As a geomechanical, it is my duty to evaluate the situation with as much data as I can

gather and as much expertise as I have and as much experience as I have to evaluate rock
mass behaviour and estimate which rock support system fits better.

Geotechnical or
Geomechanical?
 Published on Published onFebruary 23, 2017

Alex Vyazmensky, Ph.D.

FollowFollow Alex Vyazmensky, Ph.D.

Group Geotechnical Lead | Emerging Technologies & Mining Innovation Enthusiast
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Quite often, I hear a question:

“Why the term Geotechnical Engineering is used in Mining?”

Let’s 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.

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.

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!