Ground Control Review - outline

1. Rock description
2. Recognizing unusual ground
conditions Rock Description
3 Support types
3.
4. Ground support installation

Geologic Discontinuities
A discontinuity is a collective term referring to all structural breaks in rocks which usually
have zero to low tensile strength. Discontinuities can also be healed and
infilled. Discontinuities comprise joints, bedding, shears, contacts, veins, and faults.
Joints – small cracks with no displacement. Typically found as a series of joints (Joint
set). Joints may be open, healed, or filled.
Joint properties: roughness, alteration, length/persistence
Shear - A structural break where differential movement has occurred. The shear
surfaces are characterized by the presence of slickensides, gouge, breccia,
mylonite, or a combination of these. Shear are in effect small faults and typically
have displacements of less than 5 cm.
Fault - A shear with significant continuity and evidence of large displacement. A fault
can range from cm in width to a zone that is tens of metres thick. The fault may
contain breccia, gouge, crushed rock. Fault zones are typically conduits for high
groundwater flow.
Contact - a geologic division between two distinct lithologic units
Vein - an infilling to a discontinuity caused by circulation of mineralized fluid and
deposition of minerals.

Stress flows around differing materials

Analogy: water flowing around a post in a stream

Fast flowing water

(High pressure
concentration)
Stress
Bridge post

Slow slowing water

(Low pressure area)

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 In‐situ stress
Stress-driven spalling

High pressure concentration

(compression)
1.5 m
Tensile
Slabbing
Induced stress
Low pressure areas
(tension)

Yield elements and deviatoric stress > 80 MPa Yield elements and deviatoric stress > 80 MPa
No mining below Niv 11 Non-linear model 10m sill below Niv 11 Non-linear model

Yield elements and deviatoric stress > 80 MPa Yield elements and deviatoric stress > 80 MPa
9m sill below Niv 11 Non-linear model 8m sill below Niv 11 Non-linear model

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 Yield elements and deviatoric stress > 80 MPa Yield elements and deviatoric stress > 80 MPa
7m sill below Niv 11 Non-linear model 6m sill below Niv 11 Non-linear model

Distribution of in‐situ stress in the

Canadian Shield
Stress (MPa)
0 50 100 150
0
No stress damage
500
Minor stress damage
1000

Depth (m)
Stress damage common
1500

2000

2500

3000
σ3 σ1
Yield elements and deviatoric stress > 80 MPa
σVertical
5m sill below Niv 11 Non-linear model

Hoyle Pond Stress relationships Stress orientation,

Stress Component Magnitude (MPa) Trend Plunge N Hoyle Pond mine
Maximum horizontal 7.4 + 0.0472 D 68º 0º
stress (σ1) σ2
Minimum horizontal 2.606 + 0.035 D 158º 0º
stress (σ2)
Vertical stress (σ3) 0.026 D 0º 0º
σ1
D = depth (metres)

Dome Stress relationships

Stress Component Magnitude (MPa) Trend Plunge
Maximum horizontal 0.044 D ~70º 0º
stress (σ1)
Minimum horizontal 0.036 D ~160º 0º
stress (σ2)
Vertical stress (σ3) 0.027 D 0º 0º Hoyle Pond, 700L

D = depth (metres)

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Stress orientation, Dome mine
σ2

Vent Raise

σ1
Location

Rock Properties

N
Strength
Structure

Dome UG, 14L

How does rock

break? Rock failure in compression
Compressive Failure
Rock breaks parallel to
loading

Tensile Failure
Rock is ‘pulled apart’
Rock breaks at ~10%
strength

Shear Failure
Rock breaks at ~25%
strength

Field estimate of rock strength, ISRM

Structure
• Jointing
• faults
• contacts
• ‘shears’

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 Structure
Joint sets/families

Wedge intersections
Wedge stability
Support requirements (length, etc.)

Empirical
Design
based on
Rock Mass Classification Rockmass
Classification

i.e.
RQD
RMR
Q and Q’
N’

Rock Mass Classification Rock Quality Designation (RQD)

Numerous rock mass classification systems have been developed:
• Rock Quality Designation (RQD)
– Uses only the frequency of jointing within a rock mass as a measure
of quality

Other methods use RQD along with other measurable parameters

• Rock Mass Rating (RMR)
– Developed for shallow tunnels & coal mining
• NGI Rock Tunneling Quality (Q)
– Developed for tunnels
• Geological Strength Index (GSI)
– Developed for mining applications
– Visual method

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 Rock Quality Designation ‐ example
massive rockmass (RQD 100%)

typical rock jointing (RQD 90 ~ 100%) 1. Rock Mass Rating (RMR)

heavily fractured/jointed rockmass

Parameter Range of values

1 Strength Point-load >8 MPa 4 - 8 MPa 2 - 4 MPa 1 - 2 MPa For this low range,
of intact strength uniaxial compressive
rock index test is preferred
material Uniaxial >200 MPa 100 - 200 MPa 50 - 100 MPa 25 - 50 MPa 5 – 25 1–5 <
compressive MPa MPa MP
strength
Rating 15 12 7 4 2 1 0
2 Drill core Quality RQD 90% - 100% 75% - 90% 50% - 75% 25% - 50% < 25%
Rating 20 17 13 8 3
3 Spacing of >3 m 1 – 0.3 m 0.3 m – 1m 50 mm - 300 mm < 50 mm
discontinuities
Rating 30 25 20 10 5

2. Q-system
4 Condition of Very rough Slightly rough Slightly rough Slickensided Soft gouge >5 mm
discontinuities surfaces surfaces surfaces surfaces thick

Not continuous Separation < 1 mm Separation <1 mm Or Or

No separation Slightly weathered Highly weathered Gouge < 5 mm Separation > 5 mm

walls walls thick Continuous joints
Unweathered
wall rock Or

Separation 1-5mm
Continuous joints
Rating 25 20 12 6 0
5 Ground General Completely dry Moist only Water under Severe water problem
water conditions moderate pressure
Rating 10 7 4 0

Rock mass class (unadjusted)

Rating 100  81 80  61 60  41 40  21 < 20
Class number I 64
II III IV V
Description Very good rock Good rock Fair rock Poor rock Very poor rock

Rock Mass Classification,

Rock Quality Index: Q and Q’ Rockmass Quality Index, Q
Q = 10
RQD Jr Jw Q’
Q= Jn x Ja x SRF

RQD = Rock Quality Designation Q = 1000

Jn = Joint Set Number
Jr = Joint Roughness Number
Ja = Joint Alteration Number
Jw = Joint Water Reduction Number
SRF = Stress Reduction Factor Q=5
Q = 0.5

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 Geological
Strength
3. Geological Strength Index Index (GSI)
(GSI) Block size:
~ 50cm x 50cm x
30cm
• Developed
p in Canada for mining
g
Block size:
• Visual ~ 15cm x 15cm x
10cm
• GSI relates to RMR: GSI ~ RMR1976

Application of classification data

Ground Control Review - outline

1. Rock description
2. Recognizing unusual ground conditions
3. Support types
4. Ground support

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Buckling
deformation

8
 Unravelling
Shotcrete failure
from wall
due to wall
deformation

Unravelling from roof

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 Stress (Rockburst) damages
• Stress accumulation &
sudden release

Stress (Spalling) damages

• Progressive release of
stress accumulation

• Strong, competent rock

• Elevated stresses

500 SZ South, west wall 500 By‐Pass, East wall

~2ft

545 By‐Pass, East wall 500 By‐Pass, West wall

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 Factors affecting
ground conditions
• Geological structure
• Rock stresses
• Ground support Underbreak
• Mine design (ie: stope Overbreak

dimensions, extraction
sequence)
 induced stress
• Drilling and blasting
practices
Tension crack in floor
Center‐line, 500 By‐Pass

Basic types of instability Basic types of instability

Stress induced
Structurally controlled instability
instability
Stress damage to drift

Recognizing potential ground control

problems
Audible noises:
• Working ground (snapping/popping rock)
• Drummy ground while scaling
Visual indicators:
• Deformed / damaged ground support
– Deformed
f d rockbolt
kb l plates
l
– Weight on timber posts & squeeze blocks
• Off‐set drill holes (shifted ground), Squeezing holes
• Disappearance (or appearance) of water
• Fresh muck on the floor, Falls of ground
• Encountering slips while drilling
• Excess scaling required
• Intersection with strong geologic features: contacts, faults,
Corner Crushing along pillar open joints

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