Special Issue: Advances in Experimental Physics, Mathematical Model and Numerical Method for Deep Underground Hazards in Hard Rock

Introduction:

With the gradual exhaustion of shallow mineral resources and energy, the depth of further extraction and exploitation continues to increase. Meanwhile, more and more deep transit and water conveyance tunnels are planned or in service in mountain areas. During the construction of deep underground structures that are essential for various purposes such as transportation, resource extraction, and storage, hard rocks are often encountered, and unexpected geohazards pose significant risks to human lives, infrastructure, and the environment. Implementing engineering solutions such as structural reinforcements, support systems, and monitoring mechanisms can bolster stability and provide early warning systems against such hazards. However, identifying potential hazards through risk assessments and geological studies is critical for applying prevention and mitigation strategies. This requirement has greatly promoted the development of experimental physics, mathematical models, and numerical methods for capturing the mechanical behaviors and fracture characteristics of hard rocks in deep underground environments in recent years.

This Special Issue aims to showcase cutting-edge research and recent advancements regarding disaster-causing mechanisms in deep rock engineering. By spotlighting experimental techniques, monitoring mechanisms, mathematical models, and advanced numerical methods, it endeavors to be a catalyst for the global dissemination of groundbreaking scientific and technological progress in mining, tunneling, geological storage, and associated fields. The primary mission is to foster international collaboration, facilitating the exchange of knowledge, expertise, and experiences. Furthermore, by delving into the challenges, opportunities, and emerging trends, this Special Issue is expected to offer valuable insights into early warning and stability assessment of surrounding hard rocks. Ultimately, its goal is to advocate for the reliable design, safe construction, and effective management of deep underground projects.

This Special Issue welcomes both original research papers and review articles reporting the innovative advancements of physical field monitoring, constitutive relation, strength criterion, numerical model, machine learning, big data, and others for understanding disaster-causing mechanisms and mitigating geohazards in deep hard rocks. The focal points include, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• Mechanical responses of fractured and jointed rock masses during disaster formation;
• Computational geomechanics for simulating rock instability;
• Underground hazards induced by thermal-hydro-mechanical coupling;
• Hard rock collapses under extreme pressure and temperature conditions;
• Monitoring and early warning of deep geohazards;
• Mitigation and prevention of underground dynamical disasters such as rock burst;
• Artificial intelligence and big data for disaster prediction.

Keywords: Hard rock; Deep underground; Disaster-causing mechanism; Thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling; Physical experiment; Numerical modelling; Data-driven decision making.

Guest Editors:

• Yongjun Zhang, zyjun@qut.edu.cn, Qingdao University of Technology, China;
• Bin Gong, bin.gong@brunel.ac.uk, Brunel University London, UK;
• Jingjing Meng, jingjing.meng@ltu.se, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden;
• Shuting Miao, shuting.miao@gfz-potsdam.de, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Germany.

Important Deadlines:

• Submission deadline: 30 September 2024