Solid As A Rock?

People often describe something hard and immovable as 'solid as a rock'. But rock does not always live up to its reputation. Depending on its characteristics and local conditions, sections of rock may slip, slide, crumble or deform, potentially serious consequences. Geologists study the geomechanical properties of rock masses to understand how they may fail. This is traditionally done by measuring the characteristics of the rock mass discontinuity sets by climbing the rock face or by using photogrammetry, but terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) has caught the attention of geologists as being a safer and more effective method. This article illustrates the use of TLS for geomechanical analysis in the Italian Alps.