Abstract
Hard rock masses are encountered in a majority of countries and extensive underground excavation work is being carried out through such rocks. The properties of hard rock masses are required for designing engineering structures. Hard rock is defined as rock material having a uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of more than 100 MPa. Hard rocks are geologically very old and have well developed and highly weathered joints; therefore, there are serious problems with rock falls and seepage in tunnels due to these joints if left unsupported. Hard rock is a misnomer, as engineers may believe that it will not pose any instability problems. For rock foundations, knowledge of modulus of deformation of rock masses is of prime importance. Geomechanics classification is a useful method for estimating in situ deformability of rock masses. The Uniaxial tensile strength (UCS) is also discussed; it is of massive hard rock mass that is approximately the same as that of its rock material.
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