The empirical derivation of the minimum berm width and the formulae presented by the various design criteria are different due to the input parameters selected, thus resulting in a range of minimum berm widths that can be calculated for the same set of rock mass and geometric conditions.

As Earth' s crust is the most accessible part of our planet, a wealth of information on its structure and composition is available from geological observations and geophysical measurements. Its shape and composition today are, however, the result of processes occurring at different scales in time and space, rendering study of the crust a complex and challenging undertaking. Field observations and seismic data, for example, confront us with the present day structures and must, for an in-depth understanding of their origin, be reconciled with the processes of deformation that created them. Reconstructing these processes in the past is commonly hindered by lack of continuous outcrop, limited depth resolution and little to no constraints on time. Analogue and numerical models may help improve our understanding of crustal-scale processes through their ability to simulate the birth and evolution of deformational structures at different scales. In this context, the link between theory and observations makes modelling a fundamental tool for the study of processes that alter the Earth's crust. <...>

This book deals with the theories and methodologies used by engineers for the analysis and design of the main geotechnical structures.

The word structures is used here with a clear intention: indeed, the book adopts a structural outlook, inspired by the approach of the Structural Eurocodes and similar documents based on the Limit State Design philosophy.

Design of slope angles for open pit slopes have become increasingly important as mining depths in open pits worldwide continue to increase. Even a minor decrease of the slope angle leads to large additional costs due to increased waste rock extraction. On the other hand, with increased slope angles comes an increased risk of slope failure. A large scale failure can be very disastrous both to the operation and to the personnel working in the mine. <...>