The digital wave, represented by new technologies such as big data, IoT, and artificial intelligence, is sweeping the globe, driving all industries toward digitalization and intelligent transformation. Digital twins are becoming an indispensable opportunity for new infrastructure initiatives. As geotechnical engineering constitutes a critical component of new infrastructure, its corresponding digital transformation is essential to align with these initiatives. However, due to the difficulty of modeling, the demand for computing resources, interdisciplinary integration, and other issues, current digital twin applications in geotechnical engineering remain in their nascent stage. This paper delineates the developmental status of geotechnical digital twin technology in China, and it focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of digital twins in five application fields, identifying key challenges, including intelligent sensing and interconnectivity of multi-source heterogeneous physical entities, integrated sharing of 3D geological models and structural models, unified platforms for lifecycle information management, standardization of digital twin data protocols, and theoretical frameworks for digital twin modeling. Furthermore, this study systematically expounds future research priorities across four dimensions: intelligent sensing and interoperability technologies for geotechnical engineering; knowledge graph development and model-based systems engineering; integrated digital twin entity technologies combining 3D geological bodies with engineering structures; and precision enhancement, temporal extension, and spatial expansion of geotechnical digital twins. This paper systematically reviews the application status of digital twin technology in geotechnical engineering for the first time, reveals the common technical challenges in cross-domain implementation, and proposes a theoretical framework for digital twin accuracy improvement and spatiotemporal expansion for geotechnical engineering characteristics, which fills the knowledge gap in the adaptability of existing research in professional fields. These insights aim to provide references for advancing digitalization, intelligent transformation, and sustainable development of geotechnical engineering.

In high-altitude cold regions, significant diurnal and seasonal temperature variations intensify freeze-thaw damage to rocks, critically impacting slope stability. This study examines a Xinjiang mine slope to assess freeze-thaw effects through laboratory experiments on three lithologies under varying freeze-thaw cycles. Mechanical parameters were determined via the Hoek–Brown criterion, and FLAC3D simulations analyzed stress-deformation characteristics and safety factor trends, validated against field monitoring. After 90 cycles, the results show progressive degradation: uniaxial compressive strength declined by 29.7–45.8%, elastic modulus by 42.7–63.3%, Poisson’s ratio by 16.0–42.1%, cohesion by 71.7–77.1%, internal friction angle by ~52.0%, and tensile strength by 79.3–83.6%. The slope safety factor decreased exponentially (44.5% reduction). Both simulations and monitoring revealed “step-like” displacement growth, with minor discrepancies attributed to modeling assumptions. These findings provide critical insights for safe mining operations in cold regions, highlighting the severe mechanical deterioration induced by freeze-thaw cycles and its implications for slope stability.

The synergistic deformation and energy dissipation of backfill–surrounding rock composite structures under impact loading remain poorly understood, despite the frequent exposure of deep mine backfilled stopes to dynamic disturbances such as blasting and seismicity. In this study, Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) tests were conducted at a fixed impact pressure of 0.2 MPa on single-material specimens and bonded backfill–rock composite cylinders, with loading applied from both the backfill end and the surrounding rock end. Single backfill specimens exhibited dominant reflected energy (~90%) and low crushing energy consumption (<20%), whereas composite specimens displayed characteristic “double-peak” or “flat-peak” stress–strain signatures with peak strengths exceeding that of standalone backfill. When loading was directed from the high-strength surrounding rock into the backfill, the reflected energy ratio decreased to 60–80% and crushing energy consumption increased to 20–30%, demonstrating a loading-direction-dependent energy dissipation mechanism. These results provide a quantitative reference for optimizing blast sequence design in backfilled stopes.