• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.43-52
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• 2014

This paper examined the effect of step-wise excavation depth on the earth pressure against an excavation wall in rock mass. Numerical parametric studies were conducted based on the Discrete Element Method (DEM) to carry out the problems in rock mass. Controlled parameters included step-wise excavation depth, rock types, and joint conditions (joint shear strength and joint inclination angle). The magnitude and distribution characteristics of the induced earth pressure in a jointed rock mass were investigated and compared with Peck's earth pressure for soil ground. The results showed that the earth pressure against an excavation wall in rock mass were highly affected by different rock and joint conditions, and the effect of step-wise excavation depth increased as a rock type is deteriorated more. In addition, it was found that the earth pressure against an excavation wall in rock mass might be considerably different from Peck's empirical earth pressure for soil ground.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.13-21
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• 2018

The magnitude and distribution of earth pressure on the excavation wall in jointed rock mass were examined by considering different wall permeability conditions as well as rock types and joint inclination angles. The study was numerically extended based on a physical model test (Son & Park, 2014), considering rock-structure interactions with the discrete element method, which can consider various characteristics of rock joints. This study focused on the effect of the permeability condition of excavation wall on the earth pressure in jointed rock masses under a groundwater condition, which is important but has not been studied previously. The study results showed that the earth pressure was highly influenced by wall permeability as well as rock type and joint condition. Earth pressure resulted from the study was also compared with Peck's earth pressure in soil ground, and the comparison clearly showed that the earth pressure in jointed rock mass can be greatly different from that in soil ground.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.20-30
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• 1997

A discrete joint finite element with joint surface degradation was developed to investigate the shear behavior of rough rock joint. Isoparametric formulation was used for facilitating the implementation of the element in existing Finite Element Codes. The elasto-plastic joint deformation model with the discontinuity constitutive law proposed by Plesha was applied to the element. The reliability of the developed finite element code was successfully testified through numerical direct shear tests conducted under both constant normal stress and constant normal displacement conditions. The result of the numerical direct shear test showed that the code can capture characteristic deformation features envisaged in the direct shear test of rough rock joint.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.117-133
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• 2022

Determination of the mechanical behaviour of jointed rock masses has been a challenge for rock engineers for decades. This problem is more pronounced for non-persistent jointed rock masses due to complicated interaction of rock bridges on the overall behaviour. This paper aims to study the effect of a non-persistent joint set configuration on the mechanical behaviour of rock materials under both uniaxial and biaxial compression tests using a discrete element code. The numerical simulation of biaxial compressive strength of rock masses has been challenging in the past due to shortcomings of bonded particle models in reproducing the failure envelope of rock materials. This problem was resolved in this study by employing the flat-joint contact model. The validity of the numerical model was investigated through a comprehensive comparative study against physical uniaxial and biaxial compression experiments. Good agreement was found between numerical and experimental tests in terms of the recorded peak strength and the failure mode in both loading conditions. Studies on the effect of joint orientation on the failure mode showed that four zones of intact, transition to block rotation, block rotation and transition to intact failure occurs when the joint dip angle varies from 0° to 90°. It was found that the applied confining stress can significantly alter the range of these zones. It was observed that the minimum strength occurs at the joint dip angle of around 45 degrees under different confining stresses. It was also found that the joint orientation can alter the post peak behaviour and the lowest brittleness was observed at the block rotation zone.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.977-995
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• 2017

It is well accepted that rock failure mechanism influence the cutting efficiency and determination of optimum cutting parameters. In this paper, an attempt was made to research the factors that affect the failure mechanism based on discrete element method (DEM). The influences of cutting depth, hydrostatic pressure, cutting velocity, back rake angle and joint set on failure mechanism in rock-cutting are researched by PFC2D. The results show that: the ductile failure occurs at shallow cutting depths, the brittle failure occurs as the depth of cut increases beyond a threshold value. The mean cutting forces have a linear related to the cutting depth if the cutting action is dominated by the ductile mode, however, the mean cutting forces are deviate from the linear relationship while the cutting action is dominated by the brittle mode. The failure mechanism changes from brittle mode with larger chips under atmospheric conditions, to ductile mode with crushed chips under hydrostatic conditions. As the cutting velocity increases, a grow number of micro-cracks are initiated around the cutter and the volume of the chipped fragmentation is decreasing correspondingly. The crack initiates and propagates parallel to the free surface with a smaller rake angle, but with the rake angle increases, the direction of crack initiation and propagation is changed to towards the intact rock. The existence of joint set have significant influence on crack initiation and propagation, it makes the crack prone to propagate along the joint.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.573-586
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• 2023

Joints or weak planes can induce anisotropy in the strength and deformability of fractured rock masses. Comprehending this anisotropic behavior is crucial to engineering geology. This study used plaster as a friction material to mold specimens with a single joint. The strength and deformability of the specimens were measured in true triaxial compression tests. The measured results were compared with three-dimensional numerical analysis based on the distinct element method, conducted under identical conditions, to assess the reliability of the modeled values. The numerical results highlight that the principal stress conditions in the field, in conjunction with joint orientations, are crucial factors to the study of the strength and deformability of fractured rock masses. The strength of a transversely isotropic rock mass derived numerically considering changes in the dip angle of the joint notably increases as the intermediate principal stress increases. This increment varies depending on the dip of the joint. Moreover, the interplay between the dip direction of the joint and the two horizontal principal stress directions dictates the strength of the transversely isotropic rock mass. For a rock mass with two joint sets, the set with the steeper dip angle governs the overall strength. If a rock bridge effect occurs owing to the limited continuity of one of the joint sets, the orientation of the set with longer continuity dominates the strength of the entire rock mass. Although conventional three-dimensional failure criteria for fractured rock masses have limited applicability in the field, supplementing them with numerical analysis proves highly beneficial.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.15 no.5 s.58
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• pp.330-337
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• 2005

Apart from the geometric features of the rock joints, the shear characteristics of rock mass subject to shear force are also significantly affected by the boundary conditions in the neighborhood of the rock mass. The boundary conditions of the rock mass can be classified into 4 categories according to the stress state of the rock joint, of which the constant normal load (CNL) is the most used for shear test and produces the lowest shear strength and different behavior. In this study, the shear behavior under constant normal stiffness condition was able to replicated by the graphic method normalized by the test results under constant normal stress condition.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.74 no.3
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• pp.407-423
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• 2020

The pre-peak cyclic shear mechanism of two-order asperity degradation of rock joints in the direct shear tests with static constant normal loads (CNL) are investigated using experimental and numerical methods. The laboratory testing rock specimens contains the idealized and regular two-order triangular-shaped asperities, which represent the specific geometrical conditions of natural and irregular waviness and unevenness of rock joint surfaces, in the pre-peak cyclic shear tests. Three different shear failure patterns of two-order triangular-shaped rock joints can be found in the experiments at constant horizontal shear velocity and various static constant normal loads in the direct and pre-peak cyclic shear tests. The discrete element method is adopted to simulate the pre-peak shear failure behaviors of rock joints with two-order triangular-shaped asperities. The rock joint interfaces are simulated using a modified smooth joint model, where microscopic scale slip surfaces are applied at contacts between discrete particles in the upper and lower rock blocks. Comparing the discrete numerical results with the experimental results, the microscopic bond particle model parameters are calibrated. Effects of cyclic shear loading amplitude, static constant normal loads and initial waviness asperity angles on the pre-peak cyclic shear failure behaviors of triangular-shaped rock joints are also numerically investigated.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.16 no.4 s.63
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• pp.313-325
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• 2006

In this study, scaled model tests were performed to investigate the deformation behaviors around tunnels located in anisotropic rocks. Fifteen types of test models which had respectively different joint angles and rock pressure conditions were made, where the modelling materials were the mixture of sand, plaster and water. All of the tested models showed the shear failure mechanism at the stress-concentrated regions and sliding phenomena according to the joint planes. The direction of joint inclination turned out to have great effect on the tunnel deformation behaviors. The models of joint inclination less than $30^{\circ}$ showed considerable floor heavings. The model of $50^{\circ}$ joint inclination showed the least tunnel convergence among the tested models regardless of rock pressure condition, so that it was thought as the most stable model. Furthermore, the failure mechanisms and deformation behaviors of tunnel models were strongly dependent on the coefficient of rock pressure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 1999.03a
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• pp.471-477
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• 1999

A new stress, load and displacement controlled direct shear apparatus has recently been developed at the Hyundai Institute of Construction Technology This direct shear apparatus is capable of testing of rock joint under constant normal stiffness, constant normal stress or constant normal load boundary conditions. This paper describes this direct shear apparatus and illustrates results of shear tests at constant normal stress condition, constant normal load condition and constant normal stiffness condition with dental stones which have a same joint roughness and unconfined compressive strength.