Geomechanics

Code:

MEMG0009

Acronym:

GM

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Mathematics, Physics, Earth Sciences

Instance: 2013/2014 - 1S (of 09-09-2013 to 20-12-2013)

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Mining and Geo-Environmental Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MEMG	11	Plano de estudos oficial a partir de 2008/09	1	-	6	56	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

Rock mechanics is the experimental and theoretical study of rock material and rock masses properties, behaviour and their relations between stress and strain

Learning outcomes and competences

Students should

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. General considerations.
2. Rock mechanics. Aims. Objectives. Definitions. Rock nature and rock structure. Rocks vs. soil. Rock mechanics on a geological base. Relevante disciplines to rock mechanics.
3. Rock material properties. Rock composition, mineralogy, and weathering. Porosity, density, permeability, durability and strength.
4. Rock stresses. Stress concept. Stress components. Normal stress and shear stress. Stress tensor. Origin of rock stresses. Two dimensional stresses. Stress equations. The Mohr Diagram stress. Three dimensional stress
5. Stress state of rock massifs. In situ measurements.
6. Strain. Strain parameters. Changes in lengths. Changes in angles. Homogeneous and heterogeneous deformation. Two dimensional homogeneous deformation. The strain ellipse. Rotational and non-rotational strain; coaxial and non coaxial strain. Pure shear and simple shear
Relations stress-strain. Rheological behaviours.
7. Strenght of rock material. The uniaxial compressive strenght. Failure. Stress-strain curve. Deformability. E-modulus. Hoek-Brown failure criterion. Griffith criterion. Mohr-Coulomb criterion.
8. Descontinuities. Characteristics: roughness, alteration, filling, size, continuity and persistence. 9. Rock masses classification. Strength and deformability. Geological Strength Index.
10. Stability of rock slopes: Stereonet analysis.

Mandatory literature

John A. Hudson, John P. Harrison; Engineering rock mechanics. ISBN: 978-0-08-043864-1

Complementary Bibliography

Evert Hoek; Practical Rock Engineering, 2007 (http://www.rocscience.com/education/hoeks_corner)
Manuel Rocha; Mecânica das Rochas, Lisboa, 1981

Teaching methods and learning activities

Subjects to be exposed based on PowerPoint presentations which will be inserted in the discipline webpage.

Evaluation Type

Evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	50,00
Trabalho escrito	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	76,00
Frequência das aulas	44,00
Trabalho de campo	4,00
Trabalho de investigação	8,00
Total:	132,00

Eligibility for exams

According to the rules of FEUP

Calculation formula of final grade

Final exam = 80% composed of a theoretical and a practical component. Minimum of each component=8 (in 20). Reports and exercices required by the teacher (including outdoor work)=20%

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Final exam.

Classification improvement

Final exam.