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Open research questions in Rock Mechanics and Modeling

33 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 515 Rock Mechanics and Modeling papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • 81 MPa) provides limited information on the enve- lope curvature required to distinguish mi and σci, because the Hoek–Brown criterion approaches a fixed point at σ3 = 0 and a near-linear form at high confinement.

    Parameter unidentifiability in Hoek–Brown calibration under sparse triaxial datasets: a bootstrap-based diagnostic framework · 2026 · DOI

  • Its applicable scope is mainly limited to the fissured limestone specimens and the corresponding HSCC coupling conditions investigated herein, namely a fissure angle of45°, a sulfuric acid solution with pH=4 as the acidic medium, and the ranges of wet–dry cycles and axial stress specified in this study. A quantitative mapping relationship between the indoor accelerated test and long-term field evolution has not yet been established, and the related engineering applications still require further validation through long-term in situ monitoring and field investigation.

    Experimental evaluation of multiscale damage evolution in fissured limestone under different wet–dry cycles and axial stress · 2026 · DOI

  • Future work will focus on extending the Preisach-based interpretation to include evolving microstructural parameters, redefining hysteron thresholds under increasing stress, and conducting additional laboratory measurements on other rock types to validate the approach's generality.

    Exploring stress-dependent acoustic velocity hysteresis in rocks · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on validating and refining these tools through more case studies to demonstrate their robust- ness and versatility for various applications within the natural stone industry, while also investigating the po- tential for digital integration with technologies like GIS, machine learning, and remote sensing to further improve prediction accuracy and practical use.

    FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS OF GRANITIC ROCKS FOR USE IN THE DIMENSION STONE INDUSTRY · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on integrating Digital Image Correlation (DIC) for full-field deformation monitoring, investigating the long-term creep behavior of floor strata under sustained dynamic loading, and evaluating the applicability of the proposed support strategy under high-moisture and groundwater-rich conditions.

    Mechanism and control strategies of asymmetric floor heave under dynamic pressure in roof-cutting gob-side entry retaining: a case study · 2026 · DOI

  • In granite host rocks, natural fractures are often filled with polymineralic assemblages of calcite, quartz, and clay minerals; however, their coupled compaction–pressure solution mechanisms under thermal–hydraulic–mechanical–chemical (THMC) conditions remain poorly understood.

    Compaction and Pressure Solution of Mixed Mineral Assemblages: Implications for Granite Fracture Sealing in the Near-Field of High-Level Radioactive Waste Repository · 2026 · DOI

  • This study investigates the fatigue deterioration of dolomite subjected to wetting–drying conditioning and staged triaxial cyclic loading–unloading, supported by energy decomposi- tion and SEM observations. Nevertheless, several limita- tions should be noted. (1) The environmental conditioning considered herein is restricted to wetting–drying alterna- tions; the effects of temperature fluctuations and freeze– thaw cycling on water–rock interactions were not included. As a result, the mechanisms discussed may not fully cap- ture deterioration under more complex coupled environ- mental conditions. (2) The loading program was defined by prescribed staged upper stress limits, a single loading fre- quency, and a fixed number of cycles, which is suitable for characterizing stage-dependent responses under progres- sively intensified disturbances. However, vibration frequen- cies in practical mining settings span a wider range, and the potential influences of more complex stress paths and longer cyclic histories were not examined. (3) The micro- mechanistic interpretation could be further strengthened. Real-time microstructural monitoring during loading was not conducted, limiting direct insight into the dynamic evo- lution of crack initiation, propagation, and coalescence. In addition, internal damage was not quantified in three dimen- sions using X-ray CT imaging, acoustic-emission source localization, or similar techniques; therefore, the spatial distribution and localization of damage evolution remain Page 23 of 25 334 unresolved. (4) Dissipated energy represents the cumulative outcome of irreversible processes, but it may incorporate contributions not only from crack growth, but also from frictional sliding along crack surfaces, wear, and local heat generation and damping. Accordingly, the proposed energy- based damage variable should be interpreted as an indica- tor of irreversibility rather than a direct measure of fracture damage alone. (5) Due to experimental constraints, only a limited number of specimens were tested for each condition, and systematic repeatability tests were not performed to fully account for inherent rock heterogeneity. Consequently, some data points may reflect specimen-to-specimen vari- ability; future studies should increase the sample size to enhance statistical robustness.

    Failure behavior and energy-evolution processes of dolomite after wetting-drying under cyclic loading-unloading with variable confining pressure · 2026 · DOI

  • Fig. 12 Comparison of prediction results across models (Liu et al. 2024) are well-established within the academic community and will not be elaborated upon here. A comparative analysis of the two strength prediction models reveals a clear advantage of the RGB intensity-based model in terms of predictive accuracy. The proposed model achieves an R2 value of 0.98, explaining 98% of the variance in strength, which significantly surpasses the SVM model’s R2 of 0.91 on the test set. In terms of prediction error, the RGB intensity model exhibits a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of only 4.56%, substantially lower than the 37.98% obtained by the SVM model on the test set, highlighting its superior precision. While the SVM model showed strong performance on the training set (R2 = 0.9814), its test perfor- mance declined markedly, suggesting overfitting. In contrast, the RGB-based model maintains stable prediction accuracy across both low-strength (9–14 MPa) and high-strength (55–62 MPa) samples, demonstrating robust extrapolation capability. Even for the sample with the highest relative error (10.00%), the absolute error remains as low as 0.95 MPa— well within acceptable engineering tolerances. Overall, the RGB strength model outperforms the SVM model in predic- tive accuracy, stability, and generalization ability. It improves R2 by approximately 7% and reduces MAPE by about 33%, showing characteristics more suitable for practical engineer- ing applications. The model not only enables high-precision strength prediction but also exhibits consistent robustness across all strength grades, offering reliable technical support for rapid, non-destructive rock strength assessment.

    Intelligent prediction of rock-like material strength based on RGB information from borehole imaging · 2026 · DOI

  • Although the proposed ensemble learning framework achieved satisfactory performance in predicting the dynamic compressive strength of red sandstone under wetting–drying cycles, several limitations should be acknowledged. First, the present model was developed using data generated under controlled laboratory conditions. This design was beneficial for isolating the effects of key variables and improving model identifiability, but it also limits direct extrapolation to more complex geological settings. In natural underground environments, hydrochemical conditions, stress states, exposure durations, and structural heterogeneity are often much more complicated than those represented in laboratory experiments. As a result, the variable relationships identified in this study may shift when extended to field-scale applications. Second, although both global and local SHAP analyses were incorporated to improve model transparency, the interpretability results remain constrained by the current data structure and variable system. In dynamic rock mechanics, strength evolution is inherently governed by coupled processes, and the direction as well as the magnitude of feature contributions may vary across samples and conditions. Therefore, the current interpretability analysis should be regarded as a meaningful description of model behavior under the present experimental framework, rather than a complete reconstruction of all underlying physical mechanisms. Future work should integrate additional microstructural characterization, such as pore evolution, crack development, and mineralogical alteration, to provide stronger support for mechanism-based interpretation. In addition, the comparative performance of the ensemble models should be understood as a dataset-dependent evaluation rather than a universal ranking of algorithm superiority. The close performance of several models suggests that predictive behavior is influenced not only by algorithm design, but also by dataset size, feature composition, and validation strategy. Broader comparisons using larger datasets and more diverse input configurations would therefore be valuable for assessing the stability of the present conclusions. Based on these limitations, several directions for future research can be identified. First, the dataset should be expanded to include different rock types, wider hydrochemical conditions, and more diverse loading paths in order to improve model generalizability. Second, microstructural and mineralogical descriptors should be combined with conventional macroscopic parameters to strengthen the representation of degradation processes. Third, external validation using field monitoring data or engineering case data would help bridge the gap between laboratory-based modeling and practical applications. Finally, future studies may further develop cross-scale interpretability frameworks that connect global feature importance, local sample-level explanation, and independent experimental evidence, thereby improving both the physical credibility and engineering applicability of predictive models for dynamic rock strength.

    Interpretable prediction of dynamic compressive strength of red sandstone under wetting-drying cycles using ensemble learning · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on: (1) extending this analysis to heterogeneous and jointed rock masses using discrete fracture network models to evaluate the robustness of the present conclusions under realistic geological conditions; (2) incorporating quantitative comparison with experimental measurements of crack geometric parameters to further enhance model validation; and (3) developing practical guidelines for field implementation of water-medium decoupled blasting techniques.

    Comparative analysis of stress wave propagation and rock damage evolution in water versus air medium decoupled blasting · 2026 · DOI

  • The sensitivity-driven MODEGA-SD method is proposed as simpler than the iterative anisotropic HB model, but the paper provides no computational complexity analysis, convergence rate comparison, or CPU time benchmarks between the two approaches for practical geotechnical engineering applications in excavation design.

    Predicting rock strength anisotropy using a sensitivity-driven evolutionary polynomial regression · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper mentions that EPR occasionally struggles with highly non-linear relationships between dependent and explanatory variables in rock strength prediction, but does not characterize which specific relationships (e.g., stress-anisotropy interactions at high confining pressures) are poorly captured or propose polynomial order modifications to address these non-linearities.

    Predicting rock strength anisotropy using a sensitivity-driven evolutionary polynomial regression · 2026 · DOI

  • The EPR model was tested on only seven anisotropic rock types (four in calibration database, three external validation rocks). The paper does not specify minimum dataset size requirements, rock type diversity thresholds, or confining stress ranges needed to ensure reliable EPR generalization to metamorphic and sedimentary rocks with different foliation characteristics.

    Predicting rock strength anisotropy using a sensitivity-driven evolutionary polynomial regression · 2026 · DOI

  • The anisotropy parameter R requires calibration through at least two triaxial tests (at β = 0° and β = 30-60°), but the paper does not establish whether this two-test protocol is sufficient across rock types with varying degrees of anisotropy or whether additional test angles would improve R estimation accuracy and reduce model uncertainty.

    Predicting rock strength anisotropy using a sensitivity-driven evolutionary polynomial regression · 2026 · DOI

  • The EPR model failed to capture the non-monotonic behavior observed in Biotite Schist where anisotropy is quelled at σ₃ = 70 MPa, despite this stress-dependent anisotropy reduction being documented in experimental results. The paper does not specify which confining stress ranges or rock types exhibit this quenched-anisotropy phenomenon or propose modifications to EPR for capturing it.

    Predicting rock strength anisotropy using a sensitivity-driven evolutionary polynomial regression · 2026 · DOI

  • The EPR model consistently deviates from observed strengths at orientation angles of 0° and 90°, with the paper attributing this to small-scale variations caused by measurement error or rock heterogeneity. However, no systematic investigation has been conducted to quantify how lithology-specific measurement uncertainty affects EPR prediction accuracy across different bedding plane orientations.

    Predicting rock strength anisotropy using a sensitivity-driven evolutionary polynomial regression · 2026 · DOI

  • The tensile deformation modulus obtained by DTT is not similar to that estimated by BT using Eq. (1) for any value of density, indicating the need for further investigation into the relationship between these two testing methods.

    An experimental study of tensile deformation modulus obtained with the Brazilian test and direct tensile test · 2026 · DOI

  • Today’s specimen acceptance criteria (allowable R/P/O) are based on scarce research data from the 1970s that mostly relate to UCS without considering the rock strength category (worst case scenario).

    THE EFFECTS OF TEST SPECIMEN SHAPE TOLERANCES ON DETERMINING THE MECHANICAL AND ENERGY DISSIPATION PROPERTIES OF LIMESTONE ROCK · 2025 · DOI

  • The review shows that conventional seepage or seepage–stress coupled methods are insufficient to capture stress redistribution, fracture evolution, and damage-induced permeability changes governing water pressure behavior.

    External Water Pressure Assessment on Initial Support in Drill-and-Blast Subsea Tunnels: A Comprehensive Review · 2026 · DOI

  • This statistical mismatch indicates that a simple power-law model is insufficient to fully capture the microstructural complexity and the competition between strain hardening and recovery mechanisms.

    Experimental Rheological Characterization And Viscous-Plastic Behavior Modelling Of Rock Salt From Slănic Prahova Under Uniaxial Loading · 2026 · DOI

  • Abstract Ultrasonic dynamic excitation offers significant advantages for hard rock fragmentation; however, the underlying crack evolution mechanism and damage characteristics within ores remain insufficiently understood.

    Study on the rupture evolution process of prefabricated fractured ore under ultrasonic loading · 2026 · DOI

  • However, since this study focuses on verifying the feasibility of spatial autocor- relation analysis of multi-borehole drilling data in surround- ing rock integrity evaluation and is limited by the scale of the existing dataset, in-depth exploration has not been car- ried out yet.

    Method for Evaluating Surrounding Rock Integrity Based on Geological Model of Spatial Autocorrelation of Drilling Data · 2026 · DOI

  • (4) The main limitations of this study arise from the two- dimensional model assumption, the geometry-con- strained sequential modelling strategy, and several equivalent simplifications in gas transport.

    Stress distribution characteristics and gas seepage behavior induced by protective seam mining under ultra-long interlayer spacing · 2026 · DOI

  • Study was limited to Porto granite; testing on other rock types and geological contexts is needed to determine if findings generalize beyond this specific material.

    An experimental study of tensile deformation modulus obtained with the Brazilian test and direct tensile test · 2026 · DOI

  • The mechanisms underlying bi-modular behavior in rocks and how it varies with weathering and density are not fully explained, requiring deeper theoretical investigation.

    An experimental study of tensile deformation modulus obtained with the Brazilian test and direct tensile test · 2026 · DOI

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33 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 515 Rock Mechanics and Modeling papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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