Study advance on in-site geostress measurement and analysis of initial geostress field in China

With the development of traffic, energy and water resources and hydropower in China, in-site geostress measurement and correlative research are more and more important for many geotechnical engineering; especially for the deep and long tunnels, that will be constructed in the condition of complicated terrain and geology. After first success of in-site geostress measurement in the 1960 s, great developments have been made in the filed of in-site geostress measuring method and correlative research in China. In this paper the developments history of in-site geostress measurement in China is introduced briefly. The advances of borehole stress-relief method, hydraulic fracturing method, other in-site geotress measurement methods and inversion study of initial stress field are mainly introduced. In addition, the prospect of in-site geostress measurement and inversion method of initial stress field in China are described considering the development characteristic of geotechnical engineering in the future.