Fractals in Rock Mechanics

Important developments in the progress of the theory of rock mechanics during recent years are based on fractals and damage mechanics. The concept of fractals has proved to be a useful way of describing the statistics of naturally occurring geometrics. Natural objects, from mountains and coastlines to clouds and forests, are found to have boundaries best described as fractals. Fluid flow through jointed rock masses and clusterings of earthquakes are found to follow fractal patterns in time and s