This proposal presents a comprehensive study of rock anisotropy and the nature of the stress field induced in anisotropic rock masses with irregular topographies consisting of ridges and valleys. The first task of the proposed research is analytical and consists of deriving closed-form solutions to investigate the combining effect of rock stratification and topography on in situ stresses. The second task consists of testing a variety of anisotropic rocks under uniaxial, triaxial and true triaxial conditions to determine their range of elastic properties. The third task is to conduct dilatometer tests to determine the deformability properties of anisotropic rock masses in the field.
