Rock masses can be defined as made of intact rock blocks and discontinuities (joints, faults, etc.). It is the presence of those weak features that determine the overall hydro-mechanical response of the rock mass that engineers observe in the field. Therefore, to correctly engineer any structure in rock, we cannot relay only on the mechanical properties of the intact rock, but we need to be able to properly understand the role that fractures play on the overall behaviour that we observe, and how to account for them during the different phases of the rock engineering design.

This course will try to address this specific issue by presenting the latest scientific discoveries and engineering approaches in the field. It will also present students with innovative methodologies for the quantification of fracture shear strength, rock mass mapping, and rock mass modeling tools such as the Combined Finite-Discrete Element Method for simulating damage and fracture in geomaterials.