As a kind of geological material, rock masses contain a large number of joints with different scales and configurations. The existence of either natural or man-made joints to some extent weakens the strength and stability of rock masses. In water-rich rock masses, joints act as seepage channels that may cause water gushing disasters. Generally, the deterioration of rock masses is a complicated process, which may involve a combination of joint distribution type, applied stress, rock mechanical strength, and permeability.

The presence of various joints and the inherent statistical nature of their geometrical and geomechanical properties makes it complicated and difficult to accurately predict the strength, deformability, and permeability properties of jointed rock masses. Studies on the mechanical and hydraulic properties of rock joints will promote the understanding of the failure process and damage mechanisms of jointed rock masses under complex engineering and geological conditions, which is important for analyzing, designing, and performance prediction of structures built in and on jointed rock masses.

The aim of this Special Issue is to present a series of up-to-date articles to improve the understanding of mechanical and hydraulic properties of rock joints. It will be helpful to assess the stability of rock engineering such as slopes, open-pit mines, quarries, shafts, tunnels, caverns, underground mines, metro systems, dams and hydro-electric stations, geothermal energy, petroleum engineering, and radioactive waste disposal. We welcome all relevant original research and review articles on theoretical developments, laboratory testing, field investigations, computational methods, design principles, and case studies.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Constitutive relationship and strength criterion of rocks and rock joints
• Mechanical behaviour of rock joints under static/dynamic loads
• Deformation and strength characteristics of rocks and rock masses
• Morphological characterization of rock joints
• Fluid flow in rock joints and permeability of jointed rock masses
• Advanced computational methods or design principles towards rock joints
• Case studies on design and construction of structures in or on jointed rock masses