ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

ISRM classification

Okay, so imagine you have a bunch of different rocks. Some rocks are really hard, some rocks are kind of soft, and some might even be a little bit crumbly.

Now, if we want to describe these rocks in a way that makes sense to scientists and engineers, we need to come up with a system for classifying them.

That's where the ISRM classification comes in. ISRM stands for "International Society for Rock Mechanics," which is a group of experts who came up with a way of describing rocks based on their properties.

Basically, the ISRM classification system looks at things like how hard a rock is, how much pressure it can withstand before it breaks, and how it behaves under stress.

By using this system, scientists and engineers can better understand how rocks will behave in different situations, like when building a tunnel or a dam or a skyscraper.

So, just like how we sort our toys or our clothes into different categories, the ISRM classification helps us sort rocks into different types based on their properties.