Page 16 - Rock Mechanics For Underground Mining

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION

design and design of various types and associated components of a mine structure;
and several topics related to rock mechanics practice. The material presented is an
elaboration of a course of lectures originally prepared for undergraduate rock mechan-
ics instruction for mining students at the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College,
London. Some subsequent additions to this material, made by one of the authors
while at the University of Minnesota, are also included. The authors believe that the
material is suitable for presentation to senior undergraduate students in both mining
and geological engineering, and for the initial stages of post-graduate instruction in
these fields. It should also be of interest to students of other aspects of geomechanics,
notably civil engineers involved in subsurface construction, and engineering geol-
ogists interested in mining and underground excavation design. Practising mining
engineers and rock mechanics engineers involved in mine design may use the book
profitably for review purposes, or perhaps to obtain an appreciation of the current
state of engineering knowledge in their area of specialisation.
Throughout the text, and particularly in those sections concerned with excavation
design and design of a mine structure, reference is made to computational methods for
the analysis of stress and displacement in a rock mass. The use of various computation
schemes, such as the boundary element, finite element and distinct element methods,
is now firmly and properly embedded in rock mechanics practice. The authors have
not listed computer codes in this book. They are now available in most program
libraries, and are transported more appropriately on magnetic storage media than as
listings in text.
The preparation of this book was assisted considerably by the authors’ colleagues
and friends. Part of the contribution of Dr John Bray of Imperial College is evident
in the text, and the authors record their gratitude for his many other informal con-
tributions made over a period of several years. Dr John Hudson of Imperial College
and Gavin Ferguson of Seltrust Engineering Ltd read the text painstakingly and made
many valuable suggestions for improvement. Professor Charles Fairhurst supported
preparation activities at the University of Minnesota, for which one of the authors
is personally grateful. The authors are also indebted to Moira Knox, Carol Makkyla
and Colleen Brady for their work on the typescript, to Rosie and Steve Priest who
prepared the index, and to Laurie Wilson for undertaking a range of tedious, but im-
portant, chores. The authors are also pleased to be able to record their appreciation of
the encouragement and understanding accorded them by the publisher’s representa-
tives, Roger Jones, who persuaded them to write the book, and Geoffrey Palmer, who
expertly supervised its production. Finally, they also thank the many individuals and
organisations who freely gave permission to reproduce published material.

B. H. G. B.
E. T. B.

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