ABSTRACT

Traditional textbooks on rock mechanics often fail to engage students in the learning process as such books are packed with theory that students are unlikely to use in their future employment. In contrast, this book delivers the fundamentals of rock mechanics using a more practical and engaging project-based approach which simulates what practitioners do in their real-life practice. This book will be of great help to those who would like to learn practical aspects of rock mechanics and better understand how to apply theory to solve real engineering problems.

This book covers geology, rock mechanics principles, and practical applications such as rock falls, slope stability analysis and engineering problems in tunnels. Throughout the whole book, the reader is engaged in project-based work so that the reader can experience what rock mechanics is like and clearly see why it is an important part of geotechnical engineering. The project utilizes real field and laboratory data while the relevant theory needed to execute the project is linked to each project task. In addition, each section of the book contains several exercises and quiz questions to scaffold learning. Some problems include open-ended questions to encourage the reader to exercise their judgement and develop practical skills. To foster the learning process, solutions to all questions are provided to allow for learning feedback.

chapter Chapter 1|2 pages

Introduction and book organization

chapter Chapter 2|8 pages

Project description

chapter Chapter 3|10 pages

Rock mass formation

chapter Chapter 4|14 pages

Rocks and rock minerals

chapter Chapter 5|9 pages

Rock exploration

chapter Chapter 6|14 pages

Discontinuities in rock mass

chapter Chapter 7|19 pages

Rock properties and laboratory data analysis

chapter Chapter 8|11 pages

Stresses and failure criteria

chapter Chapter 9|16 pages

Rock mass ratings and properties

chapter Chapter 10|12 pages

Rock falls

chapter Chapter 11|15 pages

Rock slope stability

chapter Chapter 12|9 pages

Rocks and tunnels