Benchmark study of three statistical methods for six intact rock failure criteria constrained by different rock strength data

To reduce the impact of potential strength outliers on parameter estimation, statistical methods based on the least median square and least absolute deviation have been proposed as alternatives to the traditional least square method. However, little research has been conducted to compare the perform...

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Main Authors: Peng-fei He, Xin Li, Xu-long Yao, Zhi-gang Tao, Yan-ting Du
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2025-10-01
Series:Underground Space
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2467967425000704
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author Peng-fei He
Xin Li
Xu-long Yao
Zhi-gang Tao
Yan-ting Du
author_facet Peng-fei He
Xin Li
Xu-long Yao
Zhi-gang Tao
Yan-ting Du
author_sort Peng-fei He
collection DOAJ
description To reduce the impact of potential strength outliers on parameter estimation, statistical methods based on the least median square and least absolute deviation have been proposed as alternatives to the traditional least square method. However, little research has been conducted to compare the performance of these different statistical methods. This study introduces a novel procedure for evaluating the three statistical approaches across six selected rock failure criteria, constrained by various rock strength datasets. The consistency of the best-fitting failure criterion and the robustness of the strength parameter estimations serve as the primary benchmarks for evaluation. Based on the benchmark analysis, the following conclusions are drawn. First, both the least square and least absolute deviation methods perform equivalently in identifying the best-fitting failure criterion for a given rock strength dataset, whereas the least median square method does not. Second, when estimating the strength parameters in a two-dimensional failure criterion with the conventional test data of low complexity, the least absolute deviation method is recommended for obtaining robust parameter estimations. Third, as the complexity of conventional test data increases or when true triaxial test data are used to estimate strength parameters for a three-dimensional failure criterion, it is essential to evaluate the outlier-proneness by analyzing the prediction error. If the kurtosis of the prediction error is less than 3, the least square method is preferred. Otherwise, the least absolute deviation method should be used to mitigate the influence of potential strength outliers. This benchmark study offers valuable insights for the future application of different statistical methods in rock mechanics.
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spelling doaj-art-161bc8269d3c41f69bf7ec623b78a13a2025-08-20T03:02:59ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Underground Space2467-96742025-10-012423826010.1016/j.undsp.2025.04.006Benchmark study of three statistical methods for six intact rock failure criteria constrained by different rock strength dataPeng-fei He0Xin Li1Xu-long Yao2Zhi-gang Tao3Yan-ting Du4State Key Laboratory for Tunnel Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Green Development and Ecological Restoration of Mineral Resources, Tangshan 063210, China; Institute for Deep Underground Science and Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Tunnel Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China; School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center of Green Development and Ecological Restoration of Mineral Resources, Tangshan 063210, China; School of Mining Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, ChinaState Key Laboratory for Tunnel Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China; Corresponding author.School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Beijing 100083, ChinaTo reduce the impact of potential strength outliers on parameter estimation, statistical methods based on the least median square and least absolute deviation have been proposed as alternatives to the traditional least square method. However, little research has been conducted to compare the performance of these different statistical methods. This study introduces a novel procedure for evaluating the three statistical approaches across six selected rock failure criteria, constrained by various rock strength datasets. The consistency of the best-fitting failure criterion and the robustness of the strength parameter estimations serve as the primary benchmarks for evaluation. Based on the benchmark analysis, the following conclusions are drawn. First, both the least square and least absolute deviation methods perform equivalently in identifying the best-fitting failure criterion for a given rock strength dataset, whereas the least median square method does not. Second, when estimating the strength parameters in a two-dimensional failure criterion with the conventional test data of low complexity, the least absolute deviation method is recommended for obtaining robust parameter estimations. Third, as the complexity of conventional test data increases or when true triaxial test data are used to estimate strength parameters for a three-dimensional failure criterion, it is essential to evaluate the outlier-proneness by analyzing the prediction error. If the kurtosis of the prediction error is less than 3, the least square method is preferred. Otherwise, the least absolute deviation method should be used to mitigate the influence of potential strength outliers. This benchmark study offers valuable insights for the future application of different statistical methods in rock mechanics.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2467967425000704Rock strengthFailure criterionStatistical methodStrength parameterRobustness
spellingShingle Peng-fei He
Xin Li
Xu-long Yao
Zhi-gang Tao
Yan-ting Du
Benchmark study of three statistical methods for six intact rock failure criteria constrained by different rock strength data
Underground Space
Rock strength
Failure criterion
Statistical method
Strength parameter
Robustness
title Benchmark study of three statistical methods for six intact rock failure criteria constrained by different rock strength data
title_full Benchmark study of three statistical methods for six intact rock failure criteria constrained by different rock strength data
title_fullStr Benchmark study of three statistical methods for six intact rock failure criteria constrained by different rock strength data
title_full_unstemmed Benchmark study of three statistical methods for six intact rock failure criteria constrained by different rock strength data
title_short Benchmark study of three statistical methods for six intact rock failure criteria constrained by different rock strength data
title_sort benchmark study of three statistical methods for six intact rock failure criteria constrained by different rock strength data
topic Rock strength
Failure criterion
Statistical method
Strength parameter
Robustness
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2467967425000704
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