ÖAW-DOC_IMr - Multiscale characterization of argillaceous soft rock

A problematic geomaterial that cannot always be avoided in underground engineering are transitional rocks (Hard Soil/Soft Rock, abbreviated as HSSR) in the sense of weakly consolidated soils and soft rocks, which are formed by weathering and loosening processes and/or consolidation mechanisms. These include some types of clays, marls, sands, siltstones, shales, phyl-lites, volcanic ashes, and tuffs as well as stiff clays. As the term transitional rock suggests, this material cannot be classified as either soft soil or hard rock. Conventional characterization, classification, and investigation methods from soil and rock mechanics are often not suitable for describing HSSR with sufficient accuracy. This project involves a comprehensive rock mass characterization of a local clayey marl lithology, combining rock mechanics and engineering geology aspects with mineralogy. The aim is to achieve a detailed characterization on various scales.