• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.117-133
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• 2022

Determination of the mechanical behaviour of jointed rock masses has been a challenge for rock engineers for decades. This problem is more pronounced for non-persistent jointed rock masses due to complicated interaction of rock bridges on the overall behaviour. This paper aims to study the effect of a non-persistent joint set configuration on the mechanical behaviour of rock materials under both uniaxial and biaxial compression tests using a discrete element code. The numerical simulation of biaxial compressive strength of rock masses has been challenging in the past due to shortcomings of bonded particle models in reproducing the failure envelope of rock materials. This problem was resolved in this study by employing the flat-joint contact model. The validity of the numerical model was investigated through a comprehensive comparative study against physical uniaxial and biaxial compression experiments. Good agreement was found between numerical and experimental tests in terms of the recorded peak strength and the failure mode in both loading conditions. Studies on the effect of joint orientation on the failure mode showed that four zones of intact, transition to block rotation, block rotation and transition to intact failure occurs when the joint dip angle varies from 0° to 90°. It was found that the applied confining stress can significantly alter the range of these zones. It was observed that the minimum strength occurs at the joint dip angle of around 45 degrees under different confining stresses. It was also found that the joint orientation can alter the post peak behaviour and the lowest brittleness was observed at the block rotation zone.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.20-30
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• 1997

A discrete joint finite element with joint surface degradation was developed to investigate the shear behavior of rough rock joint. Isoparametric formulation was used for facilitating the implementation of the element in existing Finite Element Codes. The elasto-plastic joint deformation model with the discontinuity constitutive law proposed by Plesha was applied to the element. The reliability of the developed finite element code was successfully testified through numerical direct shear tests conducted under both constant normal stress and constant normal displacement conditions. The result of the numerical direct shear test showed that the code can capture characteristic deformation features envisaged in the direct shear test of rough rock joint.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.37-44
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• 2005

Recent studies reported that natural block size of rock and joint orientation highly affect on rock fragmentation. In this study, blasting test using high strength cement mortar was carried out to verify this fact. The result of this test indicated that fragmentation is influenced by the joint interval, and at same joint interval condition, fragmentation depends on joint orientation. These results are significantly coincident with field investigations.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.261-273
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• 1994

Direct shear tests were carried out on the rock joints and artificial discontinuities to investigate the influence of joint roughness on the shear strength and deformation behaviour. Single direct shear testing apparatus used in experiment was designed and manufactured. Its capacity is 200 tons of shear load, 20 tons of normal load and 50$\textrm{cm}^2$ of maximum shear area. Test samples were cement mortar with artificial discontinuity and sandstone with natural joint. Peak shear strength was increased as joint roughness or normal stress was increased, especially, linearly increased with roughness angle in cement mortar. If joint roughness angle was constant at low normal stress, shear strength was not affected by width and height of joint roughness in cement mortar. Peak shear strengths obtained from tests were larger than the values calculated by Barton's equation, and shear stiffness was increased with joint roughness coefficient.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.17 no.2 s.67
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• pp.102-108
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• 2007

Generally, the method used most widely for rock mass classification is considering the rock strength and development of joint frequency. However, if rock bed has micro-crack and long joint, this method is not rational. Therefore, the difficulties of excavation in the rock bed with complicated geological condition are decided by combining joint frequency. indoor tests (uniaxiall compressive strength, point load test, indoor elastic wave velocity, etc.) and field seismic refraction survey, and the rock mass classification should be implemented by considering their interrelationship.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.669-680
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• 2005

It is very difficult to determine the failure block scale in great rock slopes. Especially, postulating entire slope domain as a failure block without attention to discontinuity trace lenth makes very confuse and difficult to design rock slopes. In this paper, we estimate realistic failure block scale using joint system simulation method and introduce the application procedures on rock slope analysis. Besides, presenting how joint characteristics measurement and statistical analysis results are applicated to slope stability analysis design flow.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2002.03a
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• pp.501-508
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• 2002

The percentage of a mountainous district in our country is comparatively high but the concern for rock mass has been disregarded for a long time. Especially for rock slope, the most important factors are geometric characteristics and their shear strength parameter. In this paper, parametric studies are performed using the distinct element computer program UDEC-BB for rock slopes. Parameters adopted in this paper are joint angle, spacing, persistence, aperture and shear strength parameters (JRC, JCS, basic friction angle). To estimate slope stability, shear strength reduction method is used. The most important factors affecting rock slope stability are joint angle and spacing. The relationship between average displacement calculated by UDEC-BB and safe factor by shear strength reduction method is researched.

• 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.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.227-236
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• 2020

Non-destructive exploration using elastic waves has been widely used to characterize rock mass properties. Wave propagation in jointed rock masses is significantly governed by the characteristics and orientation of discontinuities. The relationship between spatial heterogeneity (i.e., joint spacing) and wavelength for elastic waves propagating through jointed rock masses have been investigated previously. Discontinuous rock masses can be considered as an equivalent continuum material when the wavelength of the propagating elastic wave exceeds the spatial heterogeneity. However, it is unclear how stress-dependent long-wavelength elastic waves propagate through a repetitive rock-joint system with multiple joints. A preliminary numerical simulation was performed in in this study to investigate long-wavelength elastic wave propagation in regularly jointed rock masses using the three-dimensional distinct element code program. First, experimental studies using the quasi-static resonant column (QSRC) testing device are performed on regularly jointed disc column specimens for three different materials (acetal, aluminum, and gneiss). The P- and S-wave velocities of the specimens are obtained under various normal stress levels. The normal and shear joint stiffness are calculated from the experimental results using an equivalent continuum model and used as input parameters for numerical analysis. The spatial and temporal sizes are carefully selected to guarantee a stable numerical simulation. Based on the calibrated jointed rock model, the numerical and experimental results are compared.