• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.367-376
• /
• 2018

Samples composed of coal and rock show different mechanical properties of the pure coal or rock mass. For the same coal seam with different surrounding rocks, the frequency and intensity of rock burst can be significantly different in. First, a method of measuring the strain variation of coal in the coal-rock combined sample was proposed. Second, laboratory tests have been conducted to investigate the influences of rock lithologies, combined forms and coal-rock height ratios on the deformation and failure characteristics of the coal section using this method. Third, a new bursting liability index named combined coal-rock impact energy speed index (CRIES) was proposed. This index considers not only the time effect of energy, but also the influence of surrounding rocks. At last, a new approach considering the influences of roof and/or floor was proposed to evaluate the impact capability of coal seam. Results show that the strength and elastic modulus of coal section increase significantly with the coal-rock height ratio decreasing. In addition, the values of bursting liability indexes of the same coal seam vary greatly when using the new approach. This study not only provides a new approach to measuring the strain of the coal section in coal-rock combined sample, but also improves the evaluation system for evaluating the impact capability of coal.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.296-306
• /
• 1998

Ongoing huge Bakun Hydropower project is including the construction of a 210 m height hydroelectric rockfill dam with an installed capacity of 2,520 MW and a power transmission system connecting to the existing networks between Sarawak and peninsula Malaysia. In order to allow the main dam construction during the dry season, the Ballui river will have to be detoured through 3 concrete lined diversion tunnels with an internal diameter of 12 m and a length of 1,400 m each. The geology of Bakun site belongs to the several thousand meters thick Belaga formation deposited from the late Cteteceous to the early Teriary in the Northwest Borneo geosyncline. The orientation of the bedding plane, strike at N55$^{\circ}$E to N70$^{\circ}$E and dip at 50$^{\circ}$SE to 70$^{\circ}$SE, is developed uniformly in Bakun sedimentary rocks. Rock mechanical characteristics of Bakun site have been classified into 4 rock mass types(RMT) depending on the degree of weathering and the occurrence of rock jointing with RMR. Graywacke(Sandstone) as well as Shale can take place together in the same rock mass type if their rock mass properties are similar. It was summarized the rock support type and support system design of underground diversion tunnels in view of rock mechanics.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.31 no.6
• /
• pp.415-427
• /
• 2021

This technical report briefly introduced the rock cutting splitting method under development. This method is a method of excavating the rock by splitting the block after the rock cutting process. After designing the cutting geometry of the rock face, the chisel is press-fitted to remove the rock block. At this time, when the cutting block is properly designed, the tensile crack propagates smoothly at the bottom of the rock block. An analytical solution was devised to estimate the indentation force required for splitting rock blocks using fracture toughness mode 1 required for tensile crack growth. The impact force of the hydraulic breaker of the excavator was analyzed, and the grade of the excavator that can be constructed according to the rock block design geometry was analyzed.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.213-222
• /
• 2024

Determination of jointed rock mass properties plays a significant role in the design and construction of underground structures such as tunneling and mining. Rock mass classification systems such as Rock Mass Rating (RMR), Rock Mass Index (RMi), Rock Mass Quality (Q), and deformation modulus (Em) are determined from the jointed rock masses. However, parameters of jointed rock masses can be affected by the tunnel depth below the surface due to the effect of the in situ stresses. In addition, the geomechanical properties of rocks change due to the effect of metamorphism. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to apply correlation analysis to investigate the relationships between rock mass properties and some parameters related to the depth of the tunnel studied. For this purpose, the field work consisted of determining rock mass parameters in a tunnel alignment (~7.1 km) at varying depths from 21 m to 431 m below ground surface. At the same excavation depths, thirty-seven rock types were also sampled and tested in the laboratory. Correlations were made between vertical stress and depth, horizontal/vertical stress ratio (k) and depth, k and Em, k and RMi, k and point load index (PLI), k and Brazilian tensile strength (BTS), Em and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), UCS and PLI, UCS and BTS. Relationships were significant (significance level=0.000) at the confidence interval of 95% (r = 0.77-0.88) between the data pairs for the rocks taken from depths greater than 166 m where the ratio of horizontal to vertical stress is between 0.6 and 1.2. The in-situ stress parameters affected rock mass properties as well as metamorphism which affected the geomechanical properties of rock materials by affecting the behavior of minerals and textures within rocks. This study revealed that in-situ stress parameters and metamorphism should be reviewed when tunnel studies are carried out.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.447-456
• /
• 2000

Rock bridge in rock masses can be considered as one of several types of opening-mode fractures, and also it has been known to have a great influence on the stability of structures in rock mass. In the beginning of researching a rock bridge it used to be studied only in characteristics of its behavior, as considering resistance of material itself. However the distribution pattern of rock bridges, which can affect the stability of rock structures, is currently researched with a fracture mechanical approach in numerical studies. For investigating the effect of rock bridges on the development pattern of hydraulic fractures, the author analyzed numerically the stress state transition in rock bridges and their phenomena with a different pattern of the rock bridge distributions. From the numerical studies, a two-crack configuration could be defined to be representative of the most critical conditions for rock bridges, only when cracks are systematic and same in their length and angle. Moreover, coalescence stresses and onset of propagation stresses could be known to increase with decreasing s/L ratio or increasing d/L ratio. The effect of pre-existing crack on hydraulic fracturing was studied also in numerical models. Different to the simple hydraulic fracturing modeling in which the fractures propagated exactly parallel to the maximum remote stress, the hydraulic fractures with pre-existing cracks did not propagate parallel to the maximum remote stress direction. These are representative of the tendency to change the hydraulic fractures direction because of the existence of pre-existing crack. Therefore s/L, d/L ratios will be identical as a function effective on hydraulic fractures propagation, that is, the K$_1$ value increase with decreasing s/L ratio or increasing d/L ratio and its magnification from onset to propagation increases with decreasing s/L ratio. The scanline is a commonly used method to estimate the fracture distribution on outcrops. The data obtained from the scanline method can be applied to the evaluation of stress field in rock mass.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.181-189
• /
• 2009

This study is to evaluate an effect of supports with respect to these supports after comparing the characteristic of support between rock bolt of a widely used type and spiral bolt of a new type. For these purposes, we performed pull-out test in laboratory about rock and spiral bolts in the case of cement-mortar grout curing periods, 7 and 28 days, then calculated pull-out load, displacement, external pressure, inner pressure and shear stress using data obtained from the results of pull-out test, respectively. In relation between pull-out load and displacement, displacement of spiral bolt is larger than one of rock bolt. It is considered that mechanical property of rock bolt is due to larger than one of spiral bolt. In addition, displacement of supports shows nearly same or decreasing with curing periods. We found that because adhesive force between supports and cement-mortar grout is increasing with compressive strength of grout according to curing periods. The inner pressure of spiral bolt is represented larger than one of rock bolt at a step of same pull-out load. It is suggested that spiral bolt is more stable than rock bolt, maintaining stability of ground or rock mass, when supports are installed in a ground or rock mass under the same condition. Putting together with above results, we can consider that spiral bolt as a new support on an aspect of pull-out load and inner pressure is larger than rock bolt in a ground or rock mass under the same condition. Moreover, spiral bolt is more effective support than rock bolt, considering an economical and constructive aspects of supports, as well as ground or rock stability before or after installing supports.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.442-456
• /
• 2018

Scaled model tests were performed to evaluate the reinforcement effect of rock bolts in anisotropic rock mass. For this purpose, two tunnel cases were experimented which had different tunnel sizes, rock strengths, anisotropic angles and coefficients of lateral pressure. The fully grouted rock bolts of the D25 deformed bar were modeled as the basting pins with bead and were systematically installed at the roof and the side wall of the model tunnel. As results of the first case experimentations, the unsupported model showed initial crack at the roof of tunnel, but the supported model with rock bolts showed initial crack at the floor of tunnel where rock bolts were not installed. The crack initiating pressure and the maximum pressure of the supported model with rock bolts were 11% and 7% larger than those of the unsupported model, respectively. Moreover, the effect of the existing discontinuities in anisotropic rock mass on the fracture behavior of tunnel was reduced in the supported model, and so the reinforcement effect of rock bolt turned out to be experimentally verified. As results of the second case experimentations considering different support patterns, the crack initiating pressures of models were larger and the reduction ratios of tunnel area according to applied load were smaller as the length and the quantity of rock bolts were larger. Therefore, it was found that the performance of the rock bolts turned out to be improved as they were larger.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.10-24
• /
• 2021

Rock mass classification for construction of underground facilities is essential to secure their stabilities. Therefore, the reliable values for rock mass classification from the precise information on rock discontinuities are most important factors, because rock mass discontinuities can affect exclusively on the physical and mechanical properties of rock mass. The conventional classification operation for rock mass has been usually performed by hand mapping. However, there have been many issues for its precision and reliability; for instance, in large-scale survey area for regional geological survey, or rock mass classification operation by non-professional engineers. For these reasons, automated rock mass classification using LiDAR becomes popular for obtaining the quick and precise information. But there are several suggested algorithms for analyzing the rock mass discontinuities from point cloud data by LiDAR scanning, and it is known that the different algorithm gives usually different solution. Also, it is not simple to obtain the exact same value to hand mapping. In this paper, several discontinuity extract algorithms have been explained, and their processes for extracting rock mass discontinuities have been simulated for real rock bench. The application process for several algorithms is anticipated to be a good reference for future researches on extracting rock mass discontinuities from digital point cloud data by laser scanner, such as LiDAR.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.29-41
• /
• 2023

The brittleness of rocks plays an important role in determining the fragmentation and failure behavior of rock. However, there is still no standard method to evaluate the brittleness of rock, and previous studies have suggested the several definitions for estimation of brittleness of rock. Even in the process of mechanical rock excavation and drilling, the brittleness of rock is considered as an important property for evaluating the excavation efficiency of mechanical excavators or boreability of rock. The previous studies have been carried out to investigate the correlation between different brittleness of rock and cutting efficiency and boreability of rock. This study introduced a method for calculating the brittleness of rock from punch penetration test, and analyzed the correlation between the brittleness of rock calculated by the uniaxial compressive and Brazilian tensile strengths and that from punch penetration test. From the results of correlation analysis, the relationship between various brittleness was confirmed, and it was found that PSI and BI₃ showed a good correlation with the strength-based brittleness index. In addition, the results indicated that B₃ and B₄ are suitable to represent the brittleness of rock in the field of mechanical rock excavation.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.26 no.1C
• /
• pp.25-31
• /
• 2006

It is common to use the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of intact rock to estimate the shaft resistance of rock socketed drilled shaft. Therefore the most design manuals give a guide to use the UCS of rock core to estimate the shaft resistance of rock-socketed drilled shaft. Recently, however the design manuals for highway bridge (KSCE, 2001) and of AASHTO (2000) were revised to use the UCS of rock mass with RQD instead of the UCS of rock core so that the estimated resistance could be representative of field conditions. Questions have been raised in application of the new guide to the domestic main bed rock types. The intrinsic drawbacks in terms of RQD were comprised in the questions, too. As the results, in 2002 the new guide in the design manual for highway bridge (KSCE, 2001) were again revised to use the UCS of rock core to estimate the shaft resistance of rock-socketed drilled shafts. In this paper, various methods which can estimate the UCS of rock mass from intact rock core were reviewed. It seems that among those, the Hoek-Brown method is very reliable and practical for the estimation of the UCS of rock mass from rock cores. As the results, using the Hoek-Brown failure criterion a modified guide for the estimation of the shaft resistance of rock-socketed drilled shafts was suggested in this paper. Through a case study it is shown that the suggested method gives a good agreement with the measured data.