• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.212-218
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• 2013

Tuff specimens were thermally treated with predetermined temperatures of 200, 400 and $600^{\circ}C$ to construct specimens simulating weathered tuff rocks. Specific gravity, absorption ratio, elastic wave velocity, uniaxial compressive strength, Brazilian tensile strength, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio and slake-durability index were measured for pre-heated specimens. Heating of rock specimens entailed the degradation of material properties except for slake-durability index. It was found that correlations among P-wave velocity, uniaxial compressive strength, Brazilian tensile strength, Young's modulus and absorption ratio are high. Regression equations which use the P-wave velocity as an independent variable were presented to evaluate uniaxial compressive strength, Brazilian tensile strength, Young's modulus and absorption ratio.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.491-498
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• 2018

The Earth Mechanics Institute (EMI) was established at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) in 1974 to develop innovations in rock mechanics research and education. During the last four decades, extensive rock mechanics research has been conducted at the EMI. Results from uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), Brazilian tensile strength (BTS), point load index (PLI), punch penetration (PP), and many other types of tests have been recorded in a database that has been unexamined for research purposes. The EMI database includes over 20,000 tests from over 1,000 different projects including mining and underground construction, and analysis of this database to identify relationships has been started with preliminary results reported here. Overall, statistically significant correlations are identified between bulk density and mechanical strength properties through UCS, BTS, PLI, and PP testing of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. In this paper, bulk density is considered as a surrogate metric that reflects both mineralogy and porosity. From this analysis, sedimentary rocks show the strongest correlation between the UCS and bulk density, whereas metamorphic rocks exhibit the strongest correlation between UCS and PP. Data trends in the EMI database also reveal a linear relationship between UCS and BTS tests. For the singular case of rock coral, the database permits correlations between bulk density of the core versus the deposition depth and porosity. The EMI database will continue under analysis, and will provide additional insightful and comprehensive understanding of the variation and predictability of rock mechanical strength properties and density. This knowledge will contribute significantly toward the increasingly safe and cost-effective geostructures and construction.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.93-104
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• 2013

The use of rock wool waste, an industrial by-product, in cement-based composites has positive effects on the environment because it reduces the problems associated rock wool disposal. The experiments in this study tested cement-based composites using various rock wool waste contents (10, 20, 30 and 40% by weight of cement) as a partial replacement for Portland cement in mortars. The pozzolanic strength activity test, flow test, compressive strength test, dry shrinkage test, absorption test, initial surface absorption test and scanning electron microscope observations were conducted to evaluate the properties of cement-based composites. Test results demonstrate that the pozzolanic strength activity index for rock wool waste specimens is 103% after 91 days. The inclusion of rock wool waste in cement-based composites decreases its dry shrinkage and initial surface absorption, and increases its compressive strength. These improved properties are the result of the dense structure achieved by the filling effect and pozzolanic reactions of the rock wool waste. The addition of 30% and 10% rock wool wastes to cement is the optimal amount based on the results of compressive strength and initial surface absorption for a w/cm of 0.35 and 0.55, respectively. Therefore, it is feasible to utilize rock wool waste as a partial replacement of cement in cement-based composites.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.367-376
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• 2018

Samples composed of coal and rock show different mechanical properties of the pure coal or rock mass. For the same coal seam with different surrounding rocks, the frequency and intensity of rock burst can be significantly different in. First, a method of measuring the strain variation of coal in the coal-rock combined sample was proposed. Second, laboratory tests have been conducted to investigate the influences of rock lithologies, combined forms and coal-rock height ratios on the deformation and failure characteristics of the coal section using this method. Third, a new bursting liability index named combined coal-rock impact energy speed index (CRIES) was proposed. This index considers not only the time effect of energy, but also the influence of surrounding rocks. At last, a new approach considering the influences of roof and/or floor was proposed to evaluate the impact capability of coal seam. Results show that the strength and elastic modulus of coal section increase significantly with the coal-rock height ratio decreasing. In addition, the values of bursting liability indexes of the same coal seam vary greatly when using the new approach. This study not only provides a new approach to measuring the strain of the coal section in coal-rock combined sample, but also improves the evaluation system for evaluating the impact capability of coal.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.219-228
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• 2022

The most widely used parameter to represent rock abrasiveness is the Cerchar abrasivity index (CAI). The CAI value can be applied to predict wear in TBM cutters. It has been extensively demonstrated that the CAI is affected significantly by cementation degree, strength, and amount of abrasive minerals, i.e., the quartz content or equivalent quartz content in rocks. The relationship between the properties of rocks and the CAI is investigated in this study. A database comprising 223 observations that includes rock types, uniaxial compressive strengths, Brazilian tensile strengths, equivalent quartz contents, quartz contents, brittleness indices, and CAIs is constructed. A linear model is developed by selecting independent variables while considering multicollinearity after performing multiple regression analyses. Machine learning-based regression methods including support vector regression, regression tree regression, k-nearest neighbors regression, random forest regression, and artificial neural network regression are used in addition to multiple linear regression. The results of the random forest regression model show that it yields the best prediction performance.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.284-295
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• 2012

Abrasiveness of rock plays an important role on the wear of rock cutting tools. In this study, Cerchar abrasiveness tests were carried out to assess the abrasiveness of 19 different Korean rocks. Cerchar abrasiveness test is widely used to assess the abrasiveness of rock because of its simplicity and inexpensive cost. This study examines the relationship between Cerchar Abrasiveness Index (CAI) and mechanical properties (uniaxial compressive strength, Brazilian tensile strength, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, porosity, shore hardness of rock), and the effect of quartz content, equivalent quartz content, which was obtained from XRD analysis. As a result of test, CAI was more influenced by petrographical properties than by the bonding strength of the matrix material of rock. CAI prediction model which consisted of UCS and EQC was proposed. CAI decreased linearly with the hardness of the steel pin. Numerical analysis was performed using Autodyn-3D for simulating the Cerchar abrasiveness test. In the simulations, most of pin wear occurred during the initial scratching distance, and CAI increased with the increase of normal loading.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2016

This study estimates relationships between physical and chemical weathering indices of various rock types and topographical relief. Physical weathering properties such as rock strength and joint and chemical weathering indices such as the $SiO_2/Al2O_3$, CIA and WPI were analyzed from 18 rock outcrops in mountain and valley areas consisting of 9 rock types. The results indicate that the elevation and relief of topography increase physical strength of rock increases. It can be suggested that the total r(rock-mass strength rating) and R(rock rebound strength by Schmidt Hammer) are most useful indices as a quantitative weathering property factor to explain formative causes of topographical relief. The results also suggest that rock types such as sandstone, granite, gneiss and schist are most suitable to explain meaningful difference in topographical relief with the physical and chemical weathering indices.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.115-125
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• 2020

This study aims to explore practical and useful equations for rapid evaluation of uniaxial compressive strength of concrete (UCS-C) during the preliminary design stage of aggregate selection. For this purpose, aggregates which were produced from eight different intact rocks were used in the production of concretes. Laboratory experiments involved the tests for uniaxial compressive strength (UCS-R), point load index (PLI-R), P wave velocity (UPV-R), apparent porosity (n-R), unit weight (UW-R) and aggregate impact value (AIV-R) of the rock samples. UCS-C, point load index (PLI-C) and P wave velocity (UPV-C) of concrete samples were also determined. Relationships between UCS-R-rock parameters and UCS-C-concrete parameters were developed by regression analyses. In the simple regression analyses, PLI-C, UPV-C, UCS-R, PLI-R, and UPV-R were found to be statistically significant independent variables to estimate the UCS-C. However, higher coefficients of determination (R²=0.97-1.0) were obtained by multiple regression analyses. The results of simple regression analysis were also compared to the limited number of previous studies. The strength conversion factor (k) values were found to be 14.3 and 14.7 for concrete and rock samples, respectively. It is concluded that the UCS-C can roughly be estimated from derived equations only for the specified rock types.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.221-232
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• 1990

Upon the basis of the measurements of index properties and ultrasonic velocities as well as the determination of degree of weathering mainly based on microscopic observation, relatively fare correlation has been found between the degrees of weathering and the physical properties of rocks, particularly between degrees of weathering and maximun water content. A significantly better correlation has been obtained between degree of weathering and P wave velocity by grouping rock samples according to rock facies. This study presented the range of physical parameters corresponding to each degree of weathering in granites.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2020

The traditional formulations for estimation of bearing capacity in rock mechanics assume a homogeneous and isotropic rock mass. However, it is common that the rock mass consists of different layers of different rock properties or of the same rock matrix with distinct geotechnical quality levels. The bearing capacity of a heterogeneous rock is estimated traditionally through the weighted average. In this paper, the solution of the weighted average is compared to the finite difference method applied to a bilayer rock mass. The influence of different parameters such as the thickness of the layers, the rock type, the uniaxial compressive strength and the overall geotechnical quality of the rock mass on the bearing capacity of a bilayer rock mass is analyzed. A parametric study by finite difference method is carried out to develop a bearing capacity factor in function of the layer thickness and the rock mass quality expressed in terms of the geological strength index, which is presented in a form of a chart. Therefore, this correlation factor allows estimating the bearing capacity of a rock mass that is formed by two layers with distinct GSI, depending on the bearing capacity of the rock mass formed only by the upper layer and considered by that way as homogenous and isotropic rock mass.