• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.15 no.4 s.57
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• pp.288-295
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• 2005

Many mechanical defects originated from various geological causes make rock mass exhibit anisotropic characteristics. Understanding how the stress distribution occurs in anisotropic rock mass is, therefore, very important for the design of footings on rock and rock structures. In this study, the patterns of elastic stress distribution, developed by acting line load on the surface, in transversely isotropic was investigated. The influence of joint stiffness, joint spacing, and dip angle on the stress distribution was examined. By assuming the Mohr-Coulomb criterion as joint slip condition, the development of joint slip zone was also discussed.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.119-134
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• 1999

Joints developed around the Moryang fault were investigated by traverse and inventory methods in order to characterize their orientation, spacing and density. The results of the traverse method show that the orientation of the dominant joint sets of the study area is NNE and EW, and that joint spacing distribution is a negative exponential distribution to the center of the fault and a log-normal distribution to the margin of the fault. The results of the inventory method show that the orientation of the dominant joint sets on joint map is NW and NE, and that joint density tends to increase toward the center of the fault. Fractal dimension was determined by using Box-counting method and Cantor's dust method to quantify the distribution of joint network and to evaluate the dimension around the fault. The dimension determined by Box-counting method ranges from 1.31 to 1.70 and shows the tendency of increasing value toward the center of the fault. Comparing fractal dimension by Box-counting method with joint density, fractal dimension is directly proportional to joint density. Nevertheless, fractal dimension could be varied due to the different distribution patterns of the joints with same density. The dimensions determined by Cantor's dust method show different values with respect to the orientation of scan lines. This results form the anisotropy of joint distribution.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.542-557
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• 2019

The behavior of rock mass is influenced by its microscopic feature of internal structure generating from forming and metamorphic process. This study investigated a new methodology for characterization of rock based on the X-ray CT (computed tomography) images reflecting the spatial distribution characteristics of internal constituent materials. The X-ray image based analysis is capable of quantification of heterogeneity and anisotropy of rock fabric, size distribution and shape parameter analysis of rock mineral grains, fluid flow simulation based on pore geometry image and roughness evaluation of unexposed joint surface which are hardly acquired by conventional rock testing methods.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.271-285
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• 2020

In this study, a numerical experiment related to the stress-strain analysis was performed on 3-D discrete fracture network(DFN) systems based on the distinct element method to evaluate the effect of joint geometry on deformability of jointed rock masses. Using one or two joint sets with deterministic orientation, a total of 12 3-D DFN blocks having 10m cube domain were generated with different joint density and size distribution. Directional deformation modulus of the DFN cube blocks were estimated along the axis directions of 3-D cartesian coordinate. In addition, deviatoric stress directions were chosen at every 30° of trend and plunge in 3-D for some DFN blocks to examine the variability of directional deformation modulus with respect to joint geometry. The directional deformation modulus of the DFN block were found to reduce with the increase of joint size distribution. The increase in joint density was less likely to have a significant effect on directional deformation modulus of the DFN block in case of the effect of rock bridges was relatively large because of short joint size distribution. It, however, was evaluated that the longer the joint size, the increase in the joint density had a more significant effect on the anisotropic deformation modulus of the DFN block. The variation of the anisotropic deformation modulus according to the variations in joint density and size distribution was highly dependent on the number of joint sets and their orientation in the DFN block. Finally, this study addressed a numerical procedure for stress-strain analysis of jointed rock masses considering joint geometry and discussed a methodology for practical application at the field scale.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.61-71
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• 2017

The effects of joint density and size distribution on the hydrogeologic characteristics of jointed rock masses are addressed through numerical experiments based on the 2-D DFN (discrete fracture network) fluid flow analysis. Using two joint sets, a total of 51 2-D joint network system were generated with various joint density and size distribution. Twelve fluid flow directions were chosen every $30^{\circ}$ starting at $0^{\circ}$, and total of 612 $20m{\times}20m$ DFN blocks were prepared to calculate the directional block conductivity. Also, the theoretical block conductivity, principal conductivity tensor and average block conductivity for each generated joint network system were determined. The directional block conductivity and chance for the equivalent continuum behavior of the 2-D DFN system were found to increase with the increase of joint density or size distribution. However, the anisotropy of block hydraulic conductivity increases with the increase of density discrepancy between the joint sets, and the chance for the equivalent continuum behavior were found to decrease. The smaller the intersection angle of the two joint sets, the more the equivalent continuum behavior were affected by the change of joint density and size distribution. Even though the intersection angle is small enough that it is difficult to have equivalent continuum behavior, the chance for anisotropic equivalent continuum behavior increases as joint density or size distribution increases.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.283-292
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• 2016

A computer program code was developed to estimate hydraulic behavior of the 2-D connected pipe network system, and implemented to evaluate the effect of joint aperture on hydraulic parameters of fractured rock masses through numerical experiments. A total of 216 stochastic 2-D DFN(discrete fracture network) blocks of $20m{\times}20m$ were prepared using two joint sets with fixed input parameters of joint orientation, frequency and size distribution. Two different cases of joint aperture variation are considered in this study. The hydraulic parameters were estimated for generated 2-D DFN blocks. The hydraulic anisotropy and the chance for equivalent continuum behavior of the DFN system were found to depend on the variability of joint aperture.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.220-228
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• 2002

Thermal flow through jointed rock mass was analyzed by numerical methods. The effect of a single set of joints on the heat conduction was analyzed by one-dimensional model and compared with the analytical solution. When a joint is completely dry, the joint behaves as a thermal break inducing jumps in temperature distribution even at steady state. Therefore when joints are completely dry, individual joint has to be taken into consideration to get a good result. When joints are partially or fully saturated, the thermal conductivity of the joints increases drastically and the jumps in temperature distribution become less severe. Therefore the effect of joint in heat conduction can be well absorbed by continuum anisotropic model whose thermal properties represent overall thermal properties of the intact part and the discontinuities. Since the effect of joints becomes less important as the degree of the saturation increases, the overall thermal response of the rock mass also becomes close to isotropic. Therefore it can be concluded that a great effort has to be made to obtain a precise in-situ thermal properties in order to get a good prediction of the thermal response of a jointed rock mass.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.111-120
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• 2008

The characteristic of induced anisotropy is investigated in this study for the Pohang mudstone involving the cut plane discontinuity. The uniaxial and triaxial compression tests are performed for anisotropic rocks with artificial joint to look into anisotropic strength characteristics. Both the uniaxial compressive strength and triaxial compressive strength show the lowest value at the angle of cut plane, ${\beta}=30^{\circ}$ and the shoulder type of anisotropy is obtained. Anisotropy ratio (Rc) in uniaxial compression measures 9.0, whereas Rc=1.29-1.98 in triaxial compression is appeared. A series of analyses are made with the test results to derive the suitable parameter values when it is applied to the Ramamurthy (1985) failure criterion. The result of uniaxial compression test is analyzed by introducing the n-index into Ramamurthy failure criterion. The result shows that, n=l is suitable for ${\beta}=0^{\circ}{\sim}30^{\circ}$ and n=3 is suitable for ${\beta}=30^{\circ}{\sim}90^{\circ}$. To analyze the result of triaxial compression test by Ramamurthy failure criterion, anisotropy ratio in uniaxial compression test is added to Ramamurthy's equation and material constants are estimated by modified Ramamurthy's equation. When these values are applied back to Ramamurthy failure criterion, the predicted values are well fitted to the test results. And strength anisotropy for failure criteria of Jaeger (1960), McLamore & Gray (1967) and Hoek & Brown (1980) are also investigated.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.159-166
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• 2008

We have a question about the changing possibility of orientation of discontinuities through the depth of under-ground. To know this, the data from Honam coalfield composed of shale, sandstone and coal and Suwon area which crops out mica schist, were analyzed the discontinuities measured by BIPS and Televiewer. In Honam coalfield the orientations of joints are changed at 30-40 m depth of underground and in Suwon area they are changed around 20 m depth. To compared the results from Honanam coalfield and Suwon area, there are different rock type and geologic structure. However, the attitude of the discontinuities are changing at 20-30 m depth of underground.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.41-57
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• 2022

A workflow is presented to estimate the size of a representative elementary volume and 3-D hydraulic conductivity tensor based on fluid flow analysis for a discrete fracture network (DFN). A case study is considered for a Cretaceous granitic rock mass at Gijang in Busan, Korea. The intensity and size of joints were calibrated using the first invariant of the fracture tensor for the 2-D DFN of the study area. Effective hydraulic apertures were obtained by analyzing the results of field packer tests. The representative elementary volume of the 2-D DFN was determined to be 20 m square by investigating the variations in the directional hydraulic conductivity for blocks of different sizes. The directional hydraulic conductivities calculated from the 2-D DFN exhibited strong anisotropy related to the hydraulic behavior of the study area. The 3-D hydraulic conductivity tensor for the fractured rock mass of the study area was estimated from the directional block conductivities of the 2-D DFN blocks generated for various directions in 3-D. The orientations of the principal components of the 3-D hydraulic conductivity tensor were found to be identical to those of delineated joint sets in the study area.