Rock engineering deals with the design of excavations in rock. In this course, methods of characterizing rock masses will be reviewed with the objective of estimating rock mass strength. This will include field investigation methods and laboratory testing. Methods of estimating and measuring in situ stress conditions will be described. Analytical and numerical methods of assessing stresses around mining excavations are reviewed, with emphasis on how to select appropriate methods of stress analysis. Building on these elements, methods of stability analysis are presented for both open pit and underground mine design applications. Available Online.
(Lec: 3, Lab: 0, Tut: 0)