• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.279-288
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• 2001

Jointed rock mass can be analyzed by either continuum model or discontinuum model. Finite element method or finite difference method is mainly used for continuum modelling. Although discontinuum model is very attractive in analyzing the behavior of each block in jointed blocky rock masses, it has shortcomings such that it is difficult to investigate each joint exactly with the present technology and the amount of calculation in computer becomes trio excessive. Moreover, in case of the jointed blocky rock mass which has more than 2 dominant joint sets, it is impossible to model the behavior of each block. Therefore, a model such as ubiquitous joint model theory which assumes the rock mass as a continuum, is required. In the case of tunnels, unlike slopes, it is not easy to obtain safety factor by utilizing analysis method based on limit equilibrium method because it is difficult to assume the shape of failure surface in advance. For this reason, numerical analyses for tunnels have been limited to analyzing stability rather than in calculating the safety factor. In this study, the behavior of a tunnel excavated in jointed rock mass is analyzed numerically by using ubiquitous joint model which can incorporate 2 joint sets and a method to calculate safety factor of the tunnel numerically is presented. To this end, stress reduction technique is adopted.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.17-26
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• 2014

Tunneling-induced displacement in a jointed rock mass is an important factor to control tunnel stability and to secure a demanded space and construction quality. The magnitude of the inducible displacements is significantly affected by an elastic modulus and therefore, in a rock mass where a joint controls tunnel behavior, it is very important to estimate an elastic modulus of jointed rock mass reliably. Elastic modulus of jointed rock mass is affected by many factors such as rock type, joint condition, and loading condition. Nevertheless, most existing studies were focused on rough empirical relationships based on compressive loading conditions, which are different from tunnel excavation loading conditions, without a systematic approach of rock, joint, and loading conditions together. Therefore, this study considered rock and joint conditions systematically to estimate an elastic modulus of jointed rock mass under tunnel excavation loading. The controlled factors considered in this study are rock types and joint conditions (joint shear strength, joint inclination angle, number of joint sets, and joint spacing). Numerical parametric studies have been carried out with a consideration of different rock and joint conditions; the results have been compared with existing empirical relationships; and charts of elastic modulus change of different rock and joint conditions have been provided. The results are expected to have a great practical use for estimating the convergence induced by tunnel excavation in jointed rockmass.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.269-288
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• 2016

The jointed rock mass behavior often plays a major role in the design of underground excavation, and their failures during excavation and in operation, are usually closely related to joints. This research attempts to evaluate the effects of two basic geometric factors influencing tunnel behavior in a jointed rock mass; joints spacing and joints orientation. A hybridized indirect boundary element code known as TFSDDM (Two-dimensional Fictitious Stress Displacement Discontinuity Method) is used to study the stress distribution around the tunnels excavated in jointed rock masses. This numerical analysis revealed that both the dip angle and spacing of joints have important influences on stress distribution on tunnel walls. For example the tensile and compressive tangential stresses at the boundary of the circular tunnel increase by reduction in the joint spacing, and by increase the dip joint angle the tensile stress in the tunnel roof decreases.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.213-222
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• 2024

Determination of jointed rock mass properties plays a significant role in the design and construction of underground structures such as tunneling and mining. Rock mass classification systems such as Rock Mass Rating (RMR), Rock Mass Index (RMi), Rock Mass Quality (Q), and deformation modulus (Em) are determined from the jointed rock masses. However, parameters of jointed rock masses can be affected by the tunnel depth below the surface due to the effect of the in situ stresses. In addition, the geomechanical properties of rocks change due to the effect of metamorphism. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to apply correlation analysis to investigate the relationships between rock mass properties and some parameters related to the depth of the tunnel studied. For this purpose, the field work consisted of determining rock mass parameters in a tunnel alignment (~7.1 km) at varying depths from 21 m to 431 m below ground surface. At the same excavation depths, thirty-seven rock types were also sampled and tested in the laboratory. Correlations were made between vertical stress and depth, horizontal/vertical stress ratio (k) and depth, k and Em, k and RMi, k and point load index (PLI), k and Brazilian tensile strength (BTS), Em and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), UCS and PLI, UCS and BTS. Relationships were significant (significance level=0.000) at the confidence interval of 95% (r = 0.77-0.88) between the data pairs for the rocks taken from depths greater than 166 m where the ratio of horizontal to vertical stress is between 0.6 and 1.2. The in-situ stress parameters affected rock mass properties as well as metamorphism which affected the geomechanical properties of rock materials by affecting the behavior of minerals and textures within rocks. This study revealed that in-situ stress parameters and metamorphism should be reviewed when tunnel studies are carried out.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.295-306
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• 2010

Contrary to an intact rock, the jointed rock mass shows strain-dependent deformation characteristics (elastic modulus and damping ratio). The maximum elastic modulus of a rock mass can be obtained from an elastic wave-based exploration in a small strain level and applied to seismic analyses. However, the assessment and application of the non-linear characteristics of rock masses in a small to medium strain level ($10^{-4}{\sim}0.5%$) have not been carried out yet. A non-linear dynamic analysis module is newly developed for FLAC3D to simulate strain-dependent shear modulus degradation and damping ratio amplification characteristics. The developed module is verified by analyzing the change of the Ricker wave propagation. Strain-dependent non-linear characteristics are obtained from disks of cored samples using a rock mass dynamic testing apparatus which can evaluate wave propagation characteristics in a jointed rock column. Using the experimental results and the developed non-linear dynamic module, seismic analyses are performed for the intersection of a shaft and an inclined tunnel. The numerical results show that vertical and horizontal displacements of non-linear analyses are larger than those of linear analyses. Also, non-linear analyses induce bigger bending compressive stresses acting on the lining. The bending compressive stress concentrates at the intersection part. The fundamental understanding of a strain-dependent jointed rock mass behavior is achieved in this study and the analytical procedure suggested can be effectively applied to field designs and analyses.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.259-268
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• 2020

The synthetic rock mass (SRM) were used to investigate the influence of specimen size on the mechanical properties of jointed rock mass. The SRM were established based on parallel bond model (PBM) and smooth joint model (SJM) and the scaled rock specimens were sampled in two SRMs considering three sampling locations. The research results show that the smaller the initial fracture density is, the greater the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), elastic modulus (E) is when compared with the same sampling location. The mechanical properties of rock specimens obtained by different sampling methods in different SRMs have different scale effects. The strength of rock specimens with more new cracks is not necessarily less than that of rock specimens with fewer new cracks and the failure of rock is caused by the formation of macro-fracture surface.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.215-228
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• 2004

Rock mass contains discontinuities such as faults and joints, and their mechanical properties and spatial distribution dominate the stability of rock mass. Because the deformation of rock mass occurs discontinuities in many cases. However in the case of poor quality rock mass under high stresses, the deformation along intact rock can also influence the structure's stability. In this study, two dimensional finite element program was developed with a rheological model to analyze the stability of the structure excavated in jointed rock mass. The “equivalent material” approach was used assuming intact rock, joints and rock bolts as visco-plastic materials. The program was verified by analysing an intact rock model, a jointed rock mass model and a reinforced jointed rock mass model. The displacement was examined in each model with changing the intact rock behaviour as elastic and visco-plastic. In the case of poor quality rock mass under high stresses, e assumption of visco-plastic behaviour of intact rock resulted in larger displacement than when assuming elastic behaviour for intact rock. Therefore it is recommended to add intact rock's visco-plastic behaviour to the existing model, which only assumes visco-plastic behaviour of joints and rock bolts.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.331-343
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• 2003

Though the Grouting has been in use for a long time, it is still regarded as an technique rather than engineering. The study of ground improvement by grouting is rare especially in jointed rock mass. In this study, biaxial compression tests were performed in the jointed rock mass models with .ough surfBce joints assembled with blocks before and after grouting. The load-deformation curves of the jointed rock masses showed a non-linear relationship before grouting but showed a relatively linear deformaion behavior after grouting. Improvement ratio (deformation modulus after grouting/deformation modulus before grouting) decreased with increasing joint spacing and lateral stress. Improvement ratio decreased exponentially with increasing deformation modulus of the rock mass model before grouting. Three-dimensional FDM analysis was performed to a highway tunnel case using experimental data of grouted rock. The convergence of the tunnel predicted after grouting by the numerical modelling coincided with those attained from the field measurement.

• 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.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.15 no.3 s.56
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• pp.185-194
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• 2005

Recently, the surrounding rock mass is understood as the major support system for the tunnel constructed in the rock mass. Generally, the rock mass contains many discontinuity planes such as joints, and thus, the tunnel behavior in the rock mass is governed by the characteristics of the discontinuity planes. In this study, the behavior of tunnel in jointed rock mass is studied by model tests and numerical analyses. The results shows that the behavior of tunnel depends on the different initial stress conditions, in case that the tunnel is excavated in the ground without any joints. When a joint is located near the tunnel, the pound stress and displacement tend to increase between the tunnel and the joint.