• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.405-415
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• 2019

The cracks induced by hydraulic rock splitting technique are formed in the direction parallel to the free plane, which is perpendicular to the minimum principal stress of the ground, or is affected by the pre-existing microcracks. In this study, the hydraulic rock splitting experiments were conducted in which the guide slot was engraved in the direction parallel to the borehole axis on the biotite granite slope, and the hydraulic pressure was injected through the double packer pressure and interval section. The test results show that the cracks along with the guide slots were induced either by the double packer pressurization or the injection of hydraulic pressure into interval section, some cracks extended across the boreholes. Therefore, the hydraulic rock splitting test is expected to control efficiently the induced cracks if the guide slots are engraved in the direction of splitting and a big flow rate is applied.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.353-360
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• 2016

Tests of hydraulic rock splitting were conducted using double packer at the 1, 2 free surface in the limestone mining and granodiorite Suksan area, respectively. The method of hydraulic rock splitting was applying hydraulic power in the interval layer using double packer. As a result of tests, a crack occurred. At about 6.5 MPa and 13 MPa, a crack occurred in 2 free surface. Any crack did not occur in the 1 free surface. Rather, used 1 double packer was broken in the 1 free surface. Also, it was confirmed that the water pressure of the interval increased through the existing crack and the new crack in the test areas.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.725-733
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• 2022

This study applied a hydraulic rock splitting system equipped with a hybrid packer to the bench-cut method. The hybrid packer system is an improvement of the packer developed in previous studies; it is designed efficiently to reduce vibration and noise during rock excavation by combining the two functions of inducing hydraulic fractures using injection pressure and then expanding and extending them using a rubber packer. Field experiments assessed the efficiency of rock excavation with respect to the injection conditions; the adjusted experimental conditions included the distance from the free surface and the test holes drilled at the top of the slope and the injection settings. Using a separation of 5 m left some unexcavated parts, but using a separation of 1 m left no unexcavated parts. The hydraulic fractures generated by the injection pressure developed generally parallel to the free surface and expanded and extended as the rubber packer expanded, thus facilitating bench-cut excavation. For hydraulic rock splitting to be broadly applicable to bench-cut rock excavation, it is important to accumulate results from many field experiments conducted under varying experimental conditions for various types of rockmass.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.719-730
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• 2021

An improved packer and injection system was developed to improve the efficiency of excavation by hydraulic rock splitting by reducing vibration and noise. Field testing of the system found hydraulic fractures limited in expansion and extension due to the loss of injection pressure by leackage from the cracks, and then the single packer applied to injection hole allowed to produce a sufficient tensile displacement for rock excavation. Numerical analysis based on the field test data could explain the development of cracks in the field experiments.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.415-427
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• 2021

This technical report briefly introduced the rock cutting splitting method under development. This method is a method of excavating the rock by splitting the block after the rock cutting process. After designing the cutting geometry of the rock face, the chisel is press-fitted to remove the rock block. At this time, when the cutting block is properly designed, the tensile crack propagates smoothly at the bottom of the rock block. An analytical solution was devised to estimate the indentation force required for splitting rock blocks using fracture toughness mode 1 required for tensile crack growth. The impact force of the hydraulic breaker of the excavator was analyzed, and the grade of the excavator that can be constructed according to the rock block design geometry was analyzed.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.263-270
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• 2017

Hydraulic rock splitting is a technique which leads to failure of rockmass by means of water injection with a pressure higher than the tensile strength of rockmass, using straddle packer installed in boreholes drilled from free surface. Field tests were conducted in this study for several slopes of biotite granite according to various designs for borehole layout and water injection. Test results showed that new cracks were generated to connect to adjacent holes or that pre-existed cracks were propagated by injection, finally leading to failure. In particular, this study suggests the possibility of controlling the direction of generated cracks with guide slot, since new cracks were generated parallel to the guide slots carved on a borehole wall before injection. Various types of borehole layout and injection methods should be further developed for the practical uses, considering the factors influencing on crack generation.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.40-54
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• 2010

The messer shield method applys mainly to a tunnel with small cross-section of a weathered soil or weathered rock district and is fulfilled mostly by man-power excavation. but in case that hard rock exposes on tunnel face, incredible is an application of the rock-splitting method using a hydraulic power or a blasting method. This study represents the case of a blasting method which can control to be practiced by the minimum charges of 125 g an initial vibration occurring at the cut instead of the rock-splitting method, even though water pipe and gas pipe are closely adjacent.