e-Books

“OPERATIONAL GEOMECHANICS” is a new concept coined by the author. It encompasses all aspects of rock stress and rock failure in the lithosphere, both artificially induced and naturally occurring. It applies to a full range of depths from surface/near surface to extremely challenging depths and environments.

Thus, it presents the principal tools and tests relevant to the full array of geomechanical applications for assessing and accessing the Earth’s energy, mineral and water resources, as well as for environmental probing, conservation, natural hazards, and waste disposal. As such the book is a challenge to the traditional approach of compartmentalising geomechanics into discrete topics and instead presents a wholistic geomechanical workflow involving:

1. The characterization of the mechanical and stress properties of the rock mass targeted in environmental, engineering and energy operations of human activities and natural hazards such as earthquakes.
2. The timely prediction of instability risks to both infrastructure and drill holes associated with the above
activities.
3. Recommending, designing and conducting preventative precautions for the identifiable instability risks, and remedial steps to mitigate and/or stop subsequent instability damage.

The ultimate objectives of OPERATIONAL GEOMECHANICS are saving time, costs and lives, and in that context, the book discusses the building blocks of the topic in terms of: definitions of geomechanical/rock mechanical parameters; tools; analysis; and interpretations utilized particularly in operations involving drilling/boring operations relevant to all the above engineering, energy and environmental applications. In the final part of the book the
author gives examples of key drilling-related applications.

The book is enriched by the author’s industrial experience which spans more than three decades and will be a suitable text book for undergraduate and graduate students and a practical guide to professionals and managers alike working on projects for which operational geomechanics plays a vital role.