After successful completion of the course, students are able to describe the mechanical behavior of rock and rock mass using common models (e.g. Hoek & Brown strength criterion) and to deal with geotechnical questions regarding the failure mechanism and the stability of rock slopes, the estimation of the runout and magnitude of rock fall and rock avalanches and the influence of discontinuities on foundations and cavity structures (tunnels and caverns).

I. Basics: difference between rock and rock mass, failure mechanisms and rheological behavior  of rock and jointed rock (strength, strain), mathematical / numerical methods to model discontinuous media, effects of water in the rock mass, experiments.

II. Rock slopes: failure mechanisms, mechanical models, numerical models and back analysis, measurements and monitoring, methods to increase stability.

III. Foundations: force propagation in anisotropic, inhomogeneous and discontinuous media, failure mechanisms of foundations, stability problems, measurements and monitoring.

IV. Tunnels: rock mass – tunnel interaction , analytical and numerical models in order to assess stability, excavation methods, tunnel renovation.

Presentation of the current state of knowledge, presentation and discussion of case studies, work on example excercises (e.g. stereographic analysis of structural geology)

Zuordnung im Masterstudium Bauingenieurwesen (Studienkennzahl: 066 505):
Modul 1 der Vertiefungsrichtung Geotechnik;
Modul 3 der anderen Vertiefungsrichtungen

Oral and written examination

Lecture notes for this course are available. Müller, L.: Der Felsbau, Enke 1963 und 1978: Wittke, W.: Felsmechanik, Springer 1984: Hoek, E. und Bray, J. W.: Rock Slope Engineering, Inst. Min. Metall, London 1981: Hoek, E. und Brown, E. T.: Underground Excavations in Rock, Inst. Min. Metall, 1982

Basic knowledge in mechanics and geology