ROCK MECHANICS

UMIE 3112
Dr.-Ing. Henok Fikre
ROCK MECHANICS
COURSE OUTLINE

 Introduction
 Physical and mechnical prorperties of
rocks
 Common insitu and laboratory tests
 Stress and strain relationships
 Rock failure theories
 Insitu stress determination
 Rock mass strength and classifications
 Design of openings in rock
 Stability analysis of rock slopes
 Subsidence - prediction, measurement and
control
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Joint stiffness and strength

 Joint stiffnesses, k and k , relate joint stress to
n s

relative displacement between opposing points

on the two surfaces that define a joint

 where σ, τ , u, and v are joint normal stress, joint

shear stress, relative displacement across a joint,
and relative displacement along a joint, respectively
 Closure and shear along a joint tend to be highly
nonlinear, so any joint stress displacement
relationship should be considered incrementally,
that is, in differential form
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Joint stiffness and strength

 If a thickness h is assigned to a joint, then one may
define joint normal and shear strains as

 assignment of a thickness to a joint is problematic,

but can be avoided by direct experimental
determination of joint stiffnesses or moduli.
Triaxial tests on cylinders with joints and direct
shear tests on joint samples allow for the
determination of joint stiffnesses and strengths.
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Joint stiffness and strength

 Normal stiffness
 Consider a test cylinder loaded axially in compression that
contains a joint perpendicular to the load axis and the
corresponding force displacement curve, as shown in the Figure.
Normal stress σ acting across the joint is simply axial load F
divided by joint area A. Relative displacement between sample
ends is a total ut that is the sum of displacement of intact rock ur
and joint closure u..
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Joint stiffness and strength

 Normal stiffness
 joint stiffness may be obtained from slopes of force displacement
curves of intact rock only and intact rock with a joint and joint
closure u.

 Force displacement plots from joint testing are usually far from
linear. A normal force displacement plot generally shows an
increasingly steep slope, but eventually reaches a constant value
that may well reflect the stiffness of intact rock with effectively full
closure of the joint. Such behavior is sometimes referred to as
“locking.”
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Joint stiffness and strength

 Shear stiffness
 Shear stiffness of a joint is obtained much the same way as normal
stiffness is determined. However, testing is often done in direct
shear as illustrated in Figure and joint closure u.
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Joint stiffness and strength

 Shear stiffness
 The following table shows a range of single joint stiffness reported in
the technical literature from several sources
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Joint stiffness and strength

 Shear strength
 a peak residual response is a characteristic of rough joints sheared
under relatively low normal stress
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Joint stiffness and strength

 Shear strength
 Smooth joints usually do not exhibit peak residual behavior

smooth rough
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Joint stiffness and strength

 Shear strength
 the most common model for joint shear strength is a Coulomb
friction with cohesion description

 where σ, τ , φj, and cj are joint normal stress, shear stress, friction angle, and
cohesion, respectively
 A smooth / rough joint lacking filling would certainly be cohesionless
 rough joint data often fit the linear model very well, but such fits
often produce a shear axis intercept indicating presence of cohesion
 An alternative, is a power law fit that uses an n-type failure criterion
for cohesionless material. The n-type model is a special case because
of the lack of cohesion

 where a = a exp(1/n) and m = 1/n

ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Joint stiffness and strength

 Shear strength
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 combinations of intact rock and joints

 Field-scale rock masses are composed of rock joints and intact
rock between. The composite rock mass properties therefore
differ from those of rock and joints. Generally, joints reduce
rock mass elastic moduli and strengths from those of intact
rock.
 Joint direction, dip, and spacing, persistence influence rock
mass response to excavation

 Reading assignment: how do these factors affect the strength of a rock mass?
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock mass classification

 Quantitative rock mass classification systems have been used
with great benefit due to the following reasons:
 It provides better communication between geologists,
designers, contractors and engineers;
 Engineer's observations, experience and judgment are
correlated and consolidated more effectively by a
quantitative classification system;
 Engineers prefer numbers in place of descriptions, hence, a
quantitative classification system has considerable
application in an overall assessment of the rock quality;
and
 Classification approach helps in the organization of
knowledge.
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock mass classification

 Even with many resources available for site
investigation, there still can remain problems in
applying theories in practical engineering
circumstances.
 Considering the three main design approaches for
engineering rock mechanics, analytical, observational
and empirical, rock mass classification today form an
integral part of the most predominant design approach,
the empirical design method.
 Indeed, on many underground construction, tunneling
and mining projects, rock mass classifications have
provided the only systematic design aid in an otherwise
haphazard „trial-and-error” procedure.
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock mass classification

 Objectives of Rock Mass Classifications
 Identify the most important parameters influencing the rock
mass.
 Divide a rock mass formation into groups of similar behaviour.
 Provide a basis for understanding the characteristics of each rock
mass class.
 Relate experiences of rock conditions at one site to those at
another.
 Derive quantitative data and guidelines for engineering design.
 Provide a common basis for communication between geologists
and engineers.
 Remark: The boundaries of the structural regions usually
coincide with a major structural feature such as a fault or with a
change in rock type. In some cases, significant changes in
discontinuity spacing or characteristics, within the same rock
type, may necessitate the division of the rock mass into a number
of small structural regions.
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

Rock mass classification

 Benefits of Rock Mass Classifications
 Improving the quality of site investigations by calling
for the minimum input data as classification
parameters.
 Providing quantitative information for design purposes.
 Enabling better engineering judgment and more
effective communication on a project.
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Quality Designation index (RQD)

 RQD was developed by Deere (Deere et al 1967) to
provide a quantitative estimate of rock mass
quality from drill core logs.
 RQD is defined as the percentage of intact core
pieces longer than 100 mm (4 inches) in the total
length of core.
 The core should be at least 54.7 mm or 2.15 inches
in diameter) and should be drilled with a double-
tube core barrel.
 The correct procedures for Rock mass classification
measurement of the length of core pieces and the
calculation of RQD is summarized in the next slide
(Figure).
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 RQD
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 RQD
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 RQD
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Quality Designation index (RQD)

 Palmstrom (1982) suggested that, when no core is available
but discontinuity traces are visible in surface exposures or
exploration adits, the RQD may be estimated from the
number of discontinuities per unit volume. The suggested
relationship for clay-free rock masses is:
RQD = 115 - 3.3 Jv
 where Jv is the sum of number of joints per unit length
for all joint (discontinuity) known as volumetric joint
count.
 RQD is directionally dependent parameter and its value
may change significantly, depending upon the borehole
orientation. The use of the volumetric joint count can be
quite useful in reducing this directional dependence
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Quality Designation index (RQD)

 RQD is intended to represent the rock mass quality
in situ. When using diamond drill core, care must
be taken to ensure that fractures, which have been
caused by handling or the drilling process, are
identified and ignored while determining the value
of RQD.
 While using Palmstrom's relationship for exposure
mapping, blast induced fractures should not be
included for estimation of Jv.
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Excercise
o Determine the RQD value and specify the quality of the
rock shown in the Figure.
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (RMR)

 developed in 1973 in South Africa by Prof. Z.T.
Bieniawski. The advantage of his system was that only
a few basic parameters relating to the geometry and
mechanical conditions of the rock mass were required.
 The following six parameters are determined for each
structural unit:
 Uniaxial compressive strength of intact rock material
 Rock quality designation RQD,
 Joint or discontinuity spacing,
 Joint condition,
 Ground water condition, and
 Joint orientation.
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (RMR)

ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (RMR)

ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (RMR)

ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (RMR)

ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (RMR)

 Example:
A mudstone outcrop contains three fracture sets. Set
“1” comprises bedding planes; these are highly
weathered, slightly rough and continuous. The other
two sets are jointing; both are slightly weathered and
slightly rough. The strength of the intact rock is
estimated to be 55MPa with RQD of 60% and a mean
fracture spacing of 0.4m. The fractures are observed to
be damp. Calculate RMR value.
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (RMR)

ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (Q-System)

 The Q-system of rock mass classification was developed
in 1974 in Norway by Prof. N. Barton. The system was
proposed on the basis of an analysis of 212 tunnel case
histories from Scandinavia.
 The motivation of presenting the Q-value in this form is
to provide some method of interpretation for the 3
constituent quotients.
 The Q-System is based on six parameters:
 RQD
 Number of joint sets
 Degree of alteration
 Water inflow
 Stress condition
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (Q-System)

Rock mass Inter-block Environment
geometry shear factor
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (Q-System)

ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (Q-System)

ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (Q-System)

ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (Q-System)

ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (Q-System)

ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (Q-System)

ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (Q-System)

ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Rock Mass Classification (Q-System)

ROCK MECHANICS
ROCK MASS STRENGTH AND CLASSIFICATION

 Application of Rock Mass Classification

Systems
 Both of the classification systems described were
developed for estimating the support necessary for
tunnels excavated for civil engineering schemes.
 Inter-relation Between RMR and Q
 An inter-relation was proposed between the RMR and
the Q (Bieniawski, 1976) based on 111 case histories.
 The correlation is:
RMR =9 ln Q + 44
 Reading assignment:
 What are the differences do exist between RMR and Q?