Chapter 7.

Rock mechanics interactions and rock engineering systems

7.1 Interaction matrix in rock engineering

Definition: It is a method of structuring all the ways in which rock mechanics parameters and variables can affect one another - the rock mechanics interactions.

The interactions annotated (1)-(6) in the figure are listed below. Interaction 1: Rock structure/stress: stress field affected by discontinuities.

Interaction 2: Rock structure/water flow: water preferentially flows along discontinuities.

Interaction 3: Stress/water flow: high normal stresses reduce discontinuity permeability. Interaction 4: Water flow/stress: water pressure in discontinuities reduces effective stress.

Interaction 5: Water flow/rock structure: water flow causes discontinuity surface alteration.
Interaction 6: Stress/rock structure: high stress can alter the rock structure.

 The interaction matrix is the basic device used in rock engineering systems.
For a rock engineering project, the most important step in the RES methodology is to establish the objectives of the project and the analysis. Once that has been done, the relevant 'state variables' are chosen-i.e. the terms to place along the leading diagonal of the interaction matrix. In some problems, these variables have to be more conceptual in nature; in some problems, there may be enough information to use well-defined physical properties with definite units.

Then, all the interactions are established so that the problem structure is developed. Immediately, an information audit is possible considering what is known about the content of the interaction matrix boxes.
If the state variables are conceptual in nature, the offdiagonal interactions can be assessed using a semiquantitative method of coding (Hudson, 1992). By summing the coding values in the matrix rows and columns, an estimate of each variables interactive intensity and dominance in the system can be determined. This is known as the soft systems Approach.

If the state variables are physical variables, a new modelling technique known as the fully-coupled model can be used (Hudson and Jiao, 1996).
The physical mechanisms linking the variables are identified for each off-diagonal box and the relation quantified. A coupling algorithm is invoked to produce a new interaction matrix in which all the terms represent a fully coupled system response; in other words, the response for all mechanisms operating simultaneously. The new matrix allows quantitative prediction of the effect of any applied perturbation on the state variables, whether natural or by engineering. This is known as the hard systems approach.