<p>Stability and potential failure mode of tunnels and underground rock caverns are directly related to the magnitude and orientation of the in-situ rock stress. In some cases, the high horizontal in-situ stress is essential in maintaining cavern stability, ...

<p>Unloading failure of rocks, especially highly stressed rocks, is one of the key issues in construction of underground structures. Based on this, analytical models for rocks under quasi-static and intensive unloading conditions are established to study the ...

This investigation aimed to simulate the experiments performed by Nic Gay (Gay, N.C. 1976. Fracture growth around openings in large blocks of rock subjected to uniaxial and biaxial compression. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Minining Sciences ...

The aim of this paper is the sensitivity analysis of GSI and disturbance factor dependent equations that characterize the mechanical properties of rock masses. The survey of the GSI system is not our purpose. The results show that the rock mass strength calculated ...

<p>Vertical stylolites are pressure solution features, which are considered to be caused by horizontal tectonic loading, with the largest principal compressive stress being (sub-)parallel to the Earth's surface. In the present study we analyze the roughness ...

This paper describes the lab and in situ site characterization works performed. In order to characterize as accurately as possible these marls, different levels in depth have been distinguished.

Temperature increase in saturated porous materials under undrained condition leads to thermal pressurization of the pore fluid due to the discrepancy between the thermal expansion coefficients of the pore fluid and of the solid matrix. This increase in the ...

<p>Stylolites are rough surfaces that form by localized stress-induced dissolution. Using a set of limestone rock samples collected at different depths from a vertical section in Cirque de Navacelles (France), in this paper is studied the influence of the ...

In this paper several case examples are presented to illustrate the application of the high-end (spalling) and low-end (weak ground) transition Hoek-Brown relationships proposed by Carter, Diederichs and Carvalho, (2007) as a basis for better defining rock ...

<p>The notes are intended to provide an insight into practical rock engineering to students, geotechnical engineers and engineering geologists.</p>