Surface Roughness Characterization of Rock Masses Using the Fractal Dimension and the Variogram

Fractal 차원과 Variogram을 이용한 암반 불연속면의 굴곡도 특성 서술

There has been considerable research dealing with the influence of surface roughness along surfaces of rock discontinuities in relation to the peak shear strength of rock masses. Concepts accepted recently for measuring such strength include estimation of a roughness coefficient such as developed by Barton's studies. The method for estimation the Joint Roughness Coefficient (JRC) value of a measured roughness profile is subjective. The aim of this research is to estimate the JRC value of the roughness of a surface profile in a rock mass system using an objective method. The study of roughness of surfaces has included measurement of fractal geometric characteristics. Once the irregularity of the surface has been described by the fractal dimension, the spatial variation of the surface irregularities can be described using variogram and drift analysis. An empirical relationships between the roughness profiles of selected JRC ranges and their fractal dimension with variogram and drift were derived. The application of analyses of fractal dimension, variogram and drift was novel for the analysis of roughness profiles. Also, an empirical equation was applied to experimental data.