ABSTRACT
The study of rock engineering risk by the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) Commission on Design Methodology in the years 2011 –2015 was stimulated a) because it is a logical follow-on from the previous book “Rock Engineering Design” (Feng & Hudson, 2011) as explained in Chapter 1, and b) because a major meeting on risk was held in Wuhan, China, in 2012, hosted by the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE): “International Summit Forum on Safe Construction and Risk Management of Major Underground Construction” at which there were presentations on many aspects of rock engineering risk. The topics listed for consideration by the Forum were:
1 Mechanism, understanding, prediction theory and warning systems of rockburst, collapse, water inrush, or large deformation of major underground engineering;
2 Optimal design methodology for major underground engineering under conditions of high stress, karst, high water pressure, or weak rocks; and
3 Risk management methods and strategies for safe construction of major underground engineering under conditions of high stress, karst, high water pressure, or weak rocks.
