Documentation and Theory Overview

RocSupport is a quick and simple to use program for estimating the deformation of circular tunnels in weak rock, and visualizing the tunnel interaction with various support systems.

The analysis method used in RocSupport is commonly referred to as "rock-support interaction" or "convergence-confinement" analysis. This analysis method is based on the concept of a "ground reaction curve" or "characteristic line," obtained from the analytical solution for a circular tunnel in an elasto-plastic rock mass under a hydrostatic stress field.

Getting Started

If you are a new user of RocSupport, you should begin by reviewing the RocSupport Introduction Manual and then complete the RocSupport Quick Start tutorial to help familiarize yourself with the software’s main functions.

How to Use this Guide

Documentation

The Documentation tab helps you to get familiar with program features and provides details on specific tools/functions of the software. This section includes topics like terminology, general features, input data, analysis methods, viewing and display options, and more.

Tutorials

The tutorials tab provides easy to follow, step-by-step instructions demonstrating how to use various features of the program and provide guidance for more specific analysis features of RocSupport. It is recommended that you go through as many of the tutorials as possible to get acquainted with the many different capabilities of the software.

Begin with the RocSupport - Quick Start Tutorial for an introduction to the basic modeling and data interpretation features of RocSupport.

Verification and Theory

The Theory and Verification tab contains a collection of Theory and Verification Manuals for the software. The Verification Examples presents several example problems which have been used to verify the accuracy of the solutions computed by RocSupport. The RocSupport Introduction Manual provides an introduction into the inner workings of RocSupport and covers topics including the Rock Support Interaction Solution Method.