• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.3-12
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• 2001

This paper presents the proposed methods of DE (distinct element) modelling to estimate the stability of tunnels in jointed rock masses. First, the criterion to select the joint set(s) contributed to the discontinuous behaviour in a tunnel section is proposed. Selected joint set(s) is(are) considered to form the edges of distinct elements (rock blocks) and the others to modify the elastic properties of rock blocks. The complex DE model with the average and the deviation of joint orientation and joint length for each joint set was compared to the simple model with only the average of joint orientation and the assumption that joint length is infinite. As a result, the latter is suitable to the purpose of tunnel design because it can show the consistent behaviour of a jointed rock mass such as the locally discontinuous failure and the global anisotropic behaviour.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.317-327
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• 2024

When a non-persistent joint system is formed in a large-scale rock slope, slope failure may occur due to presence of a the stepped sliding surface. Such a surface can be divided into joint-to-joint sliding surfaces or joint-to-rock bridge sliding surfaces. In the latter case, the rock bridge provides shear resistance parallel to the joint and tensile resistance perpendicular to the joint. The load of the sliding rock can lead to failure of the rock bridge, thereby connecting the two joints at each ends of the bridge and resulting in step-path failure of the slope. If each rock bridge on a slope has the same length, the tensile strength is lower than the shear strength, resulting in the rock bridges oriented perpendicular to the joint being more prone to failure. In addition, the smaller the ratio of discontinuity spacing to length, the greater the likelihood of step-path failure. To assess the risk of stepped sliding on a rock slope with non-persistent joints, stability analysis can be performed using limit equilibrium analysis or numerical analysis. This involves constructing a step-path failure surface through a systematic discontinuity survey and analysis.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.226-241
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• 2020

The stability of underground mine cavity is closely related with pillar strength. The vulnerability of pillars can be judged and reinforced if the pillar strength is known. The pillar strength is affected by characteristics of discontinuities and shape of a pillar. The change of pillar strength due to a discontinuity passing through the center of a pillar, width-to-height ratio of a pillar and small joints existing within a pillar was analyzed using PFC 3D. The result showed that the pillar strength is influenced by dip angle of a discontinuity and it increases as width-to-height ratio of a pillar increases. The pillar strength decreases as the number of contained joints increases. The relationship between total trace length observable from the pillar surface and the pillar strength was regressed with exponential function. The correlation coefficient of the regression was high enough so that pillar strength can be predicted using total trace length if a joint set exists in a pillar. Lastly, the method to estimate the strength of a pillar that includes two joint sets was proposed if the joint dip angles are 60°, 30°. The method also need total trace lengths of two joint sets.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.16 no.4 s.50
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• pp.337-349
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• 2006

Seven hundred and fifty one fractures of the rhyolitic tuffaceous rock masses were mapped using 6 scanlines placed on rock slope exposures that were within 8.02 km of Busan-Ulsan highway. These data were analyzed to find the number of fracture sets that exist in the rock slopes and the probability distributions of orientation, spacing, trace length and fracture size in 3-D for each of the fracture sets. All the fracture set orientation distributions exhibit high variability. The Fisher distributions were found to be unsuitable to represent the statistical distribution of orientation for most of the fracture sets. The probability distributions, gamma, exponential and lognormal were found to be highly suitable to represent the distribution of spacing and semi-trace length of fracture sets. In obtain-ing these distributions, corrections were applied for sampling biases associated with spacing and trace length. The generated fracture system in 3-D was used to make predictions of fracture traces for each fracture set on 2-D win-dows. Developed stochastic 3-D fracture network for the rock mass was validated by comparing statistical proper-ties of the observed fracture traces on scanlines with the predicted fracture traces on the scanlines. This exercise fumed out to be successful.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2014

In this study, a joint survey system was developed to efficiently analyze geometrical characteristics of joint structures in rock mass using photogrammetric technique. The system includes both hardware and software. The hardware consists of a high resolution image camera for photographing image of a surface of rock body, a direction controlling system for adjusting the attitude of camera, and a digital compass for measuring the rotation angle of camera. The software was also developed in order to analyze the orientation, density, mean length of joints revealed on the images of rock surfaces. The software developed in this study was named as JointeXtractor. As applying this system into several field measurements, the orientation, density, mean length of joints could be quantitatively measured through analyzing the images of rock surfaces, in which the case of a difficult-to-access area was especially included for the test of the system.

• Proceedings of the KSEG Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.201-210
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• 2002

서울시 북동부의 서울화강암에 대한 암반 공학적 특성 중 터널과 도로 건설시 중요하게 취급되는 절리의 방향성, 절리간격, 절리밀도, 암석의 일축압축강도, 그리고 RQD 값을 수락산과 불암산지역으로 구분하여 비교, 분석하였다. 이 중 절리의 방향성, 절리간격과 절리밀도는 선조사법, 원형조사법, 그리고 면적조사법을 이용하여 야외에서 직접 측정하였다. 암석의 일축압축강도와 RQD의 측정은 시추코아의 표본이 필요하지만 이번 연구에서는 간단히 응용할 수 있는 대비공식을 이용하여 계산하였다. 측정된 대표적인 절리의 방향성은 두 지역에서 모두 3조의 방향성이 나타났으며 즉 2조의 수직정방절리와 저각으로 경사하는 1조의 판상절리로 판명되었으며 두 지역에서 서로 유사한 방향성을 갖는다. 측정된 절리밀도는 0.039-0.066/cm이었으며, 평균절리길이는 1.30-4.52m, 그리고 평균절리간격은 10.3cm에서 최대 59.6cm로 측정된 절리의 방향에 따라 변화가 심하다 또한 슈미트 해머 타격값에 근거한 절리면의 일축압축강도는 217 MPa에서 335 MPa로 매우 강한 암체였으며, 평균절리간격에 기초하여 계산된 이론적 RQD 값은 73.1-98.7%의 값을 갖는 것으로 나타났다.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.81-90
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• 2019

In this study, the effects of fracture tensor component and first invariant on block hydraulic behaviors are evaluated in the 2-D DFN(discrete fracture network) systems. A series of regression analysis is performed between connected fracture tensor components and block hydraulic conductivities estimated at every $30^{\circ}$ hydraulic gradient directions for a total of 36 DFN systems having various joint density and size distribution. The directional block hydraulic conductivity seems to have strong relation with the fracture tensor component estimated in direction perpendicular to it. It is found that an equivalent continuum approach could be acceptable for the 2-D DFN systems under condition that the first invariant of fracture tensor is more than 2.0~2.5. The first invariant of fracture tensor seems highly correlated with average block hydraulic conductivity and can be used to evaluate hydraulic characteristics of the 2-D DFN systems. Also, a possibility of upscaling using the first invariant of fracture tensor for the DFN system is addressed through this study.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.351-358
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• 1998

A statistical method for assessing the joint persistence based on the in-situ measurement of joint trace length has been derived. This method utilizes the probability density distribution of either the joint trace length or the diameter of hypothetically circular joint diameter depending on the relative size of joint surface to that of the potential keyblock. The stability of potential keyblock with different sizes and joint persistences has been also calculated to illustrate the applicability of the developed method to the design and the safe excavation of large scale underground openings.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.201-211
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• 2016

A method for estimating rock joint size distribution using contained traces length distribution from 3D cylindrical window survey was suggested. To reduce the numerical error, an improved technique was applied. The accuracy was verified by referring to Monte-Carlo simulation and it was found that the error can be decreased with suitable gamma values.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2009

Site characterization for structural stability in rock masses mainly involves the collection of joint property data, and in the current practice, much of this data is collected by hand directly at exposed slopes and outcrops. There are many issues with the collection of this data in the field, including issues of safety, slope access, field time, lack of data quantity, reusability of data and human bias. It is shown that information on joint orientation, spacing and roughness in rock masses, can be automatically extracted from LIDAR (light detection and ranging) point floods using the currently available Split-FX point cloud processing software, thereby reducing processing time, safety and human bias issues.