• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Rock Mechanics Conference
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• 2006.03a
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• pp.79-93
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• 2006

It is well known that acoustic emission (AE) is indicator of rock fracturing or damage as rock is brought to failure under the uniaxial compressive loads. In this paper, an experimental study on the source location of acoustic emission on the cylindrical specimens of granite under uniaxial compression test was made. The AE source location was made by measuring the six channel AE data. Comparing to this experiment, the numerical method is applied to model the initiation and propagation of fracture by AE using a numerical code, RFPA (Realistic Failure Process Analysis). This code incorporates the mesoscopic heterogeneity in Young's modulus and rock strength characteristic of rock masses. In the numerical models, values of Young's modulus and rock strength are realized according to a Weibull distribution in which the distribution parameters represent the level of heterogeneity of the medium. The results of the simulations show that RFPA can be used not only to produce acoustic emission similar to those measurements in our experiments, but also to predict fracturing patterns under uniaxial loading condition.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.74 no.2
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• pp.283-296
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• 2020

The coupled hydro-mechanical loading conditions commonly occur in the geothermal and petroleum engineering projects, which is significantly important influence on the stability of rock masses. In this article, the influence of flaw inclination angle of fracture behaviors in rock-like materials subjected to both mechanical loads and internal hydraulic pressures is experimentally studied using the 3-D X-ray computed tomography combined with 3-D reconstruction techniques. Triaxial compression experiments under confining pressure of 8.0 MPa are first conducted for intact rock-like specimens using a rock mechanics testing system. Four pre-flawed rock-like specimens containing a single open flaw with different inclination angle under the coupled hydro-mechanical loading conditions are carried out. Then, the broken pre-flawed rock-like specimens are analyzed using a 3-D X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning system. Subsequently, the internal damage behaviors of failed pre-flawed rock-like specimens are evaluated by the 3-D reconstruction techniques, according to the horizontal and vertical cross-sectional CT images. The present experimental does not only focus on the mechanical responses, but also pays attentions to the internal fracture characteristics of rock-like materials under the coupled hydro-mechanical loading conditions. The conclusion remarks are significant for predicting the rock instability in geothermal and unconventional petroleum engineering.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.17 no.1 s.50
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• pp.135-142
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• 2007

Although rock itself has high strength or low permeability, engineering properties of rock masses are significantly influenced by discontinuities such as cracks and joints. Considered with possibility of groundwater flow in massive rock mass of deep subsurface, the connectivity of micro cracks should be analyzed as a conduit of ground-water flow. The objective of this study is to estimate permeability characteristics of granite dependent on damage process with application of joint distribution analysis and modeling of permeability analysis in rock masses. In case of average permeability coefficients, the modeling results based on micro cracks data are well matched with the results from permeability tests. Based on the visualization result of three dimensional model, the average permeability coefficients through the discharge plane have a positive relationship with the number of microcrack induced by rock damage.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.115-128
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• 2006

The structural anisotropy and heterogeneity of rock mass, caused by discontinuities and weak zones, have a great influence on the deformation behavior of a tunnel. A tunnel construction in these complex ground conditions is very difficult. No matter how excellent a geological investigation is, local uncertainties of rock mass conditions still remain. Under these uncertain circumstances, an accurate forecast of the ground conditions ahead of the advancing tunnel face is indispensable to a safe and economic tunnel construction. This paper presents the effect of anisotropy and heterogeneity of the rock masses to be excavated by numerical analysis. The influences of distance from weak zone, the size or dimension, the different stiffness and the orientation of weak zones are analysed by 3-D finite element analysis. By analysing these numerical results, the tunnel behavior due to excavation can be well understood and the prediction of rock mass condition ahead of the tunnel face can be possible.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.66-81
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• 2021

The effects of directional fracture tensor components and first invariant of fracture tensor on deformation moduli and shear moduli of fractured rock masses is analyzed based on regression analysis performed between 3-D fracture tensor parameters and deformability of DFN blocks. Using one or two deterministic joint sets, a total of 224 3-D discrete fracture network (DFN) cube blocks were generated with various configurations of deterministic density and probabilistic size distribution. The fracture tensor parameters were calculated for each generated DFN systems. Also, deformability moduli with respect to three perpendicular direction of the DFN cube blocks were estimated based on distinct element method. The larger the first invariant of fracture tensor, the smaller the values for the deformability moduli of the DFN blocks. These deformability properties present an asymptotic pattern above the certain threshold. It is found that power-law function describes the relationship between the directional deformability moduli and the corresponding fracture tensor components estimated in same direction.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1994.09a
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• pp.231-234
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• 1994

Concentrated stresses due to the tunnel excavation easily cause failure around opening in the soft rock mass layer. Thus, while excavatng tunnel in the soft rock mass layerm it is very important to predict the possibility of failure or yielding zones around tunnel boundary. There are two typical methods to predict these; 1) the analysis of field monioring data and 2) numerical analysis. In this study, it was attempted to describe the time-dependent or progressive rock mass manner due to the continuous failure and fracturing caused by surrounding underground openings using the second method. In order to apply the effects of progressive failure underground, an iterative technique was used with the Hoek and Brown rock mass failure theory. By developing and simulating, three different shapes of twin tunnels, this research simulated and estimated the proper size of critical pillar width between tunnels, distributed stresses on the tunnel sides, and convergences of tunnel crowns. Moreover, results out progressive failure technique based on the Hoek and Brown theory were compared with the results out of Mohr-Coulomb theory.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.164-176
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• 1992

The conical-ended borehole technique and hemispherical-ended borehole technique are proposed, for the accurate stress measurement within a rock mass. Theory of stress tensor determination and in situ measurement system are presented with successful case examples, and the characteristics of stress distribution within rock masses are examined by the multiple times measurement in a single borehole. Subsequently, the problem in relation to the numerical approach for cavern designing is discussed on the basis of the dependency of the stress discontinuity on the geological discontinuities and so on.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2004.03b
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• pp.831-838
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• 2004

To study on mechanical characteristics of weathered granite masses are difficult because of undisturbanced sampling and in-situ test. Generally, pressuremeter test is widely used to investigate the behavior of weathered rock masses. However, it has many problems to get a limit pressure because of cavity collapse, membrane damage, ete. This study aims to evaluate the mechanical characteristics of weathered granite masses using in-situ pressuremeter test and numerical analysis depending on the ratio of length and diameter of the membrane(L/D=5, 8, 10, 15, 20). Test results and data are shown that strength parameters are reduced exponentially varing weathering degree, and numerical analysis results are approximately coincided with the test results. And the ratio of length and diameter of the membrane arc not affected the parameters such as modulus of pressuremeter, shear modulus, etc. But limit pressure is increased decreasing membrane length based on numerical analysis. On the other hand, increasing the membrane length, yield pressure is decreased and plastic radius is increased in the case of same weathering degree.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1998.05a
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• pp.35-81
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• 1998

Distinct Element Method(DEM) has a great advantage to model the discontinuous behaviour of jointed rock masses such as rotation, sliding, and separation of rock blocks. Geometrical data of joints by a field monitoring is not enough to model the jointed rock mass though the results of DE analysis for the jointed rock mass is most sensitive to the distributional properties of joints. Also, it is important to use a properly joint law in evaluating the stability of a jointed rock mass because the joint is considered as the contact between blocks in DEM. In this study, a stochastic modelling technique is developed and the dilatant rock joint is numerically modelled in order to consider th geometrical and mechanical properties of joints in DE analysis. The stochastic modelling technique provides a assemblage of rock blocks by reproducing the joint distribution from insufficient joint data. Numerical Modelling of joint dilatancy in a edge-edge contact of DEM enable to consider not only mechanical properties but also various boundary conditions of joint. Preprocess Procedure for a stochastic DE model is composed of a statistical process of raw data of joints, a joint generation, and a block boundary generation. This stochastic DE model is used to analyze the effect of deviations of geometrical joint parameters on .the behaviour of jointed rock masses. This modelling method may be one tool for the consistency of DE analysis because it keeps the objectivity of the numerical model. In the joint constitutive law with a dilatancy, the normal and shear behaviour of a joint are fully coupled due to dilatation. It is easy to quantify the input Parameters used in the joint law from laboratory tests. The boundary effect on the behaviour of a joint is verified from shear tests under CNL and CNS using the numerical model of a single joint. The numerical model developed is applied to jointed rock masses to evaluate the effect of joint dilation on tunnel stability.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.476-479
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• 2007

The selection of the support system is an important design parameter in design and construction of the tunnel using the new Australian tunnel method. It is a common practice to select the support based on the rock mass grade, in which the rock mass is classified into five rock groups. The method is applicable if the characteristics of the rock mass are uniform in the vertical direction. However, such case is seldom encountered in practice and not applicable when the properties vary along the vertical direction. This study performs comprehensive three dimensional finite difference analyses to investigate the ground deformation pattern for cases in which the rock mass properties change in the vertical direction of the tunnel axis. The numerically calculated displacements at the tunnel crown show that the displacement is highly dependent on the stiffness contrast of the rock masses. The results strongly indicate the need to select the support type $0.5{\sim}1.0D$(vertical direction) on the rock mass boundary. The paper proposes a new guideline for selecting the support type based the results of the analyses.