Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Foreword -- Preface -- Introduction -- 1 Strength in Particular Rock Strength: Concepts, Definitions and Experimental Techniques -- 1.1 Rock as a Mechanical Mixture of Phases: A Composite with History -- 1.2 Properties of Mechanical Mixtures: Composition and Construction -- 1.2.1 The Essential Distributions of Solid, Crystalline Particles in Space -- 1.2.2 Porosity and Its Determination as well as Some Remarks on Pore Shapes -- 1.2.3 Intergranular Materials (Cements) -- 1.2.4 Strength and Notch Systems at the Sample Surface -- 1.3 The Physical Definition of Strength: A General Measuring Instruction -- 1.3.1 Experimental Methods for the Determination of Strength of Rock -- 1.4 Physico-Chemical Reactions Suitable for a Selective Destruction of Rock Structure -- 2 Physico-Chemical Elements of the Strength of Pure Phases with Ionic Linkage -- 2.1 Force- and Energy-Distance Functions -- 2.1.1 Formation of Ion Pairs -- 2.1.2 Formation of Ion Chains -- 2.1.3 Force-elongation Curves for Uniform and Composed Chains -- 2.1.4 Estimate of the Theoretical Strength -- 2.1.5 Silicic Acid Chains -- 2.2 The Lattice Energy -- 2.3 Strength According to Orowan's and Griffith's Considerations -- 2.4 The Order of Magnitude of Thermal Surface Stresses for a Central Symmetric Phase Arrangement -- 2.5 Surface- and Interfacial-Energy -- 2.6 Overview of the Problems of Strength in Relation to Different Bondings in Materials -- 3 Strengthening of Grain Packings by Intermolecular Forces -- 3.1 Surface Tension of Liquid Water in Selected Simple Systems -- 3.1.1 The Stresses Resulting from Wetting a Solid by a Liquid -- 3.1.2 Effect of Adhesion Tension in Selected Simple Systems -- 3.2 Water Strengthened Grain Packings -- 4 The Behaviour of Sandstone Samples under Water.

Weathering Processes -- 4.1 Definitions and Conventions -- 4.1.1 Sign Conventions for Forces -- 4.1.2 Swelling of Rocks -- 4.1.3 System and System Changes -- 4.2 Direct Observations and Photographic Registration of the Bunter Sandstone/Water System -- 4.2.1 Averaged Reaction Temperature and Weathering Regime on the Surface of the Earth -- 4.2.2 Results of Direct Observation by Photographic Registration -- 4.2.3 Inorganic-chemical Brutto Analysis (EDX) of the Mechanically Distinguishable Phases -- 4.2.4 Preliminary Remarks on the Morphology of the Suspended Phases -- 4.2.5 Substances and Products of Lateritic Weathering Set Free when Immersing Bunter Sandstone Samples in Water -- 4.2.6 Observations on Volume Changes of Bunter Sandstone Samples when Ageing in Water -- 4.2.7 Whereabouts of Pore Air -- 5 Conclusions from the Ageing Experiments of Bunter Sandstone in Water and the Distribution of Substances and Forces in Samples -- 5.1 Models for the Material and Pore Distribution in Bunter Sandstone -- 5.1.1 Experimental Pore Diameter Distribution Function -- 5.1.2 Diameters of Colloidal Sediments from Suspensions of Landslide Masses of Murlenbach Eifel (1989) -- 5.1.3 Diameters of the Colloidal Suspension Load of Rivers -- 5.1.4 Contact Bridges and Their Load Bearing Cross Section -- 5.1.5 Local and Time Dependent Influences which Can Affect the Carrying Cross Section of Sandstone Samples -- 5.2 Summarising Remarks in View to the Results of the Ageing Experiments -- References -- Index.