• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics Conference
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.3-16
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• 2008

The underground construction and mining are facing many geomechanics challenges stemming from, geological complexities and stress-driven rock mass degradation processes. Brittle failing rock at depth poses unique problems as stress-driven failure processes often dominate the tunnel behaviour. Such failure processes can lead to shallow unravelling or strainbursting modes of instability that cause difficult conditions for tunnel contractors. This keynote address focuses on the challenge of anticipating the actual behaviour of brittle rocks in laboratory testing, for empirical rock mass strength estimation, and by back-analysis of field observations. This paper summarizes lessons learned during the construction of deep Alpine tunnels and highlights implications that are of practical importance with respect to constructability. It builds on a recent presentation made at the $1^{st}$ Southern Hemisphere International Rock Mechanics Symposium held in Perth, Australia, in September this year, and includes results from recent developments.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.225-234
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• 2019

A numerical stepwise approach for cavity expansion problem in strain-softening rock or soil mass is investigated, which is compatible with Mohr-Coulomb and generalized Hoek-Brown failure criteria. Based on finite difference method, plastic region is divided into a finite number of concentric rings whose thicknesses are determined internally to satisfy the equilibrium and compatibility equations, the material parameters of the rock or soil mass are assumed to be the same in each ring. For the strain-softening behavior, the strength parameters are assumed to be a linear function of deviatoric plastic strain (${\gamma}p^*$) for each ring. Increments of stress and strain for each ring are calculated with the finite difference method. Assumptions of large-strain for soil mass and small-strain for rock mass are adopted, respectively. A new numerical stepwise approach for limited pressure and plastic radius are obtained. Comparisons are conducted to validate the correctness of the proposed approach with Vesic's solution (1972). The results show that the perfectly elasto-plastic model may underestimate the displacement and stresses in cavity expansion than strain-softening coefficient considered. The results of limit expansion pressure based on the generalised H-B failure criterion are less than those obtained based on the M-C failure criterion.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.391-399
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• 2020

Brittleness is one of the most important properties of rock which has a major impact not only on the failure process of intact rock but also on the response of rock mass to tunneling and mining projects. Due to the lack of a universally accepted definition of rock brittleness, a wide range of methods, including direct and indirect methods, have been developed for its measurement. Measuring rock brittleness by direct methods requires special equipment which may lead to financial inconveniences and is usually unavailable in most of rock mechanic laboratories. Accordingly, this study aimed to develop a new strength-based index for predicting rock brittleness based on the obtained base form. To this end, an innovative algorithm was developed in Matlab environment. The utilized algorithm finds the optimal index based on the open access dataset including the results of punch penetration test (PPT), uniaxial compressive and Brazilian tensile strength. Validation of proposed index was checked by the coefficient of determination (R²), the root mean square error (RMSE), and also the variance for account (VAF). The results indicated that among the different brittleness indices, the suggested equation is the most accurate one, since it has the optimal R², RMSE and VAF as 0.912, 3.47 and 89.8%, respectively. It could finally be concluded that, using the proposed brittleness index, rock brittleness can be reliably predicted with a high level of accuracy.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.559-565
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• 2000

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.11-20
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to propose a new approach for quantifying in situ rock mass damage, which would include a degree-of-damage and the degraded strength of a rock mass, along with its prediction based on real-time Acoustic Emission (AE) observations. The basic approach for quantifying in-situ rock mass damage is to derive the normalized value of measured AE energy with the maximum AE energy, called the degree-of-damage in this study. With regard to estimation of the AE energy, an AE crack source location algorithm of the Wigner-Ville Distribution combined with Biot's wave dispersion model, was applied for more reliable AE crack source localization in a rock mass. In situ AE wave attenuation was also taken into account for AE energy correction in accordance with the propagation distance of an AE wave. To infer the maximum AE energy, fractal theory was used for scale-independent AE energy estimation. In addition, the Weibull model was also applied to determine statistically the AE crack size under a jointed rock mass. Subsequently, the proposed methodology was calibrated using an in situ test carried out in the Underground Research Tunnel at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. This was done under a condition of controlled incremental cyclic loading, which had been performed as part of a preceding study. It was found that the inferred degree-of-damage agreed quite well with the results from the in situ test. The methodology proposed in this study can be regarded as a reasonable approach for quantifying rock mass damage.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.59-72
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• 2022

This study employed a 3-D numerical analysis based on the distinct element method to estimate the strength and deformability of a Cretaceous biotite granitic rock mass at Gijang, Busan, Korea. A workflow was proposed to evaluate the scale effect and the representative elementary volume (REV) of mechanical properties for fractured rock masses. Directional strength and deformability parameters such as block strength, deformation modulus, shear modulus, and bulk modulus were estimated for a discrete fracture network (DFN) in a cubic block the size of the REV. The size of the mechanical REV for fractured rock masses in the study area was determined to be a 15 m cube. The mean block strength and mean deformation modulus of the DFN cube block were found to be 52.8% and 57.7% of the intact rock's strength and Young's modulus, respectively. A constitutive model was derived for the study area that describes the linear-elastic and orthotropic mechanical behavior of the rock mass. The model is expected to help evaluate the stability of tunnels and underground spaces through equivalent continuum analysis.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.825-835
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• 2019

When the tunnel is designed, the ground is classified into several grades and the corresponding support system is applied according to the support pattern table. However, a simple pattern application based on rock grade does not take into account the longitudinal stress transitions occurring at rock grade boundaries. In this study, three-dimensional numerical analysis was performed to estimate the stress change in the longitudinal rock grade change of NATM tunnel, and the influence zone of load transfer was investigated using the influence line and trend line. As a result, the downward change of rock grade in the direction of tunnel excavation occurs in the range of 0.35~0.7D from low-strength rock to high-strength rock around the grade change boundary. It is necessary to apply a downward pattern of about 1.0D to the safety direction in consideration of the influence range of 0.35D to 0.7D.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2009.03a
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• pp.58-63
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• 2009

Biaxial compression test was conducted on a transversely isotropic synthetic jointed rock model for the understanding of the fracture behaviors of a sedimentary or metamorphic rocks with well developed bedding or foliation in uni-direction. The joint angles employed for the model are 30, 45, and 60 degrees to the horizontal, and the synthetic rock mass was made of early strength cement. From the biaxial compression test, initiation propagation of tensile cracks at norm to the joint angle was found. The propagated tensile cracks eventually developed rock blocks, which was dislodged from the rock mass. Furthermore, the propagation process of the tensile cracks varies with joint angle: lower joint angle model shows more stable and progressive tensile crack propagation. The experiment results were validated from the simulation by using discrete element method PFC 2D. From the simulation, as has been observed from the test, a rock mass with lower joint angle produces wider damage region and rock block by tensile cracks. In addition, a rock model with lower joint angle shows a progressive tensile cracks generation around the opening from the investigation of the interacted tensile cracks.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.1C
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• pp.25-31
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• 2006

It is common to use the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of intact rock to estimate the shaft resistance of rock socketed drilled shaft. Therefore the most design manuals give a guide to use the UCS of rock core to estimate the shaft resistance of rock-socketed drilled shaft. Recently, however the design manuals for highway bridge (KSCE, 2001) and of AASHTO (2000) were revised to use the UCS of rock mass with RQD instead of the UCS of rock core so that the estimated resistance could be representative of field conditions. Questions have been raised in application of the new guide to the domestic main bed rock types. The intrinsic drawbacks in terms of RQD were comprised in the questions, too. As the results, in 2002 the new guide in the design manual for highway bridge (KSCE, 2001) were again revised to use the UCS of rock core to estimate the shaft resistance of rock-socketed drilled shafts. In this paper, various methods which can estimate the UCS of rock mass from intact rock core were reviewed. It seems that among those, the Hoek-Brown method is very reliable and practical for the estimation of the UCS of rock mass from rock cores. As the results, using the Hoek-Brown failure criterion a modified guide for the estimation of the shaft resistance of rock-socketed drilled shafts was suggested in this paper. Through a case study it is shown that the suggested method gives a good agreement with the measured data.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.535-570
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• 2017

There are only few cases where cause and location of failure of a rock structure are limited to a single discontinuity. Usually several discontinuities of limited size interact and eventually form a combined shear plane where failure takes place. So, besides the discontinuities, the regions between adjacent discontinuities, which consist of strong rock and are called material or rock bridges, are of utmost importance for the shear strength of the compound failure plane. Shear behaviour of persistent and non-persistent joint are different from each other. Shear strength of rock mass containing non-persistent joints is highly affected by mechanical behavior and geometrical configuration of non-persistent joints located in a rock mass. Therefore investigation is essential to study the fundamental failures occurring in a rock bridge, for assessing anticipated and actual performances of the structures built on or in rock masses. The purpose of this review paper is to present techniques, progresses and the likely future development directions in experimental testing of non-persistent joint failure behaviour. Experimental results showed that the presence of rock bridges in not fully persistent natural discontinuity sets is a significant factor affecting the stability of rock structures. Compared with intact rocks, jointed rock masses are usually weaker, more deformable and highly anisotropic, depending upon the mechanical properties of each joint and the explicit joint positions. The joint spacing, joint persistency, number of rock joint, angle of rock joint, length of rock bridge, angle of rock bridge, normal load, scale effect and material mixture have important effect on the failure mechanism of a rock bridge.