Advances in Understanding Rock Mass Structural-Dependent Cyclic and Fatigue Behaviors

This Reprint focuses on cyclic mechanical responses and fatigue behavior of rock masses, taking full account of their inherent discontinuous structures. Rock masses are naturally characterized by various discontinuities including cleavages, foliations, beddings, laminae, joints, and faults, which govern the geomechanical properties and long-term stability of rock engineering systems. Environmental and human-induced loadings applied to rock masses are typically cyclic in nature, making it essential to understand how rock mass structures control deformation, damage accumulation, and fatigue failure under repeated loading. Disturbed stress fields further accelerate the deterioration of these structures, potentially triggering severe geohazards such as landslides, rock collapses, spalling, and water inrush. Complexities are amplified by differential fracturing responses under multi-field and multi-phase coupling conditions.

This Reprint collects peer-reviewed, high-quality papers published in the Topic, covering experimental investigations, theoretical modeling, numerical simulations, and field observations related to the cyclic and fatigue behavior of rock masses. Contributions emphasize multi-scale structural effects, from microcrack development to large-scale discontinuity behavior, and address coupled hydro-mechanical-thermal-chemical processes. By compiling these advances into a single Reprint, we offer researchers, engineers, and graduate students a comprehensive, accessible reference to support fundamental studies and hazard-mitigation practices in rock mechanics, engineering geology, and geotechnical engineering.