Design of surface
78 excava t i o ns
18.1 The project objective
We have emphasized that the rock engineer must establish the engineer-
ing objective, consider the relevant rock mechanics mechanisms, obtain
the necessary site investigation information, conduct appropriate model-
ling in order to develop a predictive capability, and then decide on the
design. In the following photographs, we highlight the point that the rock
engineer can be faced with different objectives and hence different tasks.
In the previous chapter, in Fig. 17.1 we illustrated the rock on the
downstream side of the right abutment of the finished Hoover Dam. In
Fig. 18.1, the overall process of dam construction is shown as the Alto
Lindoso Dam was being constructed. The rock engineering problems
Figure 18.1 Construction of the Alto Lindoso Dam on the Portugal-Spain border.