Important developments in the progress of the theory of rock mechanics during recent years are based on fractals and damage mechanics. The concept of fractals has proved to be a useful way of describing the statistics of naturally occurring geometrics. Natural objects, from mountains and coastlines to clouds and forests, are found to have boundaries best described as fractals. Fluid flow through jointed rock masses and clusterings of earthquakes are found to follow fractal patterns in time and space. Fracturing in rocks at all scales, from the microscale (microcracks) to the continental scale (megafaults), can lead to fractal structures. The process of diagenesis and pore geometry of sedimentary rock can be quantitatively described by fractals, etc. The book is mainly concerned with these developments, as related to fractal descriptions of fragmentations, damage and fracture of rocks, rock burst, joint roughness, rock porosity and permeability, rock grain growth, rock and soil particles, shear slips, fluid flow through jointed rocks, faults, earthquake clustering, and so on. The prime concerns of the book are to give a simple account of the basic concepts, methods of fractal geometry, and their applications to rock mechanics, geology, and seismology, and also to discuss damage mechanics of rocks and its application to mining engineering. The book can be used as a textbook for graduate students, by university teachers to prepare courses and seminars, and by active scientists who want to become familiar with a fascinating new field.

Important developments in the progress of the theory of rock mechanics during recent years are based on fractals and damage mechanics. The concept of fractals has proved to be a useful way of describing the statistics of naturally occurring geometrics. Natural objects, from mountains and coastlines to clouds and forests, are found to have boundaries best described as fractals. Fluid flow through jointed rock masses and clusterings of earthquakes are found to follow fractal patterns in time and space. Fracturing in rocks at all scales, from the microscale (microcracks) to the continental scale (megafaults), can lead to fractal structures. The process of diagenesis and pore geometry of sedimentary rock can be quantitatively described by fractals, etc. The book is mainly concerned with these developments, as related to fractal descriptions of fragmentations, damage and fracture of rocks, rock burst, joint roughness, rock porosity and permeability, rock grain growth, rock and soil particles, shear slips, fluid flow through jointed rocks, faults, earthquake clustering, and so on. The prime concerns of the book are to give a simple account of the basic concepts, methods of fractal geometry, and their applications to rock mechanics, geology, and seismology, and also to discuss damage mechanics of rocks and its application to mining engineering. The book can be used as a textbook for graduate students, by university teachers to prepare courses and seminars, and by active scientists who want to become familiar with a fascinating new field.

This book focuses on learning and adapting nonlinear geometry tool in rock engineering through fractal theories, hypotheses, algorithm, practical understandings, and case studies. Understanding self-similarity and self-affinity is a prerequisite to the fractal model in rock mechanics. The book aims to provide a guide for the readers seeking to understand and build nonlinear model by fractal algorithm. The book is motivated by recent rapid advances in rock engineering in China including application of fractal theory, in addition to percolation theory. It is an essential reference to the most promising innovative rock engineering. Chapters are carefully developed to cover (1) new fractal algorithms (2) five engineering cases. This authored book addresses the issue with a holistic and systematic approach that utilizes fractal theory to nonlinear behavior in rock engineering. The book is written for researchers interested in rock and geological engineering as well as organizations engaged in underground energy practices.

Boundaries of Rock Mechanics. Recent Advances and Challenges for the 21st Century contains 180 papers from the International Young Scholars Symposium on Rock Mechanics 2008 (Beijing, China, 28 April-2 May 2008). The symposium was organized by the ISRM Commission on Education, and sponsored by the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) and

The theme of the 31st US Symposium on Rock Mechanics is 'Rock Mechanics contributions and challenges', having as objective the examination and quantification of the progress that has been achieved in addressing the major practical challenges facing the science of rock mechanics and mine design. The 124 papers included in the proceedings cover areas such as: experimental studies (laboratory and field); conceptual, analytical, and numerical modeling; design and construction methods. 35 papers deal with practical mining problems and include information on rock reinforcement technology, blasting, rock bursts, open pit mining, remote sensing and borehole geophysics, mechanical fragmentation, and subsidence. Areas emphasized are coal and metal mine design problems. Other papers deal with the newest computer models, new instruments, fracture mechanics, new laboratory testing techniques, and in situ testing.

New Challenges in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering includes the contributions presented at the ISRM European Rock Mechanics Symposium Eurock 2024 (Alicante, Spain, 15-19 July 2024), and explores cutting-edge advancements in rock mechanics and rock engineering. This comprehensive compilation covers various aspects of rock mechanics and rock engineering, including: rock properties, testing methods, infrastructure and mining rock mechanics, design analysis, stone heritage preservation, geophysics, numerical modeling, monitoring techniques, underground excavation support, risk assessment, and the application of EUROCODE-7 in rock engineering. Furthermore, it addresses areas like geomechanics for the oil and gas industry, applications of artificial intelligence, remote sensing methodologies and geothermal technology. New Challenges in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering covers the latest breakthroughs and tackles the new challenges in rock mechanics and rock engineering, is aimed at scientists and professionals in these fields, and serves as an essential resource for keeping up to date with industry trends and solutions.

This volume presents the proceedings of a symposium on rock mechanics, held in the USA in 1995. Topics covered include: rock dynamics; tool-rock interaction; radioactive waste disposal; underground mining; fragmentation and blasting; theoretical and model studies; hydrology; and rock creep.

Rock Mechanics: Achievements and Ambitions contains the papers accepted for the 2nd ISRM International Young Scholars’ Symposium on Rock Mechanics, which was sponsored by the ISRM and held on 14–16 October 2011 in Beijing, China, immediately preceding the 12th ISRM Congress on Rock Mechanics. Highlighting the work of young teachers, researchers and practitioners, the present work provides an important stimulus for the next generation of rock engineers, because in the future there will be more emphasis on the use of the Earth’s resources and their sustainability, and more accountability of engineers’ decisions. In this context, it is entirely appropriate that the Symposium venue for the young scholars was in China — because of the rock mechanics related work that is anticipated in the future. For example, in the Chinese Academy of Sciences report, “Energy Science and Technology in China: A Roadmap to 2050”, it is predicted that China’s total energy demand will reach 31, 45, 61 and 66 x 108 tce (tonnes of coal equivalent) in 2010, 2020, 2035, 2050. The associated per capita energy consumption for the same years is estimated at 2.3, 3.1, 4.1 and 4.6 tce. This increasing demand will be met, inter alia, by the continued operation and development of new coal mines, hydroelectric plants and nuclear power stations with one or more underground nuclear waste repositories, all of which will be improved by more modern methods of rock engineering design developed by young scholars. In particular, enhanced methods of site investigation, rock characterisation, rock failure understanding, computer modelling, and rock excavation and support are needed. The topics in the book include contributions on: - Field investigation and observation - Rock constitutive relations and property testing - Numerical and physical modeling for rock engineering - Information technology, artificial intelligence and other advanced techniques - Underground and surface excavation and reinforcement techniques - Dynamic rock mechanics and blasting - Predication and prevention of geo-environmental hazard - Case studies of typical rock engineering Many of the 200 papers address these topics and demonstrate the skills of the young scholars, indicating that we can be confident in the continuing development of rock mechanics and rock engineering, leading to more efficient, safer and economical structures built on and in rock masses. Rock Mechanics: Achievements and Ambitions will appeal to professionals, engineers and academics in rock mechanics, rock engineering, tunnelling, mining, earthquake engineering, rock dynamics and geotechnical engineering.

Fractals have changed the way we understand and study nature. This change has been brought about mainly by the work of B. B. Mandelbrot and his book The Fractal Geometry of Nature. Now here is a book that collects articles treating fractals in the earth sciences. The themes chosen span, as is appropriate for a discourse on fractals, many orders of magnitude; including earthquakes, ocean floor topography, fractures, faults, mineral crystallinity, gold and silver deposition. There are also chapters on dynamical processes that are fractal, such as rivers, earthquakes, and a paper on self-organized criticality. Many of the chapters discuss how to estimate fractal dimensions, Hurst exponents, and other scaling exponents. This book, in a way, represents a snapshot of a field in which fractals has brought inspiration and a fresh look at familiar subjects. New ideas and attempts to quantify the world we see around us are found throughout. Many of these ideas will grow and inspire further work, others will be superseded by new observations and insights, most probably with future contributions by the authors of these chapters.

Until a few years ago, hydropower, road tunneling and mining were the main fields interested in rock mechanics. Now, however, rock mechanics is becoming increasingly important in many more branches - the most significant globally being the disposal of hazardous, especially radiaoctive, waste in deeply located repositories. This has raised a number of new aspects on the mechanical behaviour of large rock masses hosting repositories and of smaller rock elements forming the nearfield of tunnels and boreholes with waste containers. The geological background and above all rock structure form the basis of this book. The structural scheme proposed is referred to explain the scale-dependent behaviour of rock. Thus, the reason for differences in strength and strain properties of different types and volumes of rocks is shown in a very clear fasion, using simple material models and very basic numerical models.The author's academic background in both geology and soil and rock mechanics and his long experience in practical design and construction work has led to an unusually pedagogic way of dealing with the subject. The book is intended for use by consultants in engineering geology and waste disposal and by students of these subjects. However, engineers and geologists with a limited background in stress/strain and fracture theory and computer-based calculation methods will also find the book attractive.