• Study level

    BAC +4

  • ECTS

    2 credits

  • Component

    Faculty of Science

Description

This course presents the mechanical behavior of rocks, based on the results of laboratory-scale work. The different types of laboratory experiments are described, and the various mechanical behaviors are discussed and illustrated with experimental data. Hydrostatic, uniaxial and triaxial compression tests are described. Elastic, plastic and viscous behaviors are considered, and the combination of these behaviors is applied to the description of rock behavior.
Notions relating to the behavior of discontinuities and fracture mechanics are addressed. The notions of creep and deferred behavior will also be covered, in order to consider the long-term behavior of rock masses.
In order to consider mechanical behavior quantitatively, the notions of stress and strain tensors will be covered. These will be used to introduce elastic deformation calculations based on elastic moduli. The calculation of stresses on planes, based on knowledge of the stress tensor, will be covered in the general case and illustrated by Mohr's representation.

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Objectives

The aim of this course is to make students aware of the usefulness of rock mechanics in the context of classic Earth science problems. Students will need to assimilate the main types of mechanical behavior that exist and transpose them to the case of rocks, trying to integrate all their complexity. They will also need to know how to manipulate the stress tensor to calculate stresses on planes such as geological discontinuities.

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Necessary prerequisites

Knowledge control

Continuous assessment includes:
- a written examination based on the course and exercises
- an oral presentation based on an analysis of experimental data from the literature.

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Target skills

- Understand the issues involved in rock mechanics and its applications
- Understand the main mechanical behaviors of rocks
- Be able to interpret experimental data in terms of mechanical behavior
- Know how to use the stress tensor to calculate stresses on plane discontinuities.

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Bibliography

Manuel de mécaniques des roches, tomes I et II, 1999, published by the Comité Français de Mécanique des Roches.

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