9458373 Pyrak-Nolte This research project will attempt to quantitatively establish the links among the mechanical, hydraulic, and seismic properties of rock discontinuities. All rocks contain mechanical discontinuities on many length scales. These discontinuities, such as cracks, fractures, or joints, are sources of anisotropy and inhomogeneity. They influence and control the many forms of rock behavior. Bridging between newly developed departments of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences at Notre Dame will be provided by this P.I. A new line of undergraduate courses, previously nonexistent here, will be developed to integrate the concepts of geoscience with civil engineering.
