. Energy release cycles lengthen with increasing confining pressure and roughness. For a 180-grit fault, the cycle extends from 58 s at 10 MPa to 105 s at 30 MPa; at 30 MPa, roughness from 1000-grit to 60-grit increases the cycle from 68 s to 142 s. CLSM and simulations confirm that high-roughness surfaces concentrate stresses at asperities, enhancing damage, whereas smooth surfaces show uniform wear. With confining pressure ≥30 MPa and roughness ≤180-grit, deformation shifts from elastic to plastic and wear from abrasive to adhesive. Coupled AE b-value and entropy evolution—transitioning from high to low states—effectively indicate slip stages. These findings advance understanding of fault slip instability in deep coal mining and provide guidance for monitoring and early warning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 106356"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145784974","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-18DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106380
Chunfeng Ye , Cunbao Li , Hengjun Chen , Fei Wu , Peng Chu , Heping Xie
A comprehensive understanding of the nonlinear shear behavior of deep rocks is vital for the safe operation and design of deep underground engineering. This study presents a series of direct shear tests on deeply buried Jinping marble, coupled with real-time acoustic emission (AE) monitoring. The results revealed a progressive transition in dominant shear failure mechanisms from dilatant–interlocking to compaction–shear modes with increasing normal stress. Peak and residual shear strength, as well as crack initiation and crack damage stresses, exhibited nonlinear increases with normal stress, albeit with diminishing growth rates. This evolution was accompanied by a shift in failure mode from multicrack propagation to large-scale spalling failure. The AE energy and b-value evolved in four nonlinear failure stages: initiation, stable propagation, accelerated coalescence, and chaotic breakdown. The rise time over amplitude–average frequency (RA–AF) analysis revealed that the distribution of tensile and shear cracks varies nonlinearly and nonmonotonically with normal stress: mixed-mode (tensile–shear) rupture predominates at low-to-moderate stress levels, whereas shear-dominated failure prevails at high-stress levels. A novel nonlinear shear strength model was proposed based on the decoupled evolution of cohesion and friction angle. The model incorporates stage-specific recognition, adaptive response regulation, and boundary-constrained convergence. Compared with the Mohr–Coulomb, bilinear strength, and generalized nonlinear failure criteria, the proposed model demonstrates superior predictive accuracy (R2 > 0.99) for both the peak and residual shear strength of Jinping marble. Moreover, it shows promising adaptability and applicability in other weak rocks, such as layered sandstone and ultralow-strength sandstone.
{"title":"Nonlinear progressive failure mechanism and shear strength model of deeply buried jinping marble under direct shear","authors":"Chunfeng Ye , Cunbao Li , Hengjun Chen , Fei Wu , Peng Chu , Heping Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106380","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106380","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A comprehensive understanding of the nonlinear shear behavior of deep rocks is vital for the safe operation and design of deep underground engineering. This study presents a series of direct shear tests on deeply buried Jinping marble, coupled with real-time acoustic emission (AE) monitoring. The results revealed a progressive transition in dominant shear failure mechanisms from dilatant–interlocking to compaction–shear modes with increasing normal stress. Peak and residual shear strength, as well as crack initiation and crack damage stresses, exhibited nonlinear increases with normal stress, albeit with diminishing growth rates. This evolution was accompanied by a shift in failure mode from multicrack propagation to large-scale spalling failure. The AE energy and <em>b</em>-value evolved in four nonlinear failure stages: initiation, stable propagation, accelerated coalescence, and chaotic breakdown. The rise time over amplitude–average frequency (RA–AF) analysis revealed that the distribution of tensile and shear cracks varies nonlinearly and nonmonotonically with normal stress: mixed-mode (tensile–shear) rupture predominates at low-to-moderate stress levels, whereas shear-dominated failure prevails at high-stress levels. A novel nonlinear shear strength model was proposed based on the decoupled evolution of cohesion and friction angle. The model incorporates stage-specific recognition, adaptive response regulation, and boundary-constrained convergence. Compared with the Mohr–Coulomb, bilinear strength, and generalized nonlinear failure criteria, the proposed model demonstrates superior predictive accuracy (<em>R</em><sup>2</sup> > 0.99) for both the peak and residual shear strength of Jinping marble. Moreover, it shows promising adaptability and applicability in other weak rocks, such as layered sandstone and ultralow-strength sandstone.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 106380"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145784972","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-17DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106379
Guilherme Barros, Klaus Thoeni, Pablo Moscato, Jinsong Huang, Anna Giacomini
This study introduces an innovative and comprehensive Machine Learning (ML) methodology for forecasting rockfall hazards in open-pit mining environments by integrating detailed geological stratigraphy extracted from 3D point clouds with advanced deep learning techniques. Rockfall is the sudden detachment of one or more rock blocks from a steep slope or cliff, followed by free-fall, bouncing, and rolling downslope. In open-pit mining, rockfall poses significant danger to both personnel and machinery. Unlike existing approaches that predominantly rely on basic geometric features and linear regression, this research incorporates geological stratification information into predictive models. A comprehensive synthetic dataset was created using detailed stochastic simulations of rockfall events on slope profiles, which were automatically generated from real-world 3D point clouds including stratigraphic features. A Variational Autoencoder (VAE) was developed to automatically extract latent features that effectively capture the complex relationships between geological structure and slope morphology. A thorough comparison of several regression algorithms, including Linear Regression (LR), K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), demonstrates the superior performance of nonlinear models combined with VAE-derived latent features. The findings indicate that incorporating these latent features significantly enhances prediction accuracy, representing a notable advancement over models based solely on traditional geometric parameters. This pioneering approach provides a reliable solution for accurately estimating key rockfall risk indicators at the base of highwalls, thereby enhancing the reliability and data-driven nature of risk assessments in open-pit mining operations.
{"title":"Predicting rockfall hazard with deep learning: Latent feature extraction from geological layers","authors":"Guilherme Barros, Klaus Thoeni, Pablo Moscato, Jinsong Huang, Anna Giacomini","doi":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106379","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijrmms.2025.106379","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study introduces an innovative and comprehensive Machine Learning (ML) methodology for forecasting rockfall hazards in open-pit mining environments by integrating detailed geological stratigraphy extracted from 3D point clouds with advanced deep learning techniques. Rockfall is the sudden detachment of one or more rock blocks from a steep slope or cliff, followed by free-fall, bouncing, and rolling downslope. In open-pit mining, rockfall poses significant danger to both personnel and machinery. Unlike existing approaches that predominantly rely on basic geometric features and linear regression, this research incorporates geological stratification information into predictive models. A comprehensive synthetic dataset was created using detailed stochastic simulations of rockfall events on slope profiles, which were automatically generated from real-world 3D point clouds including stratigraphic features. A Variational Autoencoder (VAE) was developed to automatically extract latent features that effectively capture the complex relationships between geological structure and slope morphology. A thorough comparison of several regression algorithms, including Linear Regression (LR), K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), demonstrates the superior performance of nonlinear models combined with VAE-derived latent features. The findings indicate that incorporating these latent features significantly enhances prediction accuracy, representing a notable advancement over models based solely on traditional geometric parameters. This pioneering approach provides a reliable solution for accurately estimating key rockfall risk indicators at the base of highwalls, thereby enhancing the reliability and data-driven nature of risk assessments in open-pit mining operations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54941,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences","volume":"198 ","pages":"Article 106379"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145784977","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}