1 - Introduction

Abstract

Rock mechanics is concerned with the response of rock to an applied disturbance, which is recognized in the chapter as an engineering , i.e., a man-induced, disturbance. For a natural disturbance, rock mechanics would apply to the deformation of rocks in a structural geology context, i.e., how the folds, faults, and fractures develop as stresses are applied to the rocks during orogenic and other geological processes. In other words, rock mechanics may be used in many engineering applications such as dam abutments, nuclear-power-station foundations, manifold methods of mining ore and aggregate materials, the stability of petroleum wellbores, and newer applications such as geothermal energy and radioactive waste disposal. The main factor that distinguishes rock mechanics from other engineering disciplines is the application of mechanics on a large scale to a pre-stressed, naturally occurring material. For all of these applications, it is essential to understand the rock material and the rock mechanics so that engineering can be conducted in an optimal way. Because rock structure is particularly important in civil engineering and open-pit mines, it is necessary to be able to characterize and understand the mechanics of a discontinuum.