GEOTECHNICAL OR GEOMECHANICAL?

Author: Dr. Alex Vyazmensky https://www.linkedin.com/in/vyazmensky/

Quite often, I hear a question:

Why the term Geotechnical Engineering is used in Mining?

Lets investigate!

There are five major specialty areas that deal with engineering in soil and/or rock:

1. Civil Geotechnics: design of foundations for urban construction and civil

infrastructure, tunnels engineering, design of dams and large underground
openings for civil applications (hydropower stations, nuclear storage facilities and
etc.).

2. Engineering Geology: assessment and management of geohazards, forestry

geotechnics, route selection for roads and pipelines, ground water management.

3. Mining Geomechanics: design of stable excavations and management of rock

mass behavior under various stress conditions for the purpose of extraction of
metals and minerals, input for selection of optimum mining method and its
parameters, assessment of the extent of surface disturbance related to mining
activities.

1
4. Geoenvironmental Engineering: environment pollution management, landfill
engineering and environmental reclamation.

5. Oil and Gas Geomechanics: wellbore stability and reservoir performance

engineering.

The boundaries between the first three specialties are blurred, given a largely
common theoretical basis and a similarity of the problems solved (e.g. slope
stability assessment for natural slopes vs. man-made slopes for road construction
or open pit mining).

Definition of Geotechnical Engineering continues to evolve, here is one which

appears the most comprehensive:

Geotechnical Engineering uses principles of Soil Mechanics, Rock Mechanics and

Geology to:
> investigate subsurface conditions and materials;
> determine the relevant physical/mechanical properties of these materials;
> evaluate stability of natural slopes, design stable man-made slopes and
underground excavations;
> assess risks posed by site conditions;
> design earthworks and structure foundations;
> and monitor and manage risks related to site conditions and earthworks.

If we accept this definition, then Geomechanics and Geotechnics become

interchangeable terms for Mining. As of now, major Mining companies by and
large have adopted the term Geotechnical Engineering and the specialists
practicing this discipline are referred to as (Mine) Geotechnical Engineers.

It should be noted that the term Geotechnical Engineering is not universally

accepted. In some countries/companies rock engineering specialists are referred to
as Geomechanical Engineers, Rock Engineers, Strata Control Engineers and etc.

2
A web search for Geomechanical Engineering jobs will lead to a major Oil and
Gas operator or a reservoir engineering services provider. In the Oil and Gas
Industry Geomechanics is becoming increasingly important (read more on
this here).

Rock and soil engineering specialities will continue to evolve, and, perhaps, in few
years we will group them differently and under the new names!

image source: LTU website