A note on rockbursts considered as a problem of stability

The fracture of rock specimens in conventional tests to determine compressive strength is shown to be an unstable process which depends upon the characteristics of the loading jack. Usually these tests provide no information concerning the non-elastic behaviour of hard rocks. An hypothesis is put forward concerning this behaviour, and the occurrence of rockbursts is considered as a problem of stability. On this basis, an account can be given of several observations concerning rockbursts which are at variance with simple theory.