Deep Underground Science and Engineering (DUSE) is pleased to present this issue, highlighting recent advancements and emerging challenges in the field of deep underground engineering. This issue comprises 18 high-quality articles, covering a broad range of topics from deep resource extraction and underground space construction to rock mechanics behavior and disaster prevention. The collection reflects the current depth and diversity of research in deep underground science and engineering.
In recent years, as shallow resources have become increasingly depleted, the development and utilization of deep underground resources have emerged as a critical focus of global energy and engineering efforts. Deep rock masses are subjected to high in-situ stresses, complex geological structures, and multi-physical coupling effects. These pose unprecedented challenges to engineering safety and resource recovery efficiency. How to achieve safe, efficient, and intelligent exploitation of deep resources has thus become a central concern for both academia and industry.
This issue comprises two review articles and 16 research articles. The two review articles address real-time monitoring of tunnel structures (“Real-time monitoring of tunnel structures using digital twin and artificial intelligence: A short overview,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70029) and rockburst prediction and prevention in underground excavation (“A review on rockburst prediction and prevention to shape an ontology-based framework for better decision-making for underground excavations,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70034).
The 16 research articles cover several frontier directions, including:
Deep rock mechanics and failure mechanisms (six papers): Topics include true-triaxial unloading failure of jointed rock masses (“Failure characteristics and the energy criterion of rock with a through-going joint under true-triaxial unloading conditions: Insights from the DEM model,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70023); creep properties of diabase (“Creep properties and constitutive model of diabase in deep water conveyance tunnels,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70022); probabilistic prediction of true-triaxial strength (“Probability prediction of true-triaxial compressive strength of intact rocks based on the improved PSO-RVM model,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70007); dynamic tensile strength and fracture evolution of characteristic shale (“Dynamic tensile strength and fracture evolution of characteristic shale with bedding and hole using linear regression theory,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70053); failure characteristics of cracked surrounding rock (“Study on fracture parameter calibration and failure characteristics of rock with hole and crack,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70030); and high-temperature shear behavior of the rock-concrete interfaces (“Temperature-dependent shear behavior and constitutive model of the rock-concrete interface,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70032).
Disaster early warning and prevention (four papers): Contributions cover rockburst prediction using optimized models (“Rockburst prediction based on data preprocessing and hyperband-RNN-DNN,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70021); instability mechanisms of shield tunneling in sandy cobble strata (“Study on the failure mechanism of the shield excavation face in the sandy cobble stratum under different buried depths,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70012); fracture characteristics of sandstone under hydraulic fracturing (“Effect of confining pressure on fracture characteristics and mineralogical behavior of tight sandstone specimens after hydraulic fracturing,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70015); and permeability restoration via acoustic resonance (“Resonance-induced restoration of rock permeability degraded by heavy components of crude oil,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70020).
Blasting and cutting technologies (three papers): Studies include optimization of cut-hole blasting parameters (“Optimization of cut-hole layout under high in situ stress based on numerical simulation and field tests,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70016); combined rock breaking using high-pressure water jets and picks (“Investigation on hard-rock breaking performance and auxiliary mechanism of picks assisted with both-side high-pressure water jets,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70035); and non-silting transport of coal slurry using guide vane swirlers (“Nonsilting transport characteristics of coal slurry in a deep underground fluidization conveying pipeline under the action of a guide vane swirler,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70026).
Uncertainty in underground engineering (three papers): Topics include hard-rock pillar design on the Great Dyke of Zimbabwe (“Geological and geotechnical challenges on the Great Dyke of Zimbabwe and their impact on hardrock pillar design,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70024); seepage characteristics of rough fractures (“Numerical investigation on the influence of mesoscopic deformation on contact area and hydraulic aperture to fracture seepage,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70028); and random finite-element analysis of ground subsidence caused by tunneling in karst regions (“Random finite element analysis on ground subsidence caused by tunnel excavation in karst regions with spatial variable soil,” DOI: 10.1002/dug2.70039).
The advancements presented in this issue reflect several emerging trends in deep underground science and engineering. First, the increasing integration of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital twin technologies into traditional geomechanics analysis is transforming how researchers predict rock failure, optimize excavation design, and monitor infrastructure health in real time. Second, there is a growing emphasis on multi-physical and multi-scale coupling problems, where thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-chemical interactions are considered together, particularly in areas such as deep geothermal energy extraction, underground energy storage, and geological disposal of nuclear waste. Third, the shift toward intelligent and automated construction methods—including water-jet-assisted cutting, fluidized pipeline transport, and smart shield tunneling—is becoming increasingly evident, especially in deep, complex geological conditions. Fourth, the influence of geological uncertainty and spatial variability on engineering design and risk assessment is receiving greater attention, as reflected in the growing use of stochastic and probabilistic methods. Finally, the sustainable development of deep underground space, including its long-term stability and environmental impact, is emerging as a critical research frontier.
DUSE is now ranked JCR Q1 and Xinrui T1 following the release of its first impact factor of 5.0 in June 2025. DUSE has been indexed by many well-established databases, including CSCD (August 2025), ESCI (June 2024), EI (March 2024), and Scopus (July 2023). Since the end of 2025, each issue has significantly increased its publication volume, growing from approximately 168 pages in 2025 to over 300 pages in 2026. This increase reflects the need to accumulate the growing backlog of accepted manuscripts and the rapid rise in submissions to DUSE.
The interaction between engineering activities and geological environments is complex and highly problem-dependent in deep underground. The Editors cordially invite researchers and industry professionals to contribute high-quality work in these and related areas, thereby promoting safer, smarter, and more sustainable deep underground engineering practices worldwide.
