• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.145-155
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• 2000

Orientation data of discontinuities are of paramount importance for rock slope stability studies because they control the possibility of unstable conditions or excessive deformation. Most orientation data are collected by using linear sampling techniques, such as borehole fracture mapping and the detailed scanline method (outcrop mapping). However, these data, acquired by the above linear sampling techniques, are subjected to bias, owing to the orientation of the sampling line. Even though a weighting factor is applied to orientation data in order to reduce this bias, the bias will not be significantly reduced when certain sampling orientations are involved. That is, if the linear sampling orientation nearly parallels the discontinuity orientation, most discontinuities orientation data which are parallel to sampling line will be excluded from the survey result. This phenomenon can cause serious misinterpretation of discontinuity orientation data because critical information is omitted. In the case study, orientation data collected by using the borehole fracture mapping method (vertical scanline) were compared to those based on orientation data from the detailed scanline method (horizontal scanline). Differences in results for the two procedures revealed a concern that a representative orientation of discontinuities was not accomplished. Equal-area, polar stereo nets were used to determine the distribution of dip angles and to compare the data distribution fur the borehole method versus those for the scanline method.