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RockTech NeXus

METHODS & VALIDATION

Evidence you can inspect. Limits you can see.

Published engineering methods, software tests and human review stand behind Rocklytics and mineraX. Values the literature does not support are labelled as engineering judgement or withdrawn. Nothing here is field-validated yet.

HOW A METHOD REACHES A RESULT

How a method reaches a result.

  1. MODEL_01

    Published methods

    Implementations start from published analytical and empirical methods, and each module documents its inputs, outputs and assumptions. An October 2026 audit compared every calculation with the primary literature. Values with no source found carry the in-app label “Engineering judgement: no source in the literature” until they are sourced or removed.

  2. MODEL_02

    Software verification

    Verification focuses on equations, units, validation rules and benchmark cases. Evidence must be reviewed for the specific method and release being evaluated; this is not a claim of complete product validation.

  3. MODEL_03

    Engineering review

    Warnings and limitations remain part of the result. A qualified practitioner decides whether a method is appropriate for the site and design stage.

PUBLISHED FOUNDATION

One workflow, documented end to end.

Published work

A Computational Approach to Preliminary Tunnel Design: Integrating Kirsch Equations and the Generalized Hoek-Brown Criterion

Preliminary elastic assessment of circular tunnel openings using Kirsch and generalized Hoek-Brown methods.

DOI 10.3390/app16052347
σθ ≈ 3.0σ
Illustrative · Kirsch elastic solution · uniaxial load · circular opening
σ₃ (confining)σ₁ at failure
Illustrative · generalized Hoek-Brown envelope · example parameters

Preliminary circular-tunnel assessment

A Computational Approach to Preliminary Tunnel Design: Integrating Kirsch Equations and the Generalized Hoek-Brown Criterion (DOI 10.3390/app16052347)

Inputs

  • Far-field in-situ stress and horizontal/vertical stress ratio
  • Opening geometry (circular radius)
  • Rock-mass strength parameters for the generalized Hoek-Brown criterion (σci, mb, s, a)

Outputs

  • Elastic tangential stress distribution around the opening (Kirsch solution)
  • Comparison of induced stress against the Hoek-Brown strength envelope
  • Preliminary indication of potentially overstressed zones

Assumptions

  • Linear-elastic, homogeneous, isotropic rock mass
  • Plane-strain, circular opening in an effectively infinite medium
  • No support interaction or excavation sequencing
  • Idealized far-field stress field

Applicability

Preliminary screening of circular openings only. Not a substitute for numerical modelling, site investigation, code compliance or qualified review.

The two methods in the paper

WORKFLOW COVERAGE

Method categories across the workspace.

  • Stress
  • Strength
  • Classification
  • Support
  • Slope
  • Soil
  • Field

SOFTWARE VERIFICATION

What the software checks.

  • Equation checks against published closed-form solutions
  • Explicit unit handling and conversion checks
  • Method-specific validation rules and required-field checks
  • Known benchmark and example cases from the literature
  • Regression tests that run as the software changes

EVIDENCE, BY TYPE

Where each claim stands.

Evidence by claim, type and status
ClaimEvidence typeStatus
Kirsch elastic stress solutionAnalytical + literatureIn published workflow
Generalized Hoek-Brown criterionPeer-reviewed + literatureIn published workflow
Equation, unit and validation-rule checksSoftware testsOngoing per release
Calculation-vs-literature audit, both productsLiterature comparison (Oct 2026)Corrections in progress
Site / pilot field validationField evidencePlanned

DECISION BOUNDARIES

Appropriate use, and what it never replaces.

Appropriate for

  • Screening alternatives and checking calculations
  • Documenting assumptions and exploring sensitivity
  • Preparing preliminary engineering evidence

Not a substitute for

  • Site investigation or monitoring
  • Project-specific numerical modelling
  • Code compliance, independent checking or professional engineering judgment

ACADEMIC ORIGIN

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering

Bring one representative workflow.

See the methods applied in the Rocklytics or mineraX workspace, or discuss a technical evaluation.

Explore RocklyticsExplore mineraXValidation registerResearch centre