Rock mechanics is a first course in the field of mining and geotechnical engineering. Over the last decades, the concepts and applications of rock mechanics have evolved tremendously for understanding the stability and safety of structures made of/on the rock masses. This book elaborates the fundamental concepts of rock mechanics for designing and analysis of structures and excavations for a variety of applications. The text includes a fine blend of theory and worked-out examples and applications, and also emphasises the basics of stress and strain analysis, volume–weight relationship, rock mass classification systems, in situ stress measurements, stresses around underground opening, pillar and support design, subsidence, slope stability, rock failure criteria and behaviour of jointed rock mass. Numerical analysis procedures and interaction between rock bolts and rock masses are also introduced emphasising the mechanics and applications in rock engineering. Besides undergraduate and postgraduate students of civil (including geotechnical), mining and petroleum engineering, the book will also benefit the practicing engineers and researchers, who wish to acquaint themselves with state-of-the-art techniques of rock mechanics and its applications. Overall, this textbook is useful for both elementary as well as advanced learning.

Rock Joints deals exclusively with the mechanical genesis of joints in rocks. It is aimed at a coherent, critical and comprehensible presentation of the underlying mechanical processes of various types of joints and joint systems. Special care is taken to elucidate and quantify the role of high fluid pressures in the formation of joints. The background is an offshoot of the author's courses on "Genesis of Rock Joints" in the Department of Rock Mechanics and Tunneling at the Technical University of Graz, Austria.