Chapter 17

APPLICATION OF' A ROCK !?ASS CLASSIFICATION T O

I4INING STABILITY PHOBLE>IS - SOXE CASE STUDIES

by P. R. Sheorey and 13. Singh

Central Mining Research Station

Dhanbad 826001, India

ABSTRACT

Understanding of in situ rock mass behaviour has

taken a step forward with the advent of the refined rock
mass classifications of Vickham, Wieniawslci and 3arton
et al. I n this paper six case studies are given in
brief sllowing how Barton's classification could be used
in mining situations. The cases cover stability of
roadway junctions under sha.110~covers, support pressure
estimation in roadways in intact and failed rock con-
ditions, determination of the safe unsllnqorted span of
a wide stope and e s t i m a t i n ~the stability of roadways
in two contiguous seams standing 011 small pillars
against puncture of the parting rock.

Reasonable engineerinc solutions to problems of under

ground opening stability and support design can be
obtained us in^ the modern rock mass classifications o f
Wickham, 1972, Uieniawski, 1973, and Sarton et al., 1974.
The last one particularly has considered joint charac-
teristics in considerable details and has quantified the
ultimate pressure on opening supports and safe un-
supported spans vis-a-vis rock mass quality. not11
Ijieniawslci and Earton have given useful values of the
coefficient of internal f rictiorl and collesive strength
of in situ rock masses depending o n their rating o r
quality. Since the advent of these classifications,
there is a n increasing trend in their application to
other fields of rock mechanics, particularly mining.
This is primarily because of their essential simplicity
384 STABILITY IN UNDERGROUND MINING

a s compared with other methods of dealing with problenls

.
of structures in rock, viz. closed form or numerical
methods
Six minine; stability problems ilove been dealt with in
this DaBer using Barton's classification. Barton's
equations for rock mass quality, safe unsupported opening
spans and ultimate support pressure are given below for
convenience in reference:

1:oclc mass quality Q

9 = EZ -
r -
Jw
JIl Ja SRF

RQD = roclc quality designation ( ~ e e r eet a1.,1966),

= joint set number,
J:
J

Ja
= joint roughness number,
= joint alteration number,
Jw = water reduction number,
SRF = stress reduction factor.

Safe unsupported span of opening W

id = ?-.ESR.Q O o 4 metres
ESR = excavation support ratio.

Ultimate support pressure P

p = -2.0 q-f Icg per sq cni

Jr

Eq.(3) fittint? available case records fi art on et al.,

1974) and Bqj)(4) being offered by Barton as an improved
version of

C A S E STITDIES

Six cases of underground opening stability in diff-

erent minine situztions are dealt with below. Fig. 1
illustrates these cases.
 u o r q w a r j r s s w ~ a sswm yaos j o
u o r q ~ a r ~ d303
d ~ 88883 d q ~ T ~ q W q%ITUTH 8 'L*~TJ
q r p r u o o ~( a ) =spuen (q) B T O ~ ~ W(8)
E
7
W ' L
moas
lL3
_ _______--------

-L
u?L auoqspuws
jwoS euo q s puo s
TeuBd
mq'q 39s AeToqs
U Z 9UOqSpUEg
;------------
e 3 # e d A
st "02
auoqspuog
m 8 ~
d o ~ ad p u o s
 E
0
ln
3

\o E E

No.2 seam

(d) Jitpur (e) Rajpura Dariba (f) Chandametta

Fig.1 (contd). Mining stability cases for application

of rock mass classification
 ROCK MASS CLASSIFICATION

Stability of Roadway Junctions

Bankola and Kenda collieries have bord and pillar

developments 42 m below a railway line and 49 m below
the h i ~ hflood level of a river. The roof strata and
seam are shown in section in Fig. l(a) and (b), Pot-
holing or "chimneyingM up to the surface above shallow
excavations have been noticed in the past in Indian coal
measures at depths less than about 50 m, especial-ly when
the rock mass is poor in competence and is overlain by
a bed of loose material.

The values of different parameters defining Q are

given in Table 1 f o r these two mines corresponding to
Barton's tables. Eq. (2) was used for estimating the
safe unsupported span of junctions substituting 3Jn for
Jn a art on, 1974).

TABLE 1. Rock masa parameters for the

roof at Bankola and Kendra

Parameter Description of conditon Value

applicable
RQD (a) Black shale with sandstone 91 k
(~ankola) layers
(b) Sandstone 5046
RQD Shaley sandstone 5846
(~endra)
Jn One joint set (bedding planes) 3.0
and random joints, if any

r ~ o u g hplanar joints 1.5

Little joint alteration 1 .O
a
Little water inflow
(dry excavations)

S W Shallow depth of cover

("low stress")

ESR Permanent mine openings 1.6

388 STABILITY IN UNDERGROUND MINING

Bankola colliery -
At this mine there is a 2.5-m
thick strong black shale with sandstone layers ( H Q D
= 91% ) overlain by a 19.6-rn thick sandstone bed in the
roof (RQD = 50% ) . Rock mass quality (2 and the safe
unsupported span for these two rock types were obtained
for long-term stability (ESR = 1.6) as

(a) Black shale

(b) Sandstone

These ca1culatio;ls show that ,junctions wider than

about 5 m can be uristable leading to potholes due to
failure of the sandstone up to the railway, if the
stronger bed of black shale collapses - an eventuality
which could not be discounted since it is 2.5 m thick
or less. Support measures recommended for junctions
wider than 5 m consisted of 1.5-m long fully grouted
bolts spaced 1 m apart or hydraulic stowing or hand
packing with crushed rock.

Kendra colliery -
The 0.6-m layer of weak shale shown
in Fig. l(b) was discounted for calculations in this
case, stability against potholing being primarily
governed by the 10-m thick shaley sandstone. Thus from
Table 1

Since no junctions were wider than 4.4 m, danger of

water inrush from the river through potholes could not
be foreseen.
 ROCK MASS CLASSIFICATION

Support Pressure Adjacent to a Longwall Panel

At Ploonidih colliery a 4.8-m wide roadway, Fig. l(c),

protected by 18-m wide chain pillars against a powered
support longwall panel, was exhibiting evidence of
instability. The roadway height is 1.7 m which is also
the seam thickness, and it was to be maintained for 1-2
years. It was estimated from underground observations
that the extent of influence of the side abutment
pressure due to the panel would be 35-40 m. It could
also be estimated (sheorey et al., 1982) that the 18-m
wide chain pillars were stable under the abutment
pressure. It was thus clear that the roadway came under
the influence of high pressure as the face travelled.

Since the roadway was reasonably stable prior to this

i.e. under normal cover pressure, Eq. (2) yields the
rock mass quality as Q = 0.57 using W = 4.8 m and
ESR = 3 corresponding to temporary mine openings. This
value of Q, which corresponds to the "medium stress"
condition (normal cover pressure at 280 m depth), will
change due to the "high stress" induced by the abutment
pressure. From Eq. ( 1 )

Q4&
and SRF = 1.0 for medium stress and 2.0 for high stress
condition a art on
et al., 1974). Thus under abutment
pressure Q will reduce to

Substituting 2.5 Q for Q in Eq. (3) (Barton et ale,

1974) the side pressure is obtained as

= 1.5 kg per sq cm ( 147 kN per sq m)

with Jr = 1.5 for rough planar joints in coal. This
value appears to be reasonable considering the depth of
cover and that the roadway is temporary*.

* The roadway roof was already adequately supported

by timber cross beams. Therefore, only the side
support pressure was estimated.
 STABILITY IN UNDERGROUND MINING

Alternatively, Eq. (4) could be used with Jn = 12

(three joint sets + random joints) and Jr = 1.5 for the
coal seam to give

= 1.7 k g per sq cm (167 k N per sq rn)

'wall
A third alternative is estimating Q for the coal
sides independently using Eq. (2) with W = 1.7 m, the
working height. Then f o r SRF = 2.0 by the earlier proce-
dure Q = 0.0214. Again using Eq. (4) but using Q ins-
tead of 2.5 Q since Q < 0.1,

which is very much on the higher side.

The earlier estimates of Pwall = 1.5 or 1.7 k g Per

sq cm were therefore accepted. The bolt spacing a in
metres is then obtained from

'wall
-- - kg per sq cm

as 0.81 m o r 0.77 m for the two support pressure values.

It was therefore decided that two rows of 2.5-m long
bolts 0.8 m apart, with the same spacing between bolts,
were required at the roadway sides. Pre-tentioned fully
grouted bolts were recommended considering side flaking.

Support Pressure in Failed Rock Conditions

The shaft pillar area at Jitpur colliery, which is

at a depth of 450 rn, is 240 x 240 rn with two panels
taken by three-lift longwall with hydraulic stowing and
one panel by single-lift around the shaft pillar. The
seam is the 8.8-m thick XIV seam of Jharia coalfield.
Development within the shaft pillar has been done for
essential roadways, coal bunker, power substation etc.
The shaft pillar area in most parts has been exhibiting
high rates of convergence, some roof falls, floor
heaving and side spalling. A computer analysis for rock
pressure has shown that virtually the whole shaft pillar
area has been in a state of post-failure squeezing
[sheorey et al., 1982a). MuLtipoint borehole extenso-
meter observations have indicated that coal at the sides
had already been crushed to a distance of about 1 1 rn due
to high pressure vis-a-vis poor coal strength.

The values of different rock mass parameters are

given in Table 2 , the stress reduction factor SPS
 ROCK MASS CLASSIFICATION 391

corresponding to mild squeezing condition of the seam.

TABLE 2. Values of rock mass parameters

for Jitpur YIV seam

Parameter Description of condition Value

RQD -- 1 0%
(nominal)

Jn Three joint sets (cleats 12

and bedding planes) + random
joints

Smooth planar joints (some 1 .O

Jr random joints were smooth
and ~ o w d e r ~ )

Unaltered joint walls, surface 1.0

staining only

Little or no water inflow 1 .O

Jw

SRF Mild squeezing condition 5-1 0

Then using Eq.(4) we get the ultimate support

pressure as 4.17-5.26 k g per sq,cm (409-516 kY per sq
m) corresponding to the two extreme values of SRF in
Table 2. This is taken as the side support pressure,
the roof pressure being estimated using Terzaghils
method considering horizontal stratification (Jethwa
et al., 1980). This value of the pressure agrees well
with the value of 5.0 kg per sq cm (491 k N per sq m)
calculated using a semi-analytical method being pub-
lished elsewhere.

Estimation of Safe Stope Span

A cut-and-fill open stope was proposed at Rajpura

Dariba in an orebody of 6 2 m horizontal width having
zinc, lead and copper. The orebody dips at 50-80°
(700 in this particular stope), the depth to the stope
back being 75-80 m. It was necessary to estimate
whether the wide open stope excavation 62x3 m high would
be feasible and whether post pillars would be necessary.

In situ rock mass properties, viz. elastic modulus

and strength, were estimated using the RQD for the
orebody and joint survey plans o heo ore^ et al., 1981).
392 STABILITY IN UNDERGROUND MINING

The r e s u l t s showed t h a t t h e orebody was s p a r s e l y j o i n t e d

w i t h 72% o f t h e random j o i n t s b e i n g s p a c e d 1 m t o 10 m
apart. The e s t i m a t e d i n s i t u c o m p r e s s i v e s t r e n g t h was
105 PIN p e r s q m and t h e RQJ) was 70% ,indicating the
competence of t h e orebody. consider in^ h a r d r o c k c o n d i -
t i o n s , a s i m p l e e l a s t i c f i n i t e e l e m e n t r u n was c a r r i e d
o u t f o r t h e s t o p e g e o m e t r y u s i n g t h e e s t i m a t e d pro-
perties. The l e a s t s a f e t y f a c t o r f o r t h e s t o p e b a c k
c o u l d be e s t i m a t e d a s 5.0.

A c h e c k w a s made u s i n g T a b l e 3 and E q . ( 2 ) . The s a f e

u n s u p p o r t e d s p a n was o b t a i n e d f o r t h e two extreme

TAELE 3. C l a s s i f i c a t i o n parameters f o r
e s t i m a t i n g s a f e span of s t o p e
a t Rajpura Dariba

Parameter D e s c r i p t i o n of c o n d i t i o n Value

Jn Sparse jointing 1.O

Rough u n d u l a t i n g j o i n t s 3.0
Smooth u n d u l a t i r i g j o i n t s 2.0

J Slightly altered joint w a l l s 2.0

a

w Dry e x c a v a t i o n 1 .O

SRF Medium s t r e s s c o n d i t i o n 1 .O

ESR Temporary mine o p e n i n g s 3-5

c o n d i t i o n s s p e c i f i e d by J and ESR:
r

(a) Q = a x U x 1 . 0 = 105
1.0 2.0 1.0

W = 2 x 5 ( 1 0 5 ) ~ ~= ~64 m -
(b) Q = a
1.0
x2.0
=1.0 = 70

W = 2 x 3 (70)
 ROCK MASS CLASSIFICATION

The safe unsupported span would thus be 33-64 rn, while

the finite element run gave the rather high safety
factor of 5.0 for the stope back. It was decided to
leave post pillars, considering the above estimated Safe
span, in the 62-m wide stope opening.

Stability of Roadways below Partially Extracted Seam

At Chandametta colliery, Fig. l(f), no. 2 seam is

1.5 m thick and is 4 5 m below dwellings and 16.5 m below
partially extracted no. 1 seam. It was decided to split
the 19.5-m centre-to-centre pillars in no. 2 seam into
nine parts forming split roadways 3.6 m wide and leaving
stooks 2.7 m square in size. The existing roadways
around the pillars were 4.2 m wide. Since the RQD of
the parting rock between the two seams was found to be
only 14% and since vertical superposition between the
pillars in the two seams did not exist, fear of parting
collapse while splitting in the lower no. 2 seam was
anticipated. A check using Eq. ( 1 ) and (2) and Table 4
was made. The resulting rock mass quality was obtained
as 0.35 and the safe roadway span as about 4.0 m. This
is only marginally less than the existing width of 4.2 m
hence splitting was considered feasible.

TABLE 4. Rock mass parameters for parting

rock between no. 1 and 2 seams
at Chandame t ta

Parameter Description of condition Value

Jn One joint set + random joints 3.0

Rough planar joints 1.5
Jr
Slightly altered joints 2.0
Ja

Jw
Dry excavation 1 .o
SRF High stress 10.0

ESR Temporary mine openings 3.0

The main difficulty in this case study was assigning

a reasonable value of the stress reduction factor SRF
to this situation since B a r t o n t $ classification tables
do not consider two adjacent openings. The value 10.0
394 STABILITY IN UNDERGROUND MINING

i n Table 4 was arrived at considering the hich stresses

in the parting rock due to eccentricity between the two
seam pillars as well as to the small 2.7-rn pillars which
would be formed upon stooking.

DISCUSSION

The six case studies in which Barton's classification

was applied could give an indication of applicability of
this simple method to support pressure and opening
stability problems. The roadway junctions at Sankola
have been standing without supports for the last 40
years and at Kendra for the last 10 years which
indirectly conlrirn: the stability as predicted using
Eq. (2). Tlle sicle support pressure estimated in the
roadway adjacer~t to a longwall panel at Yoonidih could
not be corroborated by other means except by exercising
engineering judgement or a mining engineer's instinct.
The support pressure estimated under squeezing rock
conditions in the shaft pillar area at Jitpur could be
corroborated using a semi-analytical method and also
from the experience of CllRS in tunnels in the Himalayan
disturbed regions. Reasonable confirmation with finjte
element results could be seen in the case of the wide
stope at Rajpura Dariba. The safety factor obtained was
rather high, probably because time-dependent behaviour
of the stope back was not considered, while this is more
effectively included in Eq. (2) in the form of ESR. In
the case of Chandametta the stress reduction factor was
assumed to be on the higher side for extra caution.

The case studies indicate that many coal measure

rocks fall within narrow ranges of Jn, Jr and Ja viz.

unless they are particularly massive. Taking means, the

rock mass quality could be roughly expressed for coal
measures as

RQD. J~
= 4.s-

Determination of the stress reduction factor SRF is

often difficult in contiguous mine openings. Perhaps
one way to overcome this difficulty is carrying out a
stress analysis of the given situation, estimating the
maximum principle stress most detrimental to stability,
expressing it as a ratio of compressive or tensile
strength (as given by Barton et al.) and then
 ROCK MASS CLASSIFICATION

determining SNF from Barton's tables.

There also appears to be a need to define side

support pressure separately, rather than using Eq. (3)
or (4) for both roof and sides, when the side rock has
a distinctly different rock mass quality as in coal
mines. Perhaps the same equatioils rnay also be used
provided Q is defined independently for the sides.

Further studies need to be undertaken for applying

Barton's classification to the more complicated of
mining problems particularly in coal mines.

REFERENCES

Barton, N., Lien, 1:. and Lunde, J., 1974, "Engineering

Classification of Rock Masses for the Design of
Tunnel Support", Rock Mechanics, Vol. 6, pp.189-236.

Bieniawski, Z.T., 1973, "Engineering Classification of

Jointed Rock Masses", The Civil Engineer in South
Africa, pp. 335-343.

Deere, D.U., et al., 1966, I8Design of Surface and Near

Surface Construction in Rock", Proceedings, 8 t h
Symposium on Rock Mechanics, Minnesota.

Jethwa, J.T,., et al., 1980, "Instrumentation and Design

of New Supports for P.iultiple Openings in Failing
Rock Mass", Proceedings, Geotech-80, Bombay.

Sheorey, P. R., Barat, D. and Singh, U . , 1981,

"Stability Assessment of a Wide Stope Excavation in
a Lead-Zinc Mine", P r o c e e d i n ~ s ,Rapid Excavation and
Tunneling Conference, San Francisco, pp. 1126-1137.

Sheorey, P.R., Singh, T. N. and Singh, R., 1982,

wConsiderations for the Stability of Longwall Chain
Pillars and Adjacent Roadway", e ~ e e d i n ~ sSymposium
,
on Strata Nechanics, Newcastle upbn Tyne.

Sheorey, P.R., Das, M.N. and Singh, H., 1982a, "A

Numerical Procedure for Rock Pressure Problems i n
Level Seams", Proceedings, Symposium o n Strata
Mechanics, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Wickham, S.','. , Tiedemann, I1.T.. and Skinner, E.:I., 1972,
"Support Determination Dased on Geological
Predictions", Proceedings, Rapid Excavation and
Tunneling Conference, Chicago, Vol. 1 , pp. 43-64.