scope:

A number of the definitions include symbols and indicate the units of measurement. The symbols appear in italics immediately after the name of the term, followed by the unit in parentheses. No significance should be placed on the order in which the symbols are presented where two or more are given for an individual term. The applicable units are indicated by capital letters, as follows:

F - Force, such as pound-force, ton-force, newton

L - Length, such as inch, foot, centimetre

T - Time, such as second, minute

D - Dimensionless

Positive exponents designate multiples in the numerator. Negative exponents designate multiples in the denominator. Degrees of angle are indicated as "degrees."

Expressing the units either in SI or the inch-pound system has been purposely omitted in order to leave the choice of the system and specific unit to the engineer and the particular application, for example:

FL⊃−2; - may be expressed in pounds-force per square inch, kilopascals, tons per square foot, etc.

LT⊃−1; - may be expressed in feet per minute, centimetres per second, etc.

Where synonymous terms are cross-referenced, the definition is usually included with the earlier term alphabetically. Where this is not the case, the later term is the more significant.

Definitions marked with (ISRM) are taken directly from the publication in Ref 42 and are included for the convenience of the user.

For a list of ISRM symbols relating to soil and rock mechanics, refer to Appendix X1.

A list of references used in the preparation of these definitions appears at the end.