Applications of Fractal Analysis in Underground Engineering, Second Edition

A special issue of Fractal and Fractional (ISSN 2504-3110). This special issue belongs to the section "Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 458

Special Issue Editors


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Key Laboratory of Deep Coal Resource Mining (Ministry of Education of China), School of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: fractal theory; fractal analysis; fractal characteristics; disaster prevention and control in coal mining; theories and methods in mineral exploitation; intelligent mining; mining planning and sustainability
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School of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: fractal analysis; theories and methods in coal mining; green mining; rock mechanics and rock engineering
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Guest Editor
School of Mining, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Interests: fractal analysis; thin coal seam mining; intelligent mining; green mining; mining system engineering; rock stratum control in karst mountainous area
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School of Energy and Mining Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Interests: fractal analysis; mine pressure and strata control; mine water resources utilization; coal and gas co-mining; abandoned mine reuse
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Key Laboratory of In-Situ Property-Improving Mining of Ministry of Education, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
Interests: fractal analysis; strata control; numerical calculation; coordinated mining of associated resources in coal measures
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Guest Editor
School of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: fractal analysis; stope rock formation control; mining rock mass seepage mechanics; coal mining shallow water resources protection; water inrush disaster prevention and control
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fractal geometry is an important tool to describe complex natural phenomena. With the development of fractal mechanics, fractal has also been widely applied to the field of rock mechanics and engineering, especially in joints, mining-induced fractures, rock fragmentation, mining-induced rock mass seepage and heat conduction. For many randomly distributed rock parameters, fractal analysis has become an important quantitative characterization method. Due to the differences in fractal dimensions obtained by different fractal measurement methods, there is international controversy in regard to fractal characterization. However, fractal as a new perspective can quantitatively describe the chaos and roughness that has been recognized. Joints, fractures, and voids not only affect the strength of rocks but also are important channels for fluid migration. It is found that the fractal dimension is related to the rock response characteristics of engineering disturbance. The methods of obtaining channel distribution are mainly the physical perspective of small samples, numerical simulation, and similar simulation. The fractal dimension analysis of the later imaging process has become a research hotspot. In addition, in view of the complexity, concealment, and danger of underground engineering, the fractal analysis of massive data provides a new direction for guiding high efficiency and safe production. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a lot of research work to determine which fractal dimension measurement method is more conducive to understanding the mechanism of rock mechanics and guiding rock mechanics engineering. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

  • Fractal quantitative characterization of natural joints and fractures in rock;
  • Fractal characteristics and engineering application of rock fracture development and crushing processes;
  • Fractal analysis of digital image processing of joints and fractures;
  • Fractal analysis of seepage characteristics of mining rock mass;
  • Fractal characteristics of water/gas/thermal diffusion law in fractured rock mass;
  • Fractal characteristics and evolution law of mining-induced overburden fractures and ground fissures;
  • Fractal analysis of monitoring signals and information of underground engineering disaster prevention and control;
  • Fractal characteristics and application of underground engineering big data.

Prof. Dr. Shihao Tu
Prof. Dr. Lei Zhang
Prof. Dr. Chen Wang
Dr. Cun Zhang
Dr. Defu Zhu
Dr. Kaijun Miao
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • fractal analysis
  • fractal characteristics
  • data fractal processing
  • rock mechanics
  • rock engineering
  • under engineering
  • water/gas/heat conduction
  • joints, fractures and voids
  • fluid migration
  • chaos and roughness
  • image processing process
  • entropy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 6947 KB  
Article
Fractal Evolution Characteristics of Weakly Cemented Overlying Rock Fractures in Extra-Thick Coal Seams Mining in Western Mining Areas
by Cun Zhang, Zhaopeng Ren, Jun He and Xiangyu Zhao
Fractal Fract. 2025, 9(8), 531; https://doi.org/10.3390/fractalfract9080531 - 14 Aug 2025
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Abstract
Coal mining disturbance induces progressive damage and fracturing in overlying rock (OLR), forming a complex fracture network. This process triggers groundwater depletion, ecological degradation, and severely compromises mine safety. Based on field drilling sampling and mechanical experiments, this paper reveals the occurrence properties [...] Read more.
Coal mining disturbance induces progressive damage and fracturing in overlying rock (OLR), forming a complex fracture network. This process triggers groundwater depletion, ecological degradation, and severely compromises mine safety. Based on field drilling sampling and mechanical experiments, this paper reveals the occurrence properties and characteristics of weakly cemented overlying rock (WCOLR). At the same time, similar simulation experiments, DIC speckle analysis system, and fractal theory are used to explain the development and evolution mechanism of mining-induced fractures under this special geological condition. The OLR fracture is determined based on the grid fractal dimension (D) distribution. A stress arch-bed separation (BS) co-evolution model is established based on dynamic cyclic BS development and stress arch characteristics, enabling identification of BS horizons. The results show that the overlying weak and extremely weak rock accounts for more than 90%. During the process of longwall face (LF) advancing, the D undergoes oscillatory evolution through five distinct stages: rapid initial growth, constrained slow growth under thick, soft strata (TSS), dimension reduction induced by fracturing and compaction of TSS, secondary growth from newly generated fractures, and stabilization upon reaching full extraction. Grid-based D analysis further categorizes fracture zones, indicating a water conducting fracture zone (WCFZ) height of 160~180 m. Mining-induced fractures predominantly concentrate at dip angles of 0–10°, 40–50°, and 170–180°. Horizontally BS fractures account for 70.2% of the total fracture population, vertically penetrating fractures constitute 13.1% and transitional fractures make up the remaining 16.7%. The stress arch height is 314.4 m, and the stable BS horizon is 260 m away from the coal seam. Finally, an elastic foundation theory-based model was used to predict BS development under top-coal caving operations. This research provides scientific foundations for damage-reduced mining in ecologically vulnerable Western China coalfields. Full article
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