Time-Dependency in Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering

"The subject of time-dependency is one of the most important and also difficult aspects of rock mechanics and rock engineering. [Additionally,] there have not been many books on the subject.

The author of this book, who is an expert on rock mechanics and rock engineering, combines his knowledge and personal experience in the field of time dependent effects on rock masses to encourage the practical use of various aspects of this subject. The book consists of detailed chapters mainly on time-dependent (rate-dependent), thermo-mechanical, thermo-hydro-diffusion and thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviours of rocks, water migration in soft rocks and its effects, hydromechanics of rocks and rock engineering structures with the presentation of experimental, numerical and empirical methods. The book also includes very useful applications and/or examples selected from the studies of the author and discussions on them.

This new book dedicated on time dependency in rock mechanics and rock engineering would be welcomed by a large group of researchers, both graduate and undergraduate students and professionals (particularly mining, civil and geological engineers and geophysicists) and also libraries. The book has also a big potential to be used as a textbook for educational purposes both in undergraduate and graduate levels and will fill the gap on this subject in literature."

Prof. Resat Ulusay, President-Elect of ISRM and Professor at the Faculty of Engineering at Hacettepe University, Turkey.

The book consists of seven detailed chapters and includes the presentation of experimental, numerical and empirical methods. In each chapter, the fundamental concepts are directly linked to applications through the presentation of a wide range of case studies. The author of this book combines his knowledge and personal experience in the field of time-dependent effects on rock masses for the practical use of various aspects of the subject. [...]
This book will be useful for educational purposes as it is comprehensive and clearly written. Fundamental concepts of coupled modelling, analytical solutions and numerical implementation are presented. They are associated with experimental studies and applications to real case studies. Therefore, this book will also be useful for practitioners for the design and the long-term assessment of rock engineering structures.
Overall, the strength of the book is in a comprehensive presentation of the basic concepts, together with the reporting of main theoretical, experimental and numerical issues. Also addressed are the coupled physical processes and numerous applications to real case studies of rock engineering structures. A weakness is found in the lack of references to the existing literature, in particular on numerical modelling of coupled Thermal-Hydraulic-Chemical- Mechanical (THCM) processes.

Prof. Giovanni Barla, Vice President of ISRM 1995-1999. Reviewed in the February 2018 issue of the Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering Journal.