Rock Mechanics: An Introduction

Rock mechanics is a multidisciplinary subject combining geology, geophysics, and engineering and applying the principles of mechanics to study the engineering behavior of the rock mass. With wide application, a solid grasp of this topic is invaluable to anyone studying or working in civil, mining, petroleum, and geological engineering. Rock Mechanics: An Introduction presents the fundamental principles of rock mechanics in a clear, easy-to-comprehend manner for readers with little or no background in this field. The text includes a brief introduction to geology and covers stereographic projections, laboratory testing, strength and deformation of rock masses, slope stability, foundations, and more. The authors—academics who have written several books in geotechnical engineering—have used their extensive teaching experience to create this accessible textbook. They present complex material in a lucid and simple way with numerical examples to illustrate the concepts, providing an introductory book that can be used as a textbook in civil and geological engineering programs and as a general reference book for professional engineers.

Table of Contents:
Fundamentals of engineering geology Introduction Structure and composition of the Earth Minerals and mineralogical analysis Rock formations and types Geological structures and discontinuities Weathering of rocks and soil formation Earthquakes Hydrogeology Site investigation Summary References Spherical presentation of geological data Introduction Orientations of planes and lines Coordinate system with longitudes and latitudes Intersection of a plane and a sphere Spherical projections Slope failure mechanisms and kinematic analysis Summary References Rock properties and laboratory testing Introduction Engineering properties of intact rock Uniaxial compressive strength test Indirect tensile strength test Point load strength test Slake durability test Schmidt hammer test Triaxial test Empirical correlations Summary References Rock mass classification Introduction Intact rock and rock mass Factors affecting discontinuities Rock mass classification Rock mass rating Tunnelling quality index: Q-system Geological strength index Summary References Strength and deformation characteristics of rocks Introduction In situ stresses and strength Stress–strain relations Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion Hoek–Brown failure criterion Mohr–Coulomb c′ and f ′ for rock mass from the Hoek–Brown parameters Deformation modulus Strength of rock mass with a single plane of weakness Summary References Rock slope stability Introduction Modes of rock slope failure Slope stability analysis Slope stabilisation Summary References Foundations on rock Introduction Shallow foundations Deep foundations Foundation construction and treatment Summary References Appendix A Index

About the Author :
Dr. Nagaratnam Sivakugan is an associate professor and head of civil and environmental engineering at James Cook University, Townsville, Australia. He received his MSCE and Ph.D. from Purdue University, USA. Dr. Sivakugan is a fellow of Engineers Australia, a chartered professional engineer, and a registered professional engineer of Queensland. He does substantial consulting work for geotechnical and mining companies in Australia as well as some overseas organisations including the World Bank. Dr. Sivakugan serves on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering and Indian Geotechnical Journal. He is the coauthor of 3 books, 7 book chapters, 90 refereed international journal papers, and 60 international conference papers. Dr. Sanjay Kumar Shukla is an associate professor and program leader of civil engineering at the School of Engineering, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia. He has more than 20 years of teaching, research, and consultancy experience in the field of geotechnical and geosynthetic engineering. Dr. Shukla has authored and edited 3 books and 12 book chapters, and 115 research papers and technical articles including 72 refereed journal publications. Currently on the editorial board of the International Journal of Geotechnical Engineering and Indian Geotechnical Journal, he is a fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia, and a life fellow of the Institution of Engineers (India) and the Indian Geotechnical Society. Dr. Braja M. Das is the author of several geotechnical engineering texts and reference books, a number of which have been translated into several languages and are used worldwide. He has authored more than 250 technical papers in the area of geotechnical engineering. Dr. Das is a fellow and life member of the American Society of Civil Engineers as well as an emeritus member of the Committee on Chemical and Mechanical Stabilization of the Transportation Research Board of the National Research Council of the United States. From 1994 to 2006, he served as dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at California State University, Sacramento.

Review :
"These topics give an excellent introduction to the subject. ... very easy to follow ... A must for all those dealing with civil engineering." -Prof. D.N. Singh, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India "The book has better coverage of topics relevant to rock engineering, good practical examples, [and it is] written by experts in the area." -Professor G L Sivakumar Babu, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore "I think the topics are very relevant for undergraduates ... . The topics cover basic rock mechanics and deal with subjects most important to practicing engineers. The content provides a good introduction to anyone who is planning to enter the profession. ... It is an excellent book, very useful for engineering undergraduates and graduates. The book is well written and easy to understand, and I am sure it would be a very popular textbook." -Jay Ameratunga, Senior Principal, Coffey Geotechnics Pty Ltd, Newstead, Queensland, Australia