... to represent fracture systems was based upon the assumption that all fractures can be defined by three sets of unbounded orthogonal fractures (Dershowitz & Einstein 1988). The basic model defined by Snow (1965) consists of orthogonal sets of parallel-unbounded fractures, with a constant spacing between...

... mechanics emphasis on discontinuities for geomechanical analysis also plays a key role in environmental applications. This is seen most clearly in the discrete feature network (DFN) approach (Dershowitz, 1984, Robinson, 1984). The DFN approach has recently been extended to directly address the geometry...

... for fracture location. A series of seven models have been implemented and evaluated in three dimensions within the FracMan discrete feature modelling system (Dershowitz et al., 1992). 2.1 Poisson Location Model ("Baecher Model"): In the Baecher model, fracture locations are assumed to be defined by centers...

... lengths b, and, given the much higher resistance of intact rock compared to joints, this lack of geometric knowledge translates into substantial uncertainty regarding rock mass resistance. Stochastic joint modelling (e.g. Dershowitz, et al., 1988) produced a real breakthrough in that it allows one...