• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.316-326
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of cleavages on indirect tensile strength (ITS) of the granite. Brazilian disc tests and ring tests with three different hole sizes were performed. 2D DEM (Discrete Element Method) simulation was employed to further understand the failure process during the tests and the mechanism behind. Results show that ITS decreases across hardway, grain and rift cleavage. Measured average ITS from ring tests is about 2.5 ~ 6.4 times of those measured from Brazilian disc tests, and it decreases with increasing ratio of diameters of inner hole and specimen. Failure pattern in ring tests is influenced by both hole size and relative positions of cleavages parallel and perpendicular to the loading direction.

• Explosives and Blasting
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.14-21
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• 2019

Distinct element method is a powerful numerical tool for modelling the jointed rock masses. It is also a useful tool for modelling of later stage of blasting requiring large displacement. The distinct element method utilizes a rigid block idea in which the interacting force between distinct elements is calculated from contact displacement as elements penetrate slightly. The properties of joints defined as the boundaries of distinct elements are critical parameters to determine the block behavior, and affect the deformation and failure mode. However, regardless of real joint properties, joint stiffnesses have sometimes been selected without special concern just to prevent elements from penetrating too far into each other in some quasi-static problems. Depending on whether the main interest in the analysis is the prediction of the deformation with high precision, or the prediction of the block behaviour after failure, the input data such as joint stiffness may or may not have a significant effect on the results. The purpose of this study is to provide a sound understanding of the effect of the joint stiffness on the distinct element analysis results, and to help guide the selection of input data.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.647-663
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• 2023

The investigation of the disc cutter wear prediction has an important guiding role in TBM equipment selection, project planning, and cost forecasting, especially when tunneling in a long-distance rock formations with high strength and high abrasivity. In this study, a comprehensive database of disc cutter wear data, geological properties, and tunneling parameters is obtained from a 1326 m excavated metro tunnel project in leptynite in Shenzhen, China. The failure forms and wear consumption of disc cutters on site are analyzed with emphasis. The results showed that 81% of disc cutters fail due to uniform wear, and other cutters are replaced owing to abnormal wear, especially flat wear of the cutter rings. In addition, it is found that there is a reasonable direct proportional relationship between the uniform wear rate (WR) and the installation radius (R), and the coefficient depends on geological characteristics and tunneling parameters. Thus, a preliminary prediction formula of the uniform wear rate, based on the installation radius of the cutterhead, was established. The correlation between some important geological properties (K_V and UCS) along with some tunneling parameters (F_n and p) and wear rate was discussed using regression analysis methods, and several prediction models for uniform wear rate were developed. Compared with a single variable, the multivariable model shows better prediction ability, and 89% of WR can be accurately estimated. The prediction model has reliability and provides a practical tool for wear prediction of disc cutter under similar hard rock projects with similar geological conditions.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.87-98
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• 2006

This paper is an experimental result of performing the prototype of anchor tests in field to investigate the ultimate uplifting capacity of permanent anchor embedded in weathered rock. For prototype of actual anchor test in situ, four grouted anchors having various anchor lengths were installed in field and their ultimate uplift capacities were obtained by analyzing test results of load-displacement curves obtained from field uplift tests. On the other hand, creep tests, applying pull-out loading at the stage of the maximum loading during 15 minutes, were performed to investigate ultimate resisting capacity of anchor so that the values of creep rate at the ultimate loading conditions were evaluated. Dial gauges were installed on the surface of ground to measure the vertical displacement distribution from the anchor so that the failure mechanism of permanent anchor embedded in weathered rock and failure boundary of ground during application of loading were evaluated.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.367-378
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• 2002

Recently, the number of tunnels on national roads has been increased due to the trend that construction of the large-scaled cut slopes is limited because of the environmental issues. Therefore, the slope failures of tunnel portal have often occurred. The tunnel portal in use has limitations on selection of the countermeasure and construction against slope failure. In the cases of Suanbo hot springs 1 and 2 tunnel portals, seedding was chosen and constructed as the countermeasureof slope failure when the tunnel was first built but collapsed in April, 2002. In this study, the failure sites were examined accurately through the site investigation and an efficient countermeasure according to stability analysis is presented. It is shown that it is very efficient to use resloping for Suanbo hot springs 1 tunnel and concrete buttress, rock anchor to reinforcement countermeasure, and attached rockfall prevention net by dividing the site into 3 sections for Suanbo hot springs 2 tunnel.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.77-85
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• 2012

In a material, micro-cracks can be progressively occurred, propagated and finally lead to failure when it is subjected to cyclic or periodic loading less than its ultimate strength. This phenomenon, fatigue, is usually considered in a metal, alloy and structures under repeated loading conditions. In underground structures, a static creep behavior rather than a dynamic fatigue behavior is mostly considered. However, when compressed air is stored in a rock cavern, an inner pressure is periodically changed due to repeated in- and-out process of compressed air. Therefore mechanical properties of surrounding rock mass and an inner lining system under cyclic loading/unloading conditions should be investigated. In this study, considering an underground lined rock cavern for compressed air energy storage (CAES), the mechanical properties of a lining system, that is, concrete lining and plug under periodic loading/unloading conditions were characterized through cyclic bending tests and shear tests. From these tests, the stability of the plug was evaluated and the S-N line of the concrete lining was obtained.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.324-334
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• 2011

Seismic wave velocity change has been monitored due to the accumulation of micro-cracks by uniaxial loads on the rock samples from Seokmo Island with stepwise increase in 5 stages. After the load was applied up to 95% of UCS, P- and S-wave velocities varied in ranges of 0.9 ~ 18.3% and 2.8 ~ 14.8% of fresh rock sample velocities, respectively. Unlike seismic velocity of the dry rock samples that showed overall decreases after the loading, velocity changes of saturated rock samples were much more complicated. These seemed to be due to the mixture of two contradictory mechanisms; i.e. accumulation of micro-crack causes an increase in porosity and a decrease in wave velocity, while saturation causes an increase in wave velocity. Most of tested rocks showed a trend of velocity increase with low axial load and then velocity decrease at later stages. Starting stage of velocity decrease differs from samples to samples. After the failure of rock occurred, noticeable increases of porosity and decreases of wave velocity have been observed. It showed overall trend that the more the quartz contents and the lower the silicate, the higher the Young's modulus.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.150-168
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• 2023

The anisotropic behavior of rocks is primarily attributed to the directional arrangement of rock-forming minerals and the distribution characteristics of microcracks. Notably, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks often exhibit distinct transverse isotropy in terms of their strength and deformation characteristics. Consequently, it is crucial to gain accurate insights into the deformation and failure characteristics of transversely isotropic rocks during rock mechanics design processes. The deformation of such rocks is described by five independent elastic constants, which are determined through laboratory testing. In this study, the characteristics of the directional variation of apparent elastic constants in transversely isotropic rocks were investigated using experimental data reported in the literature. To achieve this, the constitutive equation proposed by Mehrabadi & Cowin was introduced to calculate the apparent elastic constants more efficiently and systematically in a rotated Cartesian coordinate system. Four transversely isotropic rock types from the literature were selected, and the influence of changes in the orientation of the weak plane on the variations of the apparent elastic modulus, apparent shear modulus, and apparent Poisson's ratio was analyzed. Based on the investigation, a new constraint on the elastic constants has been proposed. If the proposed constraint is satisfied, the directional variation of the apparent elastic constants in transversely isotropic rocks aligns with intuitive predictions of their tendencies.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.6C
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• pp.407-419
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• 2006

Situations where support is provided solely in shaft resistance of drilled shafts are where the base of the drilled hole cannot be cleaned so that it is uncertain that any end bearing support will be developed. Alternatively, where sound bed rock underlies low strength overburden material, it may be possible to achieve the required support in end bearing on the rock only, and assume that no support is developed in the overburden. However, where the drilled shaft is drilled some depth into sound rock, a combination of side wall resistance and end bearing can be assumed. Both theoretical and field studies of the performance of rock socketed drilled shafts show that the major portion of applied load is usually carried in side wall resistance. Normal stress at the rock-concrete interface is induced by two mechanisms. First, application of a compressive load on the top of the pile results in elastic dilation of the concrete, and second, shear displacement at the rough surface of the drilled hole results in mechanical dilation of the interface. If the stiffness of the material surrounding the socket with respect to normal displacement is constant, then the normal stress will increase with increasing applied load, and there will be a corresponding increase in the shear strength. In this study, the numerical analyses are carried out to investigate the behavioral characteristics of side of rock socketed drilled shafts. The cause of non-linear head load-settlement relationship and failure mechanism at side are also investigated properly and the design charts are suggested and verified for the leading to greater efficiency and reliability in the pile design.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.429-437
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• 2018

In order to reduce deformation of roadway floor heave in deep underground soft rockmass, four support design patterns were analyzed using the Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua (FLAC)3D, including the traditional bolting (Design 1), the bolting with the backbreak in floor (Design 2), the full anchorage bolting with the backbreak in floor (Design 3) and the full anchorage bolting with the bolt-grouting backbreak in floor (Design 4). Results show that the design pattern 4, the full anchorage bolting with the bolt-grouting backbreak in floor, was the best one to reduce the deformation and failure of the roadway, the floor deformation was reduced at 88.38% than the design 1, and these parameters, maximum vertical stress, maximum horizontal displacement and maximum horizontal stress, were greater than 1.69%, 5.96% and 9.97%. However, it was perfectly acceptable with the floor heave results. The optimized design pattern 4 provided a meaningful and reliable support for the roadway in deep underground coal mine.