## 5 Discussion  
### Engineering Significance of the Study for Slope and Tunnel Stability  
Natural layered slopes are mainly classified as prograde, reverse, and vertical slopes, with their stability largely determined by lithology and the geological structures within the rock, such as bedding planes and pre-existing defects. These structures promote crack development, leading to slope failure, which in turn triggers natural disasters and rock engineering damages, resulting in unnecessary economic losses and personal safety hazards. Based on energy analysis, this study examined the failure modes of soft-hard interbedded rock-like specimens with varying \(\alpha\) (Figure 8). When the \(\alpha\) is low, the bedding planes rarely develop cracks, and the failure is primarily due to the rock matrix, accompanied by stable energy release. As the \(\alpha\) increases, sliding failure of the bedding planes becomes more likely. When the \(\alpha\) reaches \(90^{\circ}\), the specimen fails due to bedding plane splitting, accompanied by a sudden release of energy and fracturing of the rock matrix. The above analysis partially reflects the damage within layered slopes during geological activities. The phenomenon where bedding planes and soft layers are more prone to failure is consistent with other studies on layered slopes [10; 39]. In addition, when a tunnel passes through heterogeneous strata, each point around the tunnel experiences a combination of varying magnitudes of tangential stresses and different orientations of discontinuities [34]. Therefore, determining the types and locations of rock mass failures is crucial for enhancing construction safety, optimizing support design, and ensuring the long-term stability of the tunnel.  
Impact and Application of Rock Energy Characteristics on Failure Prediction for Engineering Construction  
In the southwestern mountainous regions of China, the terrain is highly undulating and deeply cut, with a widespread distribution. Additionally, the mountains are subjected to significant tectonic stress due to the mutual compression of continental plates, leading to complex geomorphological, hydrological, and geological conditions in these areas. Consequently, tunnel construction in these regions must focus on addressing the challenges associated with \"long, large, deep, difficult, and hazardous\" conditions [40; 41]. In engineering construction, rocks are often subjected to continuous disturbances from blasting, excavation, mechanical vibrations, and earthquakes, which can lead to instability and failure. To effectively predict rock failure and understand its progressive failure process, a range of advanced monitoring technologies is required. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the energy input, storage, dissipation, and release in interbedded soft-hard rock-like specimens during loading (Figures 4-6), which is crucial for understanding the fracture and failure process of these rocks and predicting their failure (Figure 7). Additionally, the increase of dissipation energy is well synchronized with the increase of acoustic emission signal intensity [42; 43]. Therefore, by combining acoustic emission monitoring technologies, comprehensive information on the entire crack initiation and development process can be obtained in real time and continuously. This allows for timely evaluation and prediction of rock instability, offering a valuable reference for the early warning and prevention of rock mass failure.