Kathmandu University

Department of Civil Engineering

Course No.: CIEG 303 Subject: Soil & Rock mechanics
Name: Assignment/Tutorial No.:
Roll No.: Date of Submission:

STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
OBJECTIVE:
 To know about stereographic projections
 To draw stereographic projections using DIPS software

THEORY:
In geometry, the stereographic projection is a particular mapping (function) that projects
a sphere onto a plane. The projection is defined on the entire sphere, except at one point: the
projection point. Where it is defined, the mapping is smooth and bijective. It is conformal,
meaning that it preserves angles at which curves meet. It is neither isometric nor area-
preserving: that is, it preserves neither distances nor the areas of figures.
Intuitively, then, the stereographic projection is a way of picturing the sphere as the plane, with
some inevitable compromises. Because the sphere and the plane appear in many areas
of mathematics and its applications, so does the stereographic projection; it finds use in diverse
fields including complex analysis, cartography, geology, and photography. In practice, the
projection is carried out by computer (DIPS) or by hand using a special kind of graph
paper called a stereographic net, shortened to stereonet, or Wulff net.

PROCEDURE:
The stereographic projection is done in DIPS software using following steps:
 Joint data of ramechhap hill i.e. dip amount and corresponding dip direction were
plotted in DIPS software.
 The contour was created using create contour functions.
 Select equal area projection and upper hemisphere.
 The three different dense point were located in the map and poles were added to three
respective points.
 Planes were drawn at three different points using add plane options.
 Hill slopes and foliation plane were created using given data of hill.
 Finally the obtained map in stereonet which was analyzed to determine the nature of
slopes and its failure criteria.
 Kathmandu University
Department of Civil Engineering
Course No.: CIEG 303 Subject: Soil & Rock mechanics
Name: Assignment/Tutorial No.:
Roll No.: Date of Submission:

INTERPRETATION:
 The figure below shows the plotted values of dip angle and corresponding
dip amount and contours obtained by the interpolation of adjacent dip
values.

Figure: Contour
 Kathmandu University
Department of Civil Engineering
Course No.: CIEG 303 Subject: Soil & Rock mechanics
Name: Assignment/Tutorial No.:
Roll No.: Date of Submission:

 The figure below shows the pole of great circle. The poles are the lines perpendicular
to a plane. For a great circle oriented along the dip alignment have a pole passing
perpendicular and through the geometric center of the plane. However, while
analyzing the 3D features on 2D features line is just viewed as a plane. All the poles
are perpendicular to the adjacent great circle.

Poles
 Kathmandu University
Department of Civil Engineering
Course No.: CIEG 303 Subject: Soil & Rock mechanics
Name: Assignment/Tutorial No.:
Roll No.: Date of Submission:

 Figure below shows the stereonet which was prepared by adding planes functions. Planes
were added at three different dense point, hill slope and foliation plane of given datas.

Figure: Stereonet
 Kathmandu University
Department of Civil Engineering
Course No.: CIEG 303 Subject: Soil & Rock mechanics
Name: Assignment/Tutorial No.:
Roll No.: Date of Submission:

ANALYSIS OF FAILURE:
Following data were obtained from the DIPS:
J1=050/70 (opposite direction w.r.t HS)
J2=235/45 (same direction w.r.t HS)
J3=172/53 (same direction w.r.t HS)
HS=095/31
FP=183/39 (same direction w.r.t HS)
 Plane failure:
J3 and FP are in same direction of HS so they may have plane failure.
 For J3; 180-172=8 (which lies within 20) and dip amount of HS is
greater than J3 so J3 is prone to failure.
 For FP; 180-95=85, which does not lies within 20 so FP is stable
 Toppling failure:
J1 is in opposite direction of HS so it may have toppling failure.
For J1; 183-50=133, so J3 is stable
 Wedge failure:
For wedge failure the intersected portion of planes should lie in the same direction
of the HS. Intersected point of J3 and FP lie in the same direction of the HS.

RESULTS:
The given data of ramechhap hill were plotted in DIPS software and the nature of slopes and
its failure criteria were studied.