• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.303-314
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• 2009

Image analyses for sheared joint specimens are performed to study asperity degradation characteristics with respect to the roughness mobilization of rock joints. Four different types of joint specimens, which are made of high-strength gypsum materials, are prepared by replicating the three-dimensional roughness of rock joints. About twenty jointed rock shear tests are performed at various normal stress levels. The characteristic and scale of asperity degradation on the sheared joint specimens are analyzed using the digital image analysis technique. The results show that the asperity degradation characteristic mainly depends on the normal stress level and can be defined by asperity failure and wear. The asperity degradation develops significantly around the peak shear displacement and the average amount of degraded asperities remains constant with further displacement because of new degradation of small scale asperities. The shear strength results using high-strength gypsum materials can not fully represent physical properties of each mineral particles of asperities on the natural rock joint surface. However the results of this quantitative estimation for the relationship between the peak shear displacement and the asperity degradation suggest that the characterization of asperity degradation provides an important insight into mechanical characteristics and shear models of rock joints.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2001.03a
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• pp.73-80
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• 2001

The shear strength of jointed rock is influenced by effective normal stress, joint wall compressive strength, joint roughness and so on. Since joint roughness makes considerable influences on shear strength of jointed rock, many studies tried to get quantitative joint roughness parameter. Until now, Joint Roughness Coefficient, JRC proposed by Barton has been prevalently used as a rock joint roughness parameter In spite of its disadvantages. In this study, a quantification of rock joint roughness is performed using surface roughness parameter, Rs. Proposed method is applied to rock core specimens, field joint surfaces, and JRC profiles. The scale of fluctuation is introduced to extend the suggested method to the large scale field joint surface roughness. Based on the quantification of joint surface roughness, joint shear tests are performed with the portable shear box. The relationship between joint surface roughness and joint shear strength is investigated and finally, a rock joint shear strength equation is derived from these results. The equation has considerable credibility and originality in that it is obtained from laboratory tests and expressed with quantified parameter.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2000.03b
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• pp.281-288
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• 2000

In this study, we tried to determine failure criteria for joints of soft rock using ring shear test machine. The residual stress fellowing shear behavior was determined by the result of ring shear test and direct shear test. Ring shear test with the specimens which cover a large deformation range was adapted to measure a residual stress, and was possible to present the peak stress to present the peak stress to the residual stress at the same time. Residual stress is defined a minimal stress of specimens with a large displacement and the result of the peak residual stress is shown by a size of displacement volume. Therefore, the residual stress in soil was decided by shear stress of maximum shear stress - shear displacement(angle) based on the test result of a hyperbolic function ((equation omitted), a, b ＝ experimental constant). In this study, it was proved that the residual stress of rock joint can be determined by using of this method.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.553-564
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• 2019

This paper presents experimental results of rock-concrete bi-material discs under cyclically diametrical compression. It was found that both specimens under cyclical and static loading failed in three typical modes: shear crack, tensile crack and a combined mode of shear and wing crack. The failure modes transited gradually from the shear crack to the tensile one by increasing the interface angle between the interface and the loading direction. The cycle number and peak load increased by increasing the interface angle. The number of cycles and peak load increased with the interface groove depth and groove width, however, decreased with increase in interface groove spacing. The concrete strength can contribute more to the cycle number and peak load for specimens with a higher interface angle. Compared with the discs under static loading, the cyclically loaded discs had a lower peak load but a larger deformation. Finally, the effects of interface angle, interface asperity and concrete strength on the fatigue strength were also discussed.

• 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.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.483-493
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• 2018

Experimental study of the deterioration of high-temperature rock subjected to rapid cooling is essential for thermal engineering applications. To evaluate the influence of thermal shock on heated granite with different temperatures, laboratory tests were conducted to record the changes in the physical properties of granite specimens and the dynamic mechanical characteristics of granite after rapid cooling were experimentally investigated by using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). The results indicate that there are threshold temperatures ($500-600^{\circ}C$) for variations in density, porosity, and P-wave velocity of granite with increasing treatment temperature. The stress-strain curves of $500-1000^{\circ}C$ show the brittle-plastic transition of tested granite specimens. It was also found that in the temperature range of $200-400^{\circ}C$, the through-cracks induced by rapid cooling have a decisive influence on the failure pattern of rock specimens under dynamic load. Moreover, the increase of crack density due to higher treatment temperature will result in the dilution of thermal shock effect for the rocks at temperatures above $500^{\circ}C$. Eventually, a fitting formula was established to relate the dynamic peak strength of pretreated granite to the crack density, which is the exponential function.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.217-224
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• 2001

Rock masses are usually discontinuous in nature due to various geological processes and contain rock joints and bridges. Crack propagation and coalescence processes in rock bridge mainly cause rock failures in slopes, foundations, and tunnels. In this study, we focused on the crack initiation, propagation and coalescence process of rock materials containing two pre-existing open cracks arranged in different geometries. Specimens of 120${\times}$60${\times}$25 mm in size, which were made of Yeoman Marble, were prepared. In the specimens, two artificial cracks were cut with pre-existing crack angle ${\alpha}$, bridge angle ${\beta}$, pre-existing crack length 2c and bridge length 2b. Wing crack initiation stress, wing crack propagation angle, and crack coalescence stress were measured and crack initiation, propagation and coalescence processes were observed during uniaxial compression. Crack coalescence types were classified and analytical study using Ashby and Hallam model (1986) was performed to be compared with the experimental results.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.221-229
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• 1997

Disc-type and ring-type specimens of four different materials were tested to investigate the tensile characteristics and their brief results are presented. Materials tested were marble, granite, cement mortar and plaster. Unizxial tensile strengths are compared with Brazilian and ring test strengths. It was found that Brazilian strengths were usually greater than uniaxial tensile strengths and affected by loading rates. In the ring tests, tensile strengths were generally found to be decreased as relative hole radius being increased. Ring test strengths, however, converged to some value in r$\geq$0.45 of marble, r$\geqq$0.29 of cement mortar and r$\leq$0.5 of plaster specimens. In such range of r, furthermore, transverse cracking of specimens were observed.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.487-497
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• 2023

Penetration rate (PR) and penetration depth (Pe) are crucial parameters for estimating the cost and time required in tunnel construction using tunnel boring machines (TBMs). This study focuses on investigating the impact of rock strength on PR and Pe through full-scale experiments. By conducting controlled tests on rock-like specimens, the study aims to understand the contributions of various ground parameters and machine-operating conditions to TBM excavation performance. An earth pressure balanced (EPB) TBM with a sectional diameter of 3.54 m was utilized in the experiments. The TBM excavated rocklike specimens with varying uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), while the thrust and cutterhead rotational speed were controlled. The results highlight the significance of the interplay between thrust, cutterhead speed, and rock strength (UCS) in determining Pe. In high UCS conditions exceeding 70 MPa, thrust plays a vital role in enhancing Pe as hard rock requires a greater thrust force for excavation. Conversely, in medium-to-low UCS conditions less than 50 MPa, thrust has a weak relationship with Pe, and Pe becomes directly proportional to the cutterhead rotational speed. Furthermore, a strong correlation was observed between Pe and cutterhead torque with a determination coefficient of 0.84. Based on these findings, a predictive model for Pe is proposed, incorporating thrust, TBM diameter, number of disc cutters, and UCS. This model offers a practical tool for estimating Pe in different excavation scenarios. The study presents unprecedented full-scale TBM excavation results, with well-controlled experiments, shedding light on the interplay between rock strength, TBM operational variables, and excavation performance. These insights are valuable for optimizing TBM excavation in grounds with varying strengths and operational conditions.

• 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.