Our understanding of the subsurface system of the earth is becoming increasingly more sophisticated both at the level of the behaviour of its components (solid, liquid and gas) as well as their variations in space and time. The implementation of coupled models is essential for the understanding of an increasing number of natural phenomena and in predicting human impact on these.The growing interest in the relation between fluid flow and deformation in subsurface rock systems that characterise the upper crust has led to increasingly specialized knowledge in many branches of earth sciences and engineering. A multidisciplinary subject dealing with deformation and fluid flow in the subsurface system is emerging.While research in the subject area of faulting, fracturing and fluid flow has led to significant progress in many different areas, the approach has tended to be "reductionist", i.e. involving the isolation and simplification of phenomena so that they may be treated as single physical processes. The reality is that many processes operate together within subsurface systems, and this is particularly true for fluid flow and deformation of fractured rock masses. The aim of this book is to begin to explore how advances in numerical modelling can be applied to understanding the complex phenomena observed in such systems.Although mainly based on original research, the book also includes the fundamental principles and practical methods of numerical modelling, in particular distinct element methods. This volume explores the principles of numerical modelling and the methodologies for some of the most important problems, in addition to providing practical models with detailed discussions on various topics.

Scientific understanding of fluid flow in rock fractures--a process underlying contemporary earth science problems from the search for petroleum to the controversy over nuclear waste storage--has grown significantly in the past 20 years. This volume presents a comprehensive report on the state of the field, with an interdisciplinary viewpoint, case studies of fracture sites, illustrations, conclusions, and research recommendations. The book addresses these questions: How can fractures that are significant hydraulic conductors be identified, located, and characterized? How do flow and transport occur in fracture systems? How can changes in fracture systems be predicted and controlled? Among other topics, the committee provides a geomechanical understanding of fracture formation, reviews methods for detecting subsurface fractures, and looks at the use of hydraulic and tracer tests to investigate fluid flow. The volume examines the state of conceptual and mathematical modeling, and it provides a useful framework for understanding the complexity of fracture changes that occur during fluid pumping and other engineering practices. With a practical and multidisciplinary outlook, this volume will be welcomed by geologists, petroleum geologists, geoengineers, geophysicists, hydrologists, researchers, educators and students in these fields, and public officials involved in geological projects.

The supply and protection of groundwater, the production of hydrocarbon reservoirs, land subsidence in coastal areas, exploitation of geothermal energy, the long-term disposal of critical wastes ... What do these issues have in common besides their high socio-economic impact? They are all closely related to fluid flow in porous and/or fractured rock. As the conditions of fluid flow in many cases depend on the mechanical behavior of rocks, coupling between the liquid phase and the rock matrix can generally not be neglected. For the past five years or so, studies of rock physics and rock mechanics linked to coupling phenomena have received increased attention. In recognition of this, a Euroconference on thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling in fractured rock was held at Bad Honnef, Germany, in November 2000. Most of the twenty papers collected in this volume were presented at this meeting. The contributions lead to deeper insight in processes where such coupling is relevant.

Analysis of large deformation, rigid body movement and strain or stress for discontinuous materials is often required for project designs and plans in the fields of engineering and disaster prevention. Many numerical simulation and analysis methods have been developed for the requirement from science and technology people since 1970s. Among them, D

Ore extraction through surface and underground mining continues to involve deeper excavations in more complex rock mass conditions. Communities and infrastructure are increasingly exposed to rock slope hazards as they expand further into rugged mountainous terrains. Volume 1 presents papers describing new technologies, ideas and insights concerning fundamental rock mechanics, while the second volume comprises a collection of rock engineering case histories relevant to the major themes of the symposium: rock slope hazards, geotechnical infrastructure, surface and underground mining, and petroleum exploitation.

Includes all works deriving from DOE, other related government-sponsored information and foreign nonnuclear information.

Rock Dynamics: From Research to Engineering is a collection of the scientic and technical papers presented at the Second International Conference on Rock Dynamics and Applications (RocDyn-2, Suzhou, China, 18-19 May 2016). The book has four sections. The first section contains 8 keynote papers, covering a wide range of dynamic issues related to roc

Geomechanics from Micro to Macro contains 268 papers presented at the International Symposium on Geomechanics from Micro and Macro (IS-Cambridge, UK, 1-3 September 2014). The symposium created a forum for the dissemination of new advances in the micro-macro relations of geomaterial behaviour and its modelling. The papers on experimental investigati

Numerical Methods and Implementation in Geotechnical Engineering explains several numerical methods that are used in geotechnical engineering. The first part of this reference set includes methods such as the finite element method, distinct element method, discontinuous deformation analysis, numerical manifold method, smoothed particle hydrodynamics method, material point method, plasticity method, limit equilibrium and limit analysis, plasticity, slope stability and foundation engineering, optimization analysis and reliability analysis. The authors have also presented different computer programs associated with the materials in this book which will be useful to students learning how to apply the models explained in the text into practical situations when designing structures in locations with specific soil and rock settings. This reference book set is a suitable textbook primer for civil engineering students as it provides a basic introduction to different numerical methods (classical and modern) in comprehensive readable volumes.