Rocky massif
Rock mechanics - Characterization of rock masses

The rocky massif is a complex environment:

• discontinuous: unlike soil, solid rock is made up of more or less intact blocks, separated by discontinuities of various types (stratification planes, diaclases, schistosity planes, lithological contacts, faults, etc.), which constitute zones of mechanical weakness and preferred water circulation paths;

• heterogeneous: heterogeneities exist at different scales, such as changes in lithological layers, lateral variations in facies, anomalous tectonic contacts bringing together very different formations, the presence of an intrusion such as a granitic pluton, areas of karstic dissolution or local weathering; this heterogeneity of the...