Gesteinsdiskontinuitäten

Gesteinsdiskontinuitäten, also known as discontinuities in rock masses, are natural breaks or planes of weakness within a rock formation. These discontinuities are crucial in understanding the behavior of rock masses, particularly in civil engineering, mining, and geological hazard assessment. They significantly influence the strength, permeability, and overall stability of the rock.

Common types of discontinuities include joints, faults, bedding planes, and foliation planes. Joints are typically tensile fractures that have not experienced significant displacement. Faults, on the other hand, represent zones of significant displacement along which the rock mass has been broken and moved. Bedding planes are surfaces that separate distinct layers of sedimentary rock, while foliation planes are characteristic of metamorphic rocks, representing layers or bands formed during metamorphism.

The orientation, spacing, persistence, roughness, and aperture (opening) of these discontinuities are key parameters that geologists and engineers evaluate. These properties dictate how water flows through the rock mass, how easily it can be excavated, and the potential for slope failures or rock mass instability. Understanding and characterizing Gesteinsdiskontinuitäten is a fundamental aspect of geotechnical investigations and rock mechanics. They are often mapped and analyzed using techniques such as discontinuity surveys and stereographic projection.