Changes

These components act on each visible face of an infinitesimal cube used to represent a point within a rock mass. This results in a total of nine stress components that can be organized in a 3x3 matrix, called the stress tensor (see figure 4). Assuming the rock is at rest, the stresses of equal magnitudes and opposite directions will cancel out each other and prevent the cube from rotating. There is a special orientation in space where all shear stresses equal to zero and only three normal compressive components exist, called principle stresses (see Figure 5). The three principle stresses are the vertical stress (σV), the maximum horizontal stress (σH), and the minimum horizontal stress (σh).  

These components act on each visible face of an infinitesimal cube used to represent a point within a rock mass. This results in a total of nine stress components that can be organized in a 3x3 matrix, called the stress tensor (see figure 4). Assuming the rock is at rest, the stresses of equal magnitudes and opposite directions will cancel out each other and prevent the cube from rotating. There is a special orientation in space where all shear stresses equal to zero and only three normal compressive components exist, called principle stresses (see Figure 5). The three principle stresses are the vertical stress (σV), the maximum horizontal stress (σH), and the minimum horizontal stress (σh).  

<gallery mode=packed style=center heights=200px>

<gallery mode=packed style=center heights=200px>

File:GeoWikiWriteOff2021-Tayyib-Figure3.png|framed|{{Figure number|3}} Illustration of resolving an oblique stress vector into normal and shear components.

File:GeoWikiWriteOff2021-Tayyib-Figure3.png|{{Figure number|3}}Illustration of resolving an oblique stress vector into normal and shear components.

File:GeoWikiWriteOff2021-Tayyib-Figure4.png|thumbnail|Figure 4 Stress tensor components of an infinitesimal cube, representing a point in the rock, and their alignment with the cartesian axes. (from Zhang, L., 2016) [3.1]

File:GeoWikiWriteOff2021-Tayyib-Figure4.png|{{Figure number|4}}Stress tensor components of an infinitesimal cube, representing a point in the rock, and their alignment with the cartesian axes. (from Zhang, L., 2016) [3.1]

[[File:GeoWikiWriteOff2021-Tayyib-Figure5.png|thumbnail|Figure 5 Special orientation in space where all shear stresses equal to zero. (from Zhang, L., 2016) [3.2]

File:GeoWikiWriteOff2021-Tayyib-Figure5.png|{{Figure number|5}}Special orientation in space where all shear stresses equal to zero. (from Zhang, L., 2016) [3.2]

</gallery>

</gallery>