The subject of rock mechanics 3Figure 1.3 Example of a bulk blast for production purposes in a quarry.
highways and other features will have been blasted in rock. The two
photographs in Figs 1.3 and 1.4 demonstrate this type of engineering.
Naturally, there are many examples of rock engineering underground
and these occur in civil engineering projects in rock-dominated countries
and during underground mining in all countries. The ubiquitous road and
railway tunnels can have quite different appearances depending on the
engineering and architectural finish. In the two photographs in Figs 1.5 and
1.6, the contrast is shown between a tunnel that required no lining so the
bare rock is visible and a tunnel that required extensive support.
There are often occasions when small or large surface excavations are
Figure 1.4 Example of a rock face made by pre-split blasting to give a stable,
relatively smooth finish.