A novel inversion method of slope rock mechanical parameters using differential evolution gray wolf algorithm to optimize support vector regression

Introduction The stability evaluation and deformation prediction in geotechnical engineering depend on accurate rock mass mechanical parameters (RMMPs). The selection of these parameters directly influences the reliability of analysis. The conventional techniques used to assess the RMMPs face considerable challenges in real-world applications, which necessitates the need to investigate novel approaches. Methods This paper proposes a displacement back-analysis (DBA) approach that utilizes support vector regression (SVR) optimized by differential evolution grey wolf algorithm (DE-GWO) to invert the RMMPs, which improves global optimization capability and inversion accuracy. Firstly, the uniform test design method is employed to outline the RMMPs for inversion, anddisplacement calculations are performed using FLAC 3D to generate learning and testing samples. Secondly, the DE-GWO, particle swarm optimization (PSO), genetic algorithm (GA), and SVR are integrated to identify the optimal superparameters, while the nonlinear mapping relationship between inversion parameters and displacements is established. Finally, the mechanical parameters to be measured are inversed based on field-measured displacements. This model is utilized to invert the RMMPs for a mining site located in Yunnan Province, and the inversed RMMPs are utilized for forward analysis. The results demonstrate that the DE-GWO-SVR method achieves the best results but requires the shortest inversion time. Results The inversed RMMPs fall within acceptable ranges, while the error between the forward and monitored displacements is less than 10%, with a maximum deviation of 9.52%. This research introduces an innovative approach for assessing the RMMPs.