This is the first authoritative reference on rock mass classification, consolidating into one handy source information once widely scattered throughout the literature. It includes new, previously unpublished material and case histories, presents the fundamental concepts of classification schemes, and critically appraises their practical application in industrial projects such as tunneling and mining.

Z. T. Bieniawski is the author of Engineering Rock Mass Classifications: A Complete Manual for Engineers and Geologists in Mining, Civil, and Petroleum Engineering, published by Wiley.