Geomechanics 1300-OGMK4C
Classes schedule:
1. Introduction. “Soil” – “rock”. Characteristics of rocks and rock massifs. Field investigations.
2. Physical properties of rocks.
3. Non-destructive methods – ultrasonic investigations.
4. Destructive methods. Types of strength investigations. Uni-axial stress: strength to uni-axial stress and Young’s modulus. Uni-axial stretching (Brazilian method) – strength to stretching.
5. Integrity. Characteristics of weathering processes and degradation mechanisms in rocks. Description of methods modelling long-term destructive processes.
6. Classification of rock massifs (Bieniawski – RMR, Barton – Q, Hoek – GSI).
7. Destruction criteria: Coulomb-Mohr failure criterion, Hoek-Brown criterion and generalized Hoek-Diederichs formula.
8. Based on the Hoek-Brown criterion, determination of rock massif parameters (mb, s and a), rock massif deformation modulus and Coulomb-Mohr parameters (c and ).
9. Parametric analysis of the changes in stress distribution in rock massifs during construction of excavation using the finite-elements method.
10. Determining the influence of tunnel geometry on stress distribution and visualization of stress distribution around excavation.
Type of course
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
On completion of the course, the student:
- makes assessment of a rock massif,
- calculates the physical parameters of rocks,
- calculates the strength to uni-axial stress and Young’s modulus,
- interprets the degree of degradation of rocks,
- determines integrity and calculates the changes,
- understands deterioration mechanisms and describes them using a mathematical apparatus.
Assessment criteria
Final written assessment.
Additional information
Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: