• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.19-29
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• 1996

Back analysis model, capable of calculating the mechanical properties and the in-situ stresses of jointed rock mass, was developed based on the inverse method using a continuum theory. Constitutive equation for the behavior of jointed rock contains two unknown parameters, elastic modulus of intact rock and stiffness of joint, hence algorithm which determines both parameters simultaneously cannot be established. To avoid algebraic difficulties elastic modulus of intact rock was assumed to be known, since the representative value of which would be quite easily determined. Then, the ratio ($\beta$) of joint stiffness to elastic modulus of intact rock was assigned and back analysis for the behavior of jointed rock was carried-out. The value $\beta$ was repeatedly modified until the elastic modulus from back analysis became very comparable to the predetermined value. The joint stiffness could be calculated by multipling the ratio $\beta$ to the final result of elastic modulus. Accuracy and reliability of back analysis procedure was successfully testified using a sample model simulating the underground opening in the jointed rock mass. Applicability of back analysis model for the underground excavation in practice was also verified by analyzing the mechanical properties of jointed rock in which underground oil storage cavern were under construction.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.593-600
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• 2016

To understand the mechanical properties of rock masses and intact rock in Korea, data from 4,280 in situ and laboratory tests from 107 tunnels on general national roads were analyzed. The mechanical properties (unit weight, cohesion, friction angle, modulus of deformation, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, uniaxial compressive strength, tensile strength, coefficient of permeability, and specific gravity) were analyzed by rock types and strength of rock in each rock type. The results of analysis, the mean specific gravity was highest in gneiss. The coefficient of permeability and Poisson's ratio show the highest mean values in granite and metamorphic rock, respectively. In addition, the unit weight, cohesion and friction angle in sedimentary rock, modulus of deformation, Young's modulus, uniaxial compressive strength and tensile strength in volcanic rock have the highest mean values. The values for each mechanical property showed wide ranges by the heterogeneity and anisotropy of rock masses in spite of detailed analysis by rock type and classification of rocks according to the strength.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.139-154
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• 2023

Red-bed soft rock is a common stratum and it is necessary to evaluate the mechanical properties and bearing capacity of red-bed soft rock mass affected by different environmental effects. This paper presents a complete procedure for evaluating the bearing capacity of red-bed soft rock by means of geophysical exploration and in-situ rock mechanics tests. Firstly, the thickness of surface loosened rock mass of red-bed soft rock was determined using geophysical prospecting method. Then, three environmental effects, including natural weathering effect, dry-wet cycling effect and concrete sealing effect, were considered. After each effect lasted for three months, in-situ rock mass mechanical tests were conducted. The test results show that the mechanical properties of rock mass considering the sealing effect of concrete were maintained. After considering the natural weathering effect, the mechanical parameters decrease to a certain extent. After considering the effect of dry-wet cycling, the decreases of mechanical parameters are the most significant. The test results confirm that the red-bed soft rock dam foundation rock mass will be significantly affected by various environmental effects. Therefore, combined with the mechanical test results, some useful implementations are proposed for the construction of a red-bed soft rock dam foundation.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.317-327
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• 2008

About 70% of domestic land is mountainous and the construction of many geotechnical structures is inevitable for building transportation networks across region. Many geotechnical surveys, including rock physical and mechanical tests, are performed during construction. Thus study is a basic research for establishing database of physical and mechanical properties in domestic rocks, and analyzing the rock mechanical relationships between 2,000 rock properties obtained from laboratory tests in KOLAS. For the construction of useful database, systematic management, based on the standard information as well as reliable data accumulation, is required.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.93-105
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• 2022

With the exploitation of natural resources in China, underground resource extraction and underground space development, as well as other engineering activities are increasing, resulting in the creation of many defective rocks. In this paper, uniaxial compression tests were performed on rocks with double holes and fractures at different angles using particle flow code (PFC2D) numerical simulations and laboratory experiments. The failure behavior and mechanical properties of rock samples with holes and fractures at different angles were analyzed. The failure modes of rock with defects at different angles were identified. The fracture propagation and stress evolution characteristics of rock with fractures at different angles were determined. The results reveal that compared to intact rocks, the peak stress, elastic modulus, peak strain, initiation stress, and damage stress of fractured rocks with different fracture angles around holes are lower. As the fracture angle increases, the gap in mechanical properties between the defective rock and the intact rock gradually decreased. In the force chain diagram, the compressive stress concentration range of the combined defect of cracks and holes starts to decrease, and the model is gradually destroyed as the tensile stress range gradually increases. When the peak stress is reached, the acoustic emission energy is highest and the rock undergoes brittle damage. Through a comparative study using laboratory tests, the results of laboratory real rocks and numerical simulation experiments were verified and the macroscopic failure characteristics of the real and simulated rocks were determined to be similar. This study can help us correctly understand the mechanical properties of rocks with defects and provide theoretical guidance for practical rock engineering.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2004.03b
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• pp.407-414
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• 2004

Interfacial properties between rock mass and shotcrete play a significant role in the transmission of loads from the ground to shotcrete. These properties have a major effect on the behaviours of rock mass and shotcrete. They, however, have merely been assumed in most of numerical analyses, and little care has been taken in identifying them. This paper aimed to identify interfacial properties including cohesion, tension, friction angle, shear stiffness, and normal stiffness, through direct shear tests as well as interface normal compression tests for shotcrete/rock cores obtained from a tunnel sidewall. Mechanical properties such as compression strength and elastic modulus were also measured to compare them with the time-dependent variation of interfacial properties. Based on experiments, interfacial properties between rock and shotcrete showed a significant time-dependent variation similar to those of its mechanical properties. In addition, the time-dependent behaviours of interfacial properties can be well regressed through exponential and logarithmic functions of time.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.93-105
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• 2012

This paper compares the two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) approaches for the numerical determination of the equivalent mechanical properties of fractured rock masses. Both orthogonally-fractured model and discrete fracture networks (DFN) were used for the geometry and 2D models were cut in various directions from 3D model to compare their mechanical properties. Geological data were loosely based on the data available from Sellafield, UK. Analytical method based on compliance tensor transformation was used for investigation in orthogonally fractured rock and numerical experiments were conducted on fractured rock mass with DFN geometry. It is shown that 2D approach always overestimates the elastic modulus of fractured rock masses by a factor of up to around two because fractures are assumed to be perpendicular to the model plane in 2D problems. Poisson ratios tend to have larger values in 2D analysis while there is opposite trend in some sections. The study quantitatively demonstrates the limitation of the 2D approach that uses the simplified model from true 3D geometry.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.281-291
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• 2022

Complex rock masses include various joint planes, bedding planes and other weak structural planes. The existence of these structural planes affects the mechanical properties, deformation rules and failure modes of jointed rock masses. To study the influence of the parameters of a nonpersistent joint network on the mechanical properties and failure modes of jointed rock masses, synthetic rock mass (SRM) technology based on discrete elements is introduced. The results show that as the size of the joints in the rock mass increases, the compressive strength and the discreteness of the rock mass first increase and then decrease. Among them, the joints that are characterized by "small but many" joints and "large and clustered" joints have the most significant impact on the strength of the rock mass. With the increase in joint density in the rock mass, the compressive strength of rock mass decreases monotonically, but the rate of decrease gradually decreases. With the increase in the joint dip angle in rock mass, the strength of the rock mass first decreases and then increases, forming a U-shaped change rule. In the analysis of the failure mode and deformation of a jointed rock mass, the type of plastic zone formed after rock mass failure is closely related to the macroscopic displacement deformation of the rock mass and the parameters of the joints, which generally shows that the location and density of the joints greatly affect the failure mode and displacement degree of the jointed rock mass. The instability mechanism of jointed surrounding rock is revealed.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2005.03a
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• pp.521-528
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• 2005

The evaluation process of rock mass properties intrinsically contains some uncertainty due to the inhomogeneity of rock mass and the measurement error. Although various empirical methods for the determination of rock mass properties were suggested, there is no way of integrating various information on rock mass properties except averaging. For these reasons, this research introduces evidence theory which can model epistemic uncertainty and yield reasonable rock mass properties through combining various information such as empirical equations, in-situ test results, and so on. Through the application of evidence theory to the real site investigation and in situ experiment results, an interval of deformation modulus, cohesion and friction angle of rock mass were obtained. The ratios between lower and upper bound of those properties ranges from 1.6 to 3.6. Numerical analyses of circular hole using the properties for TYPE-2 rock mass were carried out. The magnitude or size of plastic region and radial displacement in case of lower bound properties is about 4 times larger than that of upper bound properties.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.239-244
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• 1996

Cracks have influence on the physical and mechanical and, more importantly, on the engineering properties of the rock. Physical properties including the volumetric deformation coefficient, electrical resistivity, seismic wave velocity, and the mechanical properties such as the elastic constants and strength of rock are affected significantly by the presence of cracks of various sizes. An experimental program was undertaken to investigate the effect of a finite line crack on the diffraction of the plane compressional wave. Horizontal and vertical components of displacement and acceleration curve were obtained using a single-source and multi-receivers system. A theoretical model from numerical analysis implementing the finite element method was compared with the measured data.