Geomechanics

Code:

MEMG0009

Acronym:

GM

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Mathematics, Physics, Earth Sciences

Instance: 2015/2016 - 1S (of 14-09-2015 to 18-12-2015)

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Civil and Georesources Engineering
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	13	Plano de estudos oficial a partir de 2008/09	1	-	6	56	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

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

Rock Mechanics studies the mechanisms and behaviour of rock masses and rock materials when the in situ stress is affected. It deals with the natural stresses and those induced by human activities so that the strenght and deformability characteristics are evaluated. The students who succeed are able to understand the phenomenon involved and to interpret the results of different tests performed in situ and in laboratory.

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

Duncan C. Wyllie & Christopher W. Mah; Rock Slope Engineering - Civil and Mining, 2005
B. H. G. Brady& E. T. Brown; Rock Mechanics for Underground Mining, 2005
Evert Hoek; Practical Rock Engineering, 2007
Luis I. González de Vallejo... [et al.]; Ingeniería geológica. ISBN: 84-205-3104-9

Complementary Bibliography

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

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	100,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	8,00
Frequência das aulas	4,00
Total:	12,00

Calculation formula of final grade

75% - Final Exam

25% - Individual coursework + Group coursework

Observations

Students must have knowledge of: structural geology; engineering geology.