... to compare the strength of a regularly jointed rock mass under biaxial loading with its strength under axisymmetric loading. The intact rock strength is described by a Hoek and Brown criterion. The joints have no tensile strength and a shear strength described by a Coulomb criterion. The two loading...

... by monitoring the diametrical closure of an inner borehole. A finite element elastic analysis of the jack loading system has been performed. The purpose of this analysis was to determine if the original assumption of axisymmetric loading' is correct. Six loading cases were investigated, each representing either...