Discontinuity (geotechnical engineering)
Discontinuity in geotechnical engineering means that something is not continuous or smooth. Imagine walking on the sidewalk and suddenly there is a big bump or crack in it. That bump or crack is called a discontinuity.
In soil and rock, there are natural cracks and breaks called joints and faults. These discontinuities can affect how strong a soil or rock mass is and how much it can hold. It's like if you were building a tower with blocks and some of the blocks had cracks in them. The tower might not be as strong as if all the blocks were solid.
Geotechnical engineers study these discontinuities and figure out how to work with them to make sure buildings and roads are safe. They might fill in the cracks with special materials or place rocks in a certain way to make sure they are stable.
So, discontinuity is when something is not smooth or continuous, and in geotechnical engineering, it refers to natural cracks and breaks in soil and rock that can affect the strength and stability of a structure.
In soil and rock, there are natural cracks and breaks called joints and faults. These discontinuities can affect how strong a soil or rock mass is and how much it can hold. It's like if you were building a tower with blocks and some of the blocks had cracks in them. The tower might not be as strong as if all the blocks were solid.
Geotechnical engineers study these discontinuities and figure out how to work with them to make sure buildings and roads are safe. They might fill in the cracks with special materials or place rocks in a certain way to make sure they are stable.
So, discontinuity is when something is not smooth or continuous, and in geotechnical engineering, it refers to natural cracks and breaks in soil and rock that can affect the strength and stability of a structure.