INTRODUCTION

•What is Rock Mechanics?

Rock mechanics is a discipline that uses
the
principles of mechanics to describe the
behaviour of rock of engineering scale.
Rock as a Construction Material

•For laying structural foundations to support structures

•For constructing Underground openings
•For protecting slopes
•For supporting railway tracks – Ballasts
•As base and sub-base for roads and runways
•As aggregate in concrete
Making facia for buildings
VI Soil Some organic content, no original May need to save and Unsuitable
structure re-use

V Completely weathered Decomposed soil, some remnant Scrape Assess by soil testing
structure

IV Highly weathered Partly changed to soil, soil > rock Scrape NB corestones Variable and unreliable

III Moderately Partly changes to soil, rock > soil Rip Good for most small
weathered structures

II Slightly Increased fractures and mineral Blast Good for anything

weathered staining except large dams

I Fresh rock Clean rock Blast Sound

 Primary Rock Types by Geologic
Grain Clastic Carbonate Foliated Massive Intrusive Extrusive
Aspects
Origin
Coarse Conglomerate Limestone Gneiss Marble Pegmatite Volcanic Breccia
Breccia Conglomerate Granite

Medium Sandstone
Sedimentary
Limestone
Types
Igneous Types
Schist
Metaphorphic
Quartzite Diorite Tuff
Siltsone Chalk Phyllite Diabase

Fine Shale Calcareous Slate Amphibolite Rhyotite Basalt

Mudstone Mudstone Obsidian