The Evolution and Future of Machine Learning in Rock Slope Stability: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Geotechnical Evaluation of Gradient-Based Neural Networks for Factor of Safety Prediction in Homogeneous Soil Slopes Under Hydraulic Variability

Slope stability assessment remains a fundamental challenge in geotechnical engineering because of the complex nonlinear interactions among soil properties, slope geometry, and hydraulic conditions, particularly variations in pore-water pressure. This study investigates the reliability of Artificial Neural Network–Multi-Layer Perceptron (ANN–MLP) models for predicting the Factor of Safety (FoS) of homogeneous soil slopes through a systematic comparison of three gradient-based optimization algorithms: Adam, Mini-Batch Gradient Descent (MBGD), and Nesterov Accelerated Gradient (NAG). A database comprising 2014 slope cases, compiled from published studies and numerically generated using Limit Equilibrium Method (LEM) and Finite Element Method (FEM) analyses, was used for model development and k-fold cross-validation. Beyond statistical evaluation, the developed models were validated using two classical dry-slope benchmark frameworks based on the Taylor stability charts and Bishop–Morgenstern stability coefficients, followed by two documented engineering case studies from Hulu Kelang and Pahang, Malaysia, to assess predictive performance under both dry and variable hydraulic conditions. Adam achieved the highest cross-validated predictive accuracy (R2 = 0.988; RMSE = 0.212), whereas MBGD demonstrated the closest overall agreement with the reference LEM solutions across the validation cases and under increasing pore-water pressure ratios. NAG generally produced more conservative predictions while exhibiting greater sensitivity to hyperparameter selection. All models successfully reproduced the expected nonlinear reduction in FoS with increasing pore-water pressure, consistent with established geotechnical behaviour. The results demonstrate that optimizer selection significantly influences ANN–MLP prediction behaviour and that properly validated gradient-based ANN models can serve as efficient decision-support tools for rapid slope stability assessment under hydraulic variability.

Predictive Modelling and Optimization of Slope Stability Using Numerical Simulations and Machine Learning Techniques

The current study combines numerical modelling and machine learning to identify the stability of applications in nail reinforced slope study. PLAXIS LE was used to develop different slopes having different soil properties including various values for cohesion (5, 10, 15 kPa), angle of internal friction (20°, 25°, 30°), unit weight (17, 18, 19 N/m³), and slope angle (30°, 35°, 40°, 45°, 50°, 60°, 70°). Safety Factors (FOS) prediction models such as Random Forest (RF), Linear Regression (LR), and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) have been developed using the parameters included in the study. The Random Forest model has shown a superior performance among the other models with the lowest Mean Absolute Error (MAE: 0.053) and Mean Squared Error (MSE: 0.006), taking into consideration the highest value of R² (0.957) and Adjusted R² (0.951) to indicate a better predictive accuracy. With R² values of 0.903 and 0.920, respectively, Linear Regression and KNN also showed considerable strength of results. The results mentioned above show the bright future of machine learning models with Random Forest in predicting slope stability and contribute to refining nail reinforcement strategies. It shall also provide an input for developing cost-effective and robust slope rehabilitation measures in a geotechnically unfriendly environment.

Optimizing Machine Learning Models for Predicting Rock Cohesion and Angle of Internal Friction: A Comparative Study of Lithological Analysis, Robustness Assessment, and SHAP Explanations

Rock cohesion (c) and angle of internal friction (φ) are core parameters for rock mass stability analysis and engineering design; however, traditional triaxial tests are costly and time-consuming, limiting their availability in preliminary engineering assessments. To address this limitation, this study develops a machine learning framework that predicts these parameters from easily measurable physical properties, enabling rapid and cost-effective estimation without the need for complex laboratory testing. Based on a total of 199 sets of measured data from four rock types (shale, limestone, quartzite, and quartz-mica schist) in the Himalayan region, this study uses P-wave velocity (Vp), density (ρ), uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), and tensile strength (TS) as input variables. It employs four models: Support Vector Regression (SVR), Random Forest (RF), Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) to predict c and φ. Hyperparameters were tuned using grid search and Bayesian optimization. We compared unified modeling with rock-type-specific modeling, performed interpretability analysis using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), and tested robustness by introducing Gaussian noise. The results show that XGBoost produced the best predictions at c (test set R2 = 0.9901, RMSE = 0.512 MPa), while the Bayesian-optimized SVR model yielded the best results at φ (R2 = 0.9776, RMSE = 0.744°). Rock-type-specific modeling improved the R2 for limestone at φ by 0.3541; the SHAP contribution for UCS and TS exceeded 70%; Random Forest demonstrated the best noise resistance, with a decrease in R2 of less than 0.04 under 10% noise. In summary, the strategy proposed in this paper allows for the selection of prediction schemes based on data quality and lithological differences, providing a feasible approach for rapidly obtaining rock strength parameters.

Data-Driven Mechanical ROP Prediction: Construction and Validation of Committee Machine Model

With the continuous development of drilling technology, accurately predicting mechanical penetration rates is particularly important for improving operational efficiency and reducing costs. Existing methods often struggle to provide reliable predictions when faced with complex geological conditions and variable drilling environments because they primarily rely on traditional models and fail to adequately consider various influencing factors and their nonlinear relationships. To ad-dress these issues, this paper proposes a mechanical penetration rate prediction model based on committee machines. This model effectively captures the variability characteristics of mechanical penetration rates by integrating multiple expert models while employing wavelet filtering methods to denoise the data to enhance data quality. In the application case, this paper collects relevant drilling parameter data based on a vertical well in a specific block. The evaluation of the model shows that it performs excellently in key indicators such as mean square error, coefficient of determination, root mean square error, and mean absolute error, particularly demonstrating a high predictive capability and stability by explaining 97.19% of data variability. The advantage of the constructed model lies in its strong ensemble learning ability, which not only enhances the prediction accuracy of mechanical penetration rates but also helps to deepen the understanding of the dynamic changes in the drilling process, providing effective support for subsequent drilling optimization and resource development.

An Insight Into Rock Brittleness Prediction Based on Stacking Integrated Algorithm

The significance of rock brittleness is well‐recognized in the fields of geotechnical engineering and energy exploration. To enhance the predictive precision of rock brittleness, this paper proposes a Stacking integrated algorithm. This algorithm synergistically combines various meta models and foundational models, utilizing a suite of nine algorithm modes: Gaussian Process Regression, Support Vector Machine, Backpropagation Neural network, Extreme Learning Machine network, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Extreme Gradient Boosting, Lasso Regression, and Ridge Regression. Furthermore, Tuna and Bayesian optimization algorithms are utilized to refine the model's performance. Additionally, a new diversity index, k, based on the ratio of correlation coefficients, has been introduced to facilitate the optimal selection of base models for the Stacking integrated algorithm. The predictive accuracy of the Stacking integrated model, as determined by the proposed diversity index k, surpasses that of the finest individual base model and outperforms other sets of five integrated base models with an equivalent number of components. This underscores the efficacy of the diversity index k in guiding the selection of appropriate base models for the stacking process. The most effective model for predicting rock brittleness incorporates the Extreme Learning Machine network, Decision Tree, Random Forest and Extreme Gradient Boosting. This ensemble model demonstrates superior accuracy over the single best model, the Decision Tree, by reducing the average brittleness prediction error rate by 0.3745 and elevating the determination coefficient ( R 2 ) value from 0.9118 to 0.9629.When compared with the Particle Swarm Optimization model, this composite model achieves an increase of 0.1498 in R 2 .

Tree Based Machine Learning Framework for Stability Evaluation of Square Tunnels in Sloping Rock