• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.203-209
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• 2018

Reliable estimation of compressive as well as tensile in-situ stresses is critical in the design and analysis of underground structures and openings in rocks. Kaiser effect technique, which uses acoustic emission from rock specimens under cyclic load, is well established for the estimation of in-situ compressive stresses. This paper investigates the Kaiser effect on marble specimens under cyclic uniaxial compressive as well as cyclic uniaxial tensile conditions. The tensile behavior was studied by means of Brazilian tests. Each specimen was tested by applying the load in four loading cycles having magnitudes of 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of the peak stress. The experimental results confirm the presence of Kaiser effect in marble specimens under both compressive and tensile loading conditions. Kaiser effect was found to be more dominant in the first two loading cycles and started disappearing as the applied stress approached the peak stress, where felicity effect became dominant instead. This behavior was observed to be consistent under both compressive and tensile loading conditions and can be applied for the estimation of in-situ rock stresses as a function of peak rock stress. At a micromechanical level, Kaiser effect is evident when the pre-existing stress is smaller than the crack damage stress and ambiguous when pre-existing stress exceeds the crack damage stress. Upon reaching the crack damage stress, the cracks begin to propagate and coalesce in an unstable manner. Hence acoustic emission observations through Kaiser effect analysis can help to estimate the crack damage stresses reliably thereby improving the efficiency of design parameters.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.253-262
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• 2017

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the crack characteristics by performing the compression test of the rock and concrete specimens. The experiments are carried out by using strain sensors which can measure length change and the AE sensor which can detect the elastic wave from the crack. The crack volumetric strain calculated from measured strain is shown in different shape on the rock and the concrete specimens. This is because the specimens have a different degree of brittleness. However, the crack volumetric strain associated with the fracture and damage was similar to accumulated AE energy of the two specimens. This means that the AE sensor can assess damage in real time without damaging the structure.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.17 no.1 s.66
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• pp.32-42
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• 2007

Severe damage can occur around deposition holes due to complex interaction of thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) loading during the long term operation of high level radioactive waste repository. Many candidate sites for repository are located in crystalline rock mass, therefore mechanism of damage follows the form of brittle fracture and failure. This paper briefly introduces major outcomes from 15 years international collaborative project, DECOVALEX, and presents major study results for current ongoing benchmark test study from DECOVALEX-THMC, to evaluate the effect of THM loading to rock mass in excavation damaged zone (EDZ) near deposition holes. Through benchmark test model by simplifying THM loading to boundary loading obtained numerical results are compared, and discrete fracture interaction after up to 1 million years operation is discussed.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.327-351
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• 2009

Laboratory tests are performed in this paper to investigate the brittle failure characteristics of over-stressed rocks taken in deep depth. Also, numerical simulation performed using that the so-called CWFS(Cohesion Weakening Frictional Strengthening) model is known to predict brittle failure phenomenon reasonably well. The most typical rock types of Korean peninsula - granite and gneiss - were used for testing. Results of uniaxial compression tests showed that the crack initiation stress was about 41 % to 42% of the uniaxial compressive strength regardless of rock types, where as, the crack damage stress of granite was about 75%, and that of gneiss was about 97%. Through the damage-controlled test, strength parameters of each rock were obtained as a function of damage degree. After the peak, the crack damage stress and the maximum stress were decreased, The cohesion was decreased and the friction angle was increased with increase of rock damage. Before reaching the peak, the elastic modulus was slightly increased, while decreased after the peak. Poisson's ratio was increased as the damage of rock proceeds. Comparison of uniaxial compression tests and damage-controlled tests shows the crack initiation stress estimated from the damage-controlled test fluctuated within the range of crack initiation stress obtained from the uniaxial compression test; the crack damage stress was less than that estimated from the uniaxial compression test. In order to predict the critical depth that brittle failure occurs, numerical simulations using the CWFS model were performed for an example site. Material parameters obtained from the laboratory tests mentioned above were used for CWFS simulation. Comparison between the critical depth predicted from the numerical simulation using the CWFS model and that predicted by using the damage index proposed by Martin et al.(l999), showed that critical depth cannot be reasonably predicted by the currently used damage index except for circular tunnels. A modified damage index was proposed by the author which takes the shape of tunnels other than circular into account.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.16 no.1 s.60
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• pp.50-57
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• 2006

Development of structures such as slope and tunnel, waste disposal, oil and LPG storages, and underground power house and so on, is increasing with the year. The method for appropriate estimation of rock state such as fresh or damaged rocks is also requested with increasing structural development. On these purposes, seismic logging system, which is a simple and easy way for handling as well as small and light, has been developed. Seismic logging method is one of logging tests, which is able to evaluate the state of rock mass with various shapes and is possible to obtain the relatively accuracy data at situ state. In addition, seismic logging method is at to apply to estimate structural behavior, before and after support installed. According to the results obtained from this study, firstly, it is clear that the extent of damage in rock slope due to blasting is able to be evaluated with quantity using seismic logging method, moreover to decide the damage zone in rock slope reasonably. Secondly, it is expected that installing depth of support is able to be decided more effectively and economically, using the results of seismic logging data. Finally, seismic logging method is also able to be applied safety supervision of structures, before and after support installed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1993.03a
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• pp.59-62
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• 1993

In this study, various problems of ground vibration from rock blasting have been discussed, and field tests of rock blasting-ground vibration were carried out to find out the system of evaluation and control method for selecting blast design values and the rationale for the selection. Criterla of estimating structural response and damage caused by ground vibration from rock blasting are also discussed for the safety design of blast.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.10-16
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• 2016

Recently, transition from open pit to underground mining in limestone mines is an increasing trend in Korea due to environmental issues such as noise, dust and vibrations caused by crushers and equipment. The severe damages in the surrounding rock mass of underground opening caused by explosive blasting may lead to rock fall hazards or casualties. It is well known that variables which mainly affect blast-induced rock falls in underground mining are: blast vibration level, joint orientation and distribution and shape of the cross sections of underground structures. In this study, UDEC program, which is a DEM code, is used to simulate blast vibration-induced rock fall in underground openings. Variation of joint space, joint angle and joint normal stiffness was considered to investigate the effect of joint characteristics on the blast vibration-induced rock fall in underground opening. Finally, jointed rock mass models considering blast-induced damage zone were examined to simulate the critical blast vibration value which may cause rock falls in underground opening.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.103-113
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• 2023

This study focused on understanding the relationship between the design of a tunnel boring machine disc cutter ring and its rock-breaking efficiency, as well as the applicable conditions of different cutter ring types. The discrete element method was used to establish a numerical model of the rock-breaking process using disc cutters with different ring types to reveal the development of rock damage cracks and variation in cutter penetration load. The calculation results indicate that a sharp-edged (V-shaped) disc cutter penetrates a rock mass to a given depth with the lowest load, resulting in more intermediate cracks and few lateral cracks, which leads to difficulty in crack combination. Furthermore, the poor wear resistance of a conventional V-shaped cutter can lead to an exponential increase in the penetration load after cutter ring wear. In contrast, constant-cross-section (CCS) disc cutters have the highest quantity of crack extensions after penetrating rock, but also require the highest penetration loads. An arch-edged (U-shaped) disc cutter is more moderate than the aforementioned types with sufficient intermediate and lateral crack propagation after cutting into rock under a suitable penetration load. Additionally, we found that the cutter ring wedge angle and edge width heavily influence cutter rock-breaking efficiency and that a disc cutter with a 16 to 22 mm edge width and 20° to 30° wedge angle exhibits high performance. Compared to V-shaped and U-shaped cutters, the CCS cutter is more suitable for soft or medium-strength rocks, where the penetration load is relatively small. Additionally, two typical case studies were selected to verify that replacing a CCS cutter with a U-shaped or optimized V-shaped disc cutter can increase cutting efficiency when encountering hard rocks.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.328-337
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• 2008

Quantifying the extent and characteristics of the excavation damage zone(EDZ) is important for the nuclear waste industry which relies on the sealing of underground openings to minimize the risk for radionuclide transport. At AECL's Underground Research Laboratory(URL) the Tunnel Sealing Experiment(TSX) was conducted and the tunnel geometry and orientation relative to the stress field had been selected to minimize the potential for the development of an EDZ. The extent and characteristics of the EDZ was measured using velocity profiling and permeability measurements in radial boreholes. The results from this EDZ characterization are used in this paper to evaluate a modeling fir estimating the extent of the EDZ. The methodology used a damage model formulated in the Universal Distinct Element Code and calibrated to laboratory properties. This model was then used to predict the extent of crack initiation and growth around the TSX tunnel and the results compared to the measured damage. The development of the damage zone in the numerical model was found to be in good agreement with the field measurements.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.255-264
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• 2020

With the ongoing development of deep mining of coal resources, some coal mine dynamic disasters have exhibited characteristics of both coal-gas outbursts and rockbursts. Therefore, research is required on the mechanism of rockburst-outburst coupling disaster. In this study, the failure characteristics of coal-rock combination structures were investigated using lab-scale physical simulation experiments. The energy criterion of the rockburst-outburst coupling disaster was obtained, and the mechanism of the disaster induced by the gas-solid coupling instability of the coal-rock combination structure was determined. The experimental results indicate that the damage of the coal-rock structure is significantly different from that of a coal body. The influence of the coal-rock structure should be considered in the study of rockburst-outburst coupling disaster. The deformation degree of the roof is controlled by the more significant main role of the gas pressure and the difference in the strength between the rock body and the coal body. The outburst holes and spall characteristics of the coal body after the failure of the coal-rock structure are strongly affected by the difference in strength between the roof and the coal body. The research results provide an in-depth understanding of the mechanism of rockburst-outburst coupling disasters in deep mining.