Mechanical Properties of Rocks

It refers to how rocks behave under different forces, like compression, tension and shear. These
properties are important in geology, mining and civil engineering because they help determine how a rock
will respond when it’s drilled, blasted, or built upon.

So in order to determine the strength of a rock, there are two methods used in testing the strength, the
direct and indirect method.

Direct Method involves applying load directly to rock specimens under controlled conditions to measure
their actual strength and response (like failure or deformation). These tests give precise values for
different strength parameters.

While indirect methods estimate strength rather than measure it directly. They are quicker, easier, and
often used when preparing a perfect sample in hard or in the field conditions.

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH

So for compressive strength there are 2 key direct tests:

Uniaxial Compressive Strength

The first one is the uniaxial compressive strength so it is one of the most commonly used direct methods
in the lab to measure compressive strength of a rock. It tells us how much load (pressure) a rock can
handle before it fails or breaks.

So as you can see in the picture nga pa

cylindrical ang iyahang machine. Then flat and
smooth ra ang end point aron even ang pag
loading.

Then kani this is the specimen which is placed

vertically between two steel plates in a high-
capacity compression testing machine.

Then sa pag loading, a compressive force is

applied vertically, so that the load increases
gradually and uniformly.

So what it tells us is that we were able to know the maximum compressive strength of the rock then also
the deformation behavior if how much the rock compresses or shortens as the load increases and also
whether the rock behaves in a brittle or ductile manner.

So it is important for us civil engineering students to study the UCS because it is a critical design
parameter in civil, mining engineering, etc. It also helps us design tunnels, foundations, slopes and other
structures that interact with rock and also to classify rock types in geotechnical engineering.

Triaxial Compression Test

Next key direct test in compressive strength is the triaxial compression test, so it is used to determine the
strength and deformation characteristics of rock under realistic subsurface conditions, where rocks are
subjected to pressure from all directions, not just from above.
So still pa cylindrical rock specimen ra gihapon picture of how rock behaves under varying
ang gina use then iyang specimen is enclosed in underground conditions.
a rubber membrane to prevent fluid entry.

The sample is put inside a triaxial cell and the

confining pressure (like the pressure from
surrounding rock deep underground) is applied
using fluid (usually oil or water) around the
sample.

So while the confining pressure holds the

sample from the sides, and additional vertical
load is applied on top, just like in a UCS test.

The test is repeated on at least 5 samples, each

with a different confining pressure, to get a full

So basically Triaxial Compressive Test measures the strength of the rock when compressed in three
directions (two lateral and one vertical)

Then the deformation behavior is how rock changes shape or fails under combined stress.

Effects of Confining Pressure on Rock Behavior

So when a rock is subjected to confining pressure (pressure applied equally from all sides,like
deep underground), it significantly affects how the rock behaves under stress.

● Peak Strength Increases

As confining pressure rises, the rock can resist more vertical stress before failing. Why?
The lateral pressure prevents early crack formation and delays failure, allowing the rock to
withstand higher loads.

● Transition from Brittle to Ductile Behavior

At low confining pressure: rocks tend to fail brittle- they fracture and break suddenly. While if the
confining pressure is at high: rocks behave more ductilely-they deform plastically before failure.

Effect of Pore Water Pressure

So it is the pressure exerted by fluids within the rocks pores. It plays a major role in how rock
fails, especially when saturated conditions like below groundwater level.

● Transition from Ductile to Brittle Behavior

With increased pore water pressure: rocks tend to fail more easily and more brittely.

Water pressure promotes crack initiation and propagation by weakening the contact between
grains.

So even under high confining stress, high pore pressure can cause sudden, brittle failure which
is a common factor in landslides, fault movement, or earthquakes.
Next we have the 2 key indirect tests for compressive strength:

Point Load Test

It is a quick and simple indirect test used to estimate the strength of rock, its called an index test
because it doesn't measure strength directly, but gives value (point load index) that can be correlated to
other properties like UCS.

How the Test Works:

A small rock specimen is taken, which can be irregular, core, or block shaped). The rock is
placed between two conical steel platens.

A force is applied at a single point on opposite sides of the rock until the rock breaks. The failure
load is recorded using a load cell or force gauge.

Schmidt or Rebound Hammer Test

It is a nondestructive test used to estimate the surface hardness and strength of rock or concrete. It is
widely used because it is quick, portable and easy to use, ideal for both field and lab testing.

The purpose of the test is to measure the surface hardness of a rock or concrete specimen, to estimate
the UCS indirectly and to assess uniformity or quality of a rock mass without breaking it.

How the Test Works:

The rock specimen should be in the High rebound values generally indicated
form of a core or block. The test should harder, stronger rock.
be smooth, clean and dry.

A spring-loaded mass inside the

hammer strikes a metal plunger pressed
against the rock surface. When
released, the hammer impacts the
surface and rebounds

The rebound distance (how far the

hammer bounces back) is measured on
a scale. This value is called the
Rebound Number or Rebound Index.

TENSILE STRENGTH

It is the rock's ability to resist breaking under pulling forces. It's usually much lower than compressive
strength, but it's crucial in understanding fracture, crack, slope, and failure behavior.

In a direct method, the rock specimen is pulled apart along its length to measure how much tensile
stress it can withstand before failing.

A cylindrical rock sample is gripped at both ends.

A uniaxial tensile force is applied along the axis until the rock breaks
In an indirect method, the Brazilian Disc Test (propsed by Mellor and Hawkes) is the most common and
practical method to determine tensile strength indirectly.

A circular disc-shaped specimen is used

The disc is loaded along its diameter using compression.

Although compressive force is applied, it creates tensile stress perpendicular to the loading
direction in the center of the disc.

The rock fails by splitting along the loaded diameter.

SHEAR STRENGTH

It is the rock's resistance to sliding or failing along internal surfaces, such as natural fractures and
weakness planes. It is one of the most critical parameters in slope stability, tunnel design, foundation
design and any project involving fractured or layered rock.

The shear strength test determines how shear stress a rock can resist before it slips or fails along a
specific plane. Unlike compressive or tensile strength tests, this test focuses on failure along existing
weak surfaces.

CONCLUSION

Structural geology and rock mechanics help us understand how the Earth’s crust has changed over
time and how it behaves today. They explain how rocks bend, break, and react to pressure, shaping
things like mountains, faults, and folds.

Structural geology looks at features like strata (rock layers), faults, joints, and folds, helping geologists
understand the Earth's past and predict future changes. Important tools like geological maps show this
information and are used in mining, construction, oil exploration, and environmental studies.

A key part of this study is measuring the position of rock layers, called strike and dip, often observed
in outcrops—exposed sections of rock in the field.

Rock mechanics, on the other hand, deals with the strength and behavior of rocks under stress. It
helps engineers build safe tunnels, dams, mines, and slopes by understanding properties like density,
porosity, strength, and elasticity.

Together, structural geology and rock mechanics give us a strong foundation to:

● Understand Earth’s history,

● Predict how rocks might behave in the future,
● Safely design and build structures on or inside the Earth.

As we use more underground space and resources, these fields become more important for ensuring
safety, sustainability, and smart planning.