1. Main characteristics of rocks (properties and mechanical behaviour).
2. Unbreakable rock, discontinuities, characteristics of discontinuities.
3. Measurement of strength and deformability (laboratory tests: simple compression, point load index, triaxial test).
4. Failure criteria (Mohr-Coulomb, Hoek-Brown).
5. Landslides and stability control of rocky slopes. Applications of rock slope stability analysis, kinematic analysis of planar and wedge slides, Hoek-Bray method. Restoration measures.
6. Rock masses, classification systems, RMR, GSI, Q indices.
7. Applications in the stability of rocky slopes against overall failure.
8. Special topics on foundations in rocky slopes.

Learning Outcomes

The course teaches the subject of Rock Mechanics in the direction of Geotechnical Engineering.

With the successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:

• Calculate the parameters of the mechanical behaviour of rocks based on failure criteria in the rock mass and in the intact rock.
• Evaluate the failure mechanism based on laboratory and field tests.
• Calculate slope stability using empirical methods.
• Calculate the strength and deformability of rock, rock mass, and rock discontinuities through laboratory and in-situ tests and empirical failure criteria.
• Evaluate and select the measures for landslide restoration.