Automatic Identification of Rock Discontinuity Sets by a Fuzzy C-Means Clustering Method Based on Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm

The identification and classification of rock discontinuities are crucial for studying rock mechanical properties and rock engineering optimization design and safety assessment. An improved artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is proposed and combined with the fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering method...

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Main Authors: Peng Li, Tianqi Chen, Yan Liu, Meifeng Cai, Liang Sun, Peitao Wang, Yu Wang, Xuepeng Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/3/1497
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author Peng Li
Tianqi Chen
Yan Liu
Meifeng Cai
Liang Sun
Peitao Wang
Yu Wang
Xuepeng Zhang
author_facet Peng Li
Tianqi Chen
Yan Liu
Meifeng Cai
Liang Sun
Peitao Wang
Yu Wang
Xuepeng Zhang
author_sort Peng Li
collection DOAJ
description The identification and classification of rock discontinuities are crucial for studying rock mechanical properties and rock engineering optimization design and safety assessment. An improved artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is proposed and combined with the fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering method to develop an FCM clustering method for automatically identifying rock discontinuity sets based on the ABC algorithm (FCM-ABC method). All the equations of the method are fully developed, and the methodology is presented in its entirety. Moreover, the rock structural planes are investigated in a gold mine in China using a ShapeMetriX 3D system. Based on the measured structural plane data, the specific calculation process, selection of parameters, effectiveness of grouping, and the dominant orientation of the proposed method for structural plane occurrence classification are analyzed and discussed, and satisfactory clustering results are achieved. This validates the validity and reliability of the method. Furthermore, multiple aspects of the excellent performance of this method for the identification of structural plane sets compared to traditional clustering methods are demonstrated. In addition, the significance of structural plane identification in the prevention and control of rock engineering disasters is discussed. This new method theoretically expands the technology of rock mass structural plane identification and has important application value in practical engineering.
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publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher MDPI AG
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spelling doaj-art-ce8a6cbc359b4bb09e70613e1e0406f12025-08-20T02:12:24ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-02-01153149710.3390/app15031497Automatic Identification of Rock Discontinuity Sets by a Fuzzy C-Means Clustering Method Based on Artificial Bee Colony AlgorithmPeng Li0Tianqi Chen1Yan Liu2Meifeng Cai3Liang Sun4Peitao Wang5Yu Wang6Xuepeng Zhang7Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Efficient Mining and Safety of Metal Mines, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, ChinaKey Laboratory of Intelligent Bionic Unmanned Systems of Ministry of Education, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, ChinaKey Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Efficient Mining and Safety of Metal Mines, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, ChinaKey Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Efficient Mining and Safety of Metal Mines, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, ChinaKey Laboratory of Intelligent Bionic Unmanned Systems of Ministry of Education, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, ChinaKey Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Efficient Mining and Safety of Metal Mines, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, ChinaKey Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Efficient Mining and Safety of Metal Mines, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Strata Intelligent Control and Green Mining Co-Founded by Shandong Province and The Ministry of Science and Technology, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266590, ChinaThe identification and classification of rock discontinuities are crucial for studying rock mechanical properties and rock engineering optimization design and safety assessment. An improved artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is proposed and combined with the fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering method to develop an FCM clustering method for automatically identifying rock discontinuity sets based on the ABC algorithm (FCM-ABC method). All the equations of the method are fully developed, and the methodology is presented in its entirety. Moreover, the rock structural planes are investigated in a gold mine in China using a ShapeMetriX 3D system. Based on the measured structural plane data, the specific calculation process, selection of parameters, effectiveness of grouping, and the dominant orientation of the proposed method for structural plane occurrence classification are analyzed and discussed, and satisfactory clustering results are achieved. This validates the validity and reliability of the method. Furthermore, multiple aspects of the excellent performance of this method for the identification of structural plane sets compared to traditional clustering methods are demonstrated. In addition, the significance of structural plane identification in the prevention and control of rock engineering disasters is discussed. This new method theoretically expands the technology of rock mass structural plane identification and has important application value in practical engineering.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/3/1497rock discontinuity setsstructural plane investigationFCM-ABC methodautomatic identification
spellingShingle Peng Li
Tianqi Chen
Yan Liu
Meifeng Cai
Liang Sun
Peitao Wang
Yu Wang
Xuepeng Zhang
Automatic Identification of Rock Discontinuity Sets by a Fuzzy C-Means Clustering Method Based on Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm
Applied Sciences
rock discontinuity sets
structural plane investigation
FCM-ABC method
automatic identification
title Automatic Identification of Rock Discontinuity Sets by a Fuzzy C-Means Clustering Method Based on Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm
title_full Automatic Identification of Rock Discontinuity Sets by a Fuzzy C-Means Clustering Method Based on Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm
title_fullStr Automatic Identification of Rock Discontinuity Sets by a Fuzzy C-Means Clustering Method Based on Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm
title_full_unstemmed Automatic Identification of Rock Discontinuity Sets by a Fuzzy C-Means Clustering Method Based on Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm
title_short Automatic Identification of Rock Discontinuity Sets by a Fuzzy C-Means Clustering Method Based on Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm
title_sort automatic identification of rock discontinuity sets by a fuzzy c means clustering method based on artificial bee colony algorithm
topic rock discontinuity sets
structural plane investigation
FCM-ABC method
automatic identification
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/3/1497
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