Course Description

Introduction to the brittle field of rock deformation, the rock mass concept, and its role for site characterization and engineering design. Understanding rock as a material, the relationship between stress and strain, and deformation and failure of rock to classify rock fracture types and rock fracturing behavior.

Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students are required to write a research paper containing original research and a literature review that applies the learned material in this course to a topic of their choice. The topic of the research paper, however, must be relevant to geomechanics and must be approved by the instructor. The research paper must be comparable in content and style to topics covered in the "International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences" or a similar journal in the field (10-15 written pages and 20-40 references). A brief outline of the approved topic is due before the detailed literature review and the research begins. A detailed outline and list of references will be due mid-semester, with the final draft being due on the last day of class. The research paper will be graded and be a substantial part of the overall course grade.

---

Athena Title

Introduction to Rock Mechanics

---

Semester Course Offered

Offered fall

---

Grading System

A - F (Traditional)

---

Student Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to collect and express geologic information contained in rock core in verbal, numeric, graphical, computational, and symbolic forms.
• Students will be able to solve stress problems numerically and graphically, use the rock mass concept and apply it to theoretical framework of various geologic failure criteria.
• Students will be able to plan, initiate, manage, complete, and evaluate a rock mass rating (project) involving geologic field work.
• Students will be able to communicate orally and in a written technical report rock-mechanical concepts from information collected at rock exposures and/or rock core using appropriate terminology with clarity and precision.

---

Topical Outline

• Rock mass concept (2-3 weeks). Rock as an engineering material (rock masses) Early rock mass classifications Geomechanics classification (RMR) RMR applications
• 2. Stress and Strain (3 weeks) Deformation and strain Stresses and nomenclature (2D and 3D) Mohr circles
• 3. Friction (1 week)
• 4. Failure of rock (3 weeks) Stress-strain curve, rock strength Types of fractures, stress states and faulting Failure criteria Effects of pore fluids and anisotropies on strength
• 5. Linear Elasticity (2 weeks) Elastic constants Hooke’s law Laboratory tests (uniaxial, biaxial, triaxial conditions)
• 6. Fracture models (2 weeks) Linear elastic fracture mechanics Post yield fracture mechanics Inglis-Kolosov fracture tip model
• 7. Fractures observed in rock (1 week)

---

Institutional Competencies

Analytical Thinking

The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.

---