Zheng Yang commenced his PhD studies at Central South University (中南大学), in September 2022. Currently, he is engaged in research as a joint training PhD student at The University of Melbourne (墨尔本大学). He is a guest researcher at Monash University (莫纳什大学) and a student member of the Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering. He has published more than 40 papers in top international journals such as International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, Engineering Geology, Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Computers and Geotechnics, with 4 papers selected as ESI highly cited papers (top 1%). His Google Scholar citations have reached 500+, with an H-index of 15. He once received Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China. He has applied for more than 30 Chinese invention patents and has been invited to serve as a reviewer for internationally renowned journals such as International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics, Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, International Journal For Numerical Methods in Engineering, and International Journal of Damage Mechanics.
Zheng Yang proposed a novel evaluation index for rock-breaking efficiency, overcoming the bottleneck of traditional indices in accurately identifying fragments. He integrated X-ray diffraction, digital image processing, Newton’s Second Law, and Fourier’s Law of Heat Conduction to establish a multi-scale, multi-field modeling framework that reproduces the characteristics of real rock masses, aiming to provide more effective solutions for clean energy development. His research interests include deep rock fragmentation, induced seismicity, thermal–hydraulic–mechanical–chemical (THMC) coupling in rock engineering, the development of discrete element method/finite-discrete element method (DEM/FDEM) numerical models, and engineering applications.
🔥 News
- 2025.07: 🎉 Two papers have been selected as ESI Highly Cited Papers. (Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 2025); (Underground Space, 2025)
- 2025.06: 🎉 One paper has been published in Computers and Geotechnics.
- 2025.03: 🎉 One paper has been published in International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences.
- 2025.01: 🎉 Two papers have been selected as ESI Highly Cited Papers. (Journal of Energy Storage, 2024); (Energy, 2024)
- 2024.12: 🎉 President Scholarship – Excellence Award, Central South University (Top 30 among 24,000+ graduate students)
📝 Representative Publications
Yang, Z., Tao, M., Yin, T., Memon, M. B., Ranjith, P. G. (2024). Grain-Based Modeling for Heterogeneous Rock Fragmentation Under Stressed Conditions and TBM Cutter Spacing Optimization. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 57, 10467-10489.
- An innovative concept for the extraction and computation of fragments is proposed.
- An improved specific energy for assessing rock-breaking efficiency is presented.
Yang, Z., Tao, M., Fei, W., Yin, T., Gu, X., Narsilio, G. A. (2024). A coupled thermo-mechanical model for investigating cracking and failure of composite interbedded rock. Engineering Geology, 339, 107645.
- A novel thermal-mechanical coupled composite interbedded rock model was developed.
- Thermal stresses inside composite interbedded rock were studied for the first time.
Yang, Z., Tao, M., Memon, M. B., Zhuang, D., Zhao, Y. (2025). Microwave irradiation-induced deterioration of rock mechanical properties and implications for mechanized hard rock excavation. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 17(1), 275-290. ESI highly cited paper (top 1%)
- A novel microwave-water cooling-assisted mechanical rock breakage method was proposed to address the issues of severe tool wear at elevated temperatures, poor rock microwave absorption, and excessive microwave energy consumption.
Yang, Z., Tao, M., Yin, T., Luo, H., Chen C., Ranjith, P. G. (2025). Fragmentation characteristics of stressed rock with weak interlayers using double TBM cutters. Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 315, 110845.
- A model for stressed hard rock breakage containing weak interlayers is proposed.
- The increase in initial stress inhibits the expansion of the median crack.
- The presence of the weak interlayer leads to an asymmetry in the stress field.
- Yang, Z., Tao, M., Ranjith, P. G. (2025). Novel insights into grain size effect of stressed crystalline rock using weakened grain boundary model. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 189, 106098.
- Yang, Z., Alqawasmeh, Q., Ma, J., Dashtgoli, D., Cong, Z., Li, Y. (2025). Critical grain size and shear behavior of polycrystalline rocks under confining pressure: A moment tensor-based GBM approach. Computers and Geotechnics, 186, 107431.
- Yang, Z., Tao, M., Ranjith, P. G., Zhuang, D., Memon, M. B., Luo, H. (2024). Multiscale damage and thermal-stress evolution characteristics of rocks with thermal storage potential under thermal shocks. Journal of Energy Storage, 83, 110631. ESI highly cited paper (top 1%)
- Yang, Z., Tao, M., Fei, W., Yin, T., Ranjith, P. G. (2025). Grain-based coupled thermo-mechanical modeling for stressed heterogeneous granite under thermal shock. Underground Space, 20, 174-196. ESI highly cited paper (top 1%)
- Yang, Z., Tao, M., Yin, T., Wu, X., Xiang, G., Xu, Y. (2024). Microwave-assisted TBM cutter for efficient hard rock fracturing in high stress environments. Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 310, 110479.
- Tao, M., Yang, Z.*, Zhao, Y., Wu, X., & Wu, C. (2024). Failure characteristics of microwave heat-treated stressed sandstone: Implications for deep rock breakage using TBM cutting. Energy, 292, 130489. ESI highly cited paper (top 1%)
- Memon, M. B., Yang, Z.*, Qazi, W. H., Pathan, S. M., Chalgri, S. R. (2024). Assessing Soil Bulk Density, Plasticity Index, Porosity, and Degree of Saturation through Electrical Resistivity using Correlation Analysis. Malaysian Journal of Soil Science, 28, 12-25.
- Yang, Z., Yin, T., Wu, Y., Zhuang, D., Yin, J., Ma, J. (2023). Mixed-mode I/II fracture properties and failure characteristics of microwave-irradiated basalt: An experimental study. Fatigue and Fracture of Engineering Materials and Structures, 46(3), 814-834.
- Cui, K., Yang, Z.* (2023). Early estimation method of rockburst and large deformation of surrounding rock based on the deep borehole test. Heliyon, 9(6).
- Yang, Z., Yin, T., Zhuang, D., Wu, Y., Yin, J., Chen, Y. (2022). Effect of temperature on mixed mode I/III fracture behavior of diorite: An experimental investigation. Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics, 122, 103571.
- Yin, T., Yang, Z.*, Wu, Y., Tan, X., Li, M. (2022). Experimental investigation on the effect of open fire on the tensile properties and damage evolution behavior of granite. International Journal of Damage Mechanics, 31(8), 1139-1164.
- Cui, K., Yang, Z.*, Li, J. (2025). Numerical Modeling and Theoretical Analysis of Deformation Characteristics of Non-Equal-Width Retained Walls. Applied Sciences, 16(5), 3080.
🎖 Honors and Awards
- 2024.12: President Scholarship – Excellence Award (校长拔尖奖), Central South University (Top 30 among 24,000+ graduate students)
- 2024.10: National Scholarship (国家奖学金), Ministry of Education of China (Top 2%)
- 2024.10: First Prize, Graduate Study Scholarship, Central South University
- 2023.07: China Scholarship Council Scholarship
- 2023.10: First Prize, Graduate Study Scholarship, Central South University
- 2022.10: First Prize, Graduate Study Scholarship, Central South University
- 2021.10: College Scholarship, Central South University
- 2021.03: Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China
- 2020.03: Asia and Pacific Mathematical Contest in Modeling (APMCM) Prize
★ Employments
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2024.08 - 2025.03, Guest Researcher, Deep Earth Energy Research Laboratory, Monash University, Australia
Collaborative Supervisor: Prof. P.G. Ranjith, Foreign Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering (中国工程院外籍院士), Fellow of Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (澳大利亚工程院院士)
📖 Educations
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2024.03 - 2025.03, Joint Training PhD Student, Geotechnical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Australia
Supervisor: Prof. Guillermo A. Narsilio, ARC Future Fellow (澳大利亚杰青)
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2022.09 - Present, PhD Student, Safety Science and Engineering, Central South University, Hunan, China
Supervisor: Prof. Ming Tao (陶明), Chang Jiang Scholars Program - Young Scholar (教育部青年长江学者)
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2019.09 - 2022.06, Master of Engineering, Mining Engineering, Central South University, Hunan, China
Supervisor: Prof. Tubing Yin (尹土兵), Vice Dean of the School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Central South University (中南大学资源与安全工程学院副院长)
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2015.09 - 2019.06, Bachelor of Engineering, Mining Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Hubei, China
☑ Representative Patents
- 2023, A test device and method for simulating rock breaking by tunnel boring machine cutter under deep conditions, CN202310213745.5. (China)
- 2024, Experimental setup and methods for the mechanical characteristics of high-stress tunnel surrounding rock in cold regions, CN202311586560.5. (China)
- 2024, An advance drilling device for tunnel boring machine and a drill bit for tunnel boring machine, CN202311820825.3. (China)
- 2024, A tunnel boring machine for complex rock formations, CN202410329362.9. (China)
- 2024, A deep intelligent mechanical rock-breaking device based on drilling and testing technology, CN202410747583.8. (China)
- 2024, A multi-mode auxiliary rock-breaking device for deep drilling, CN202410747577.2. (China)