07/01/2020 Tutorial 09 - Basal Joint in SWedge
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Tutorial 09 - Basal Joint in SWedge
This tutorial demonstrates how to include a third joint (Basal Joint) in the SWedge analysis. This
allows you to model pentahedral (five-sided) sliding blocks, defined by three intersecting joint
planes and the slope surface.
Topics Covered in this Tutorial:
Block Shape
Basal Joint
Tension Crack
Finished Product:
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 9 Basal Joint.swd7 file, located in
the Examples > Tutorials folder in your SWedge installation folder.
1.0 Creating a New File
If you have not already done so, run the SWedge program by double-clicking the SWedge icon in
your installation folder or by selecting Programs > Rocscience > SWedge > SWedge in the
Windows Start menu.
When the program starts, a default model is automatically created. If you do NOT see a model on
your screen:
Select: File > New
Whenever a new file is created, the default input data forms valid slope geometry, as shown in the
image below.
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If the SWedge application window is not already maximized, maximize it now so that the full
screen is available for viewing the model.
Notice the four-pane, split screen format of the display, which shows Top, Front, Side and
Perspective views of the model. This view is referred to as the Wedge View. The Top, Front and
Side views are orthogonal with respect to each other (i.e., viewing angles differ by 90 degrees.)
2.0 Model
2.1 Project Settings
Let's start by setting up the project in the Project Settings dialog. Select Project Settings on the
toolbar or on the Analysis menu.
Select: Analysis > Project Settings
1. In the General tab, change Block Shape to Basal Joint.
The default setting of Wedge refers to tetrahedral wedges formed by the intersection of two
joint planes.
2. Click OK.
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The default tetrahedral wedge model now has an additional plane along the bottom of the wedge.
This additional plane is referred to as the Basal Joint.
If you slide the wedge out of the slope (click and drag the wedge downwards with the mouse), you
can see the three sliding joint planes. including the basal joint at the bottom of the wedge.
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NOTE: The wedge can be moved DOWN the slope by clicking and dragging with the mouse, but it cannot be
moved UP the line of intersection due to the differing wedge geometry compared to tetrahedral wedges (which
can be moved up or down).
2.2 Input Data
Next, we'll set up the properties of the Basal Joint through the Input Data dialog. To open the
dialog, select Input Data on the toolbar or on the Analysis menu.
Select: Analysis > Input Data
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07/01/2020 Tutorial 09 - Basal Joint in SWedge
1. Select the Basal Plane tab.
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2. Experiment with entering different orientations for the Basal Joint plane and observe the
variety of wedge shapes that can be formed. For example, if you enter Dip = 44 / Dip
Direction = 180, you should see the wedge shown in the figure below.
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If you slide the wedge out of the slope, you can see that the basal plane, for this orientation,
daylights in the upper face and front face of the slope, leading to a primarily planar wedge shape.
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In general, when you include a basal plane in the analysis (Block Shape = Basal Joint), a much
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wider variety of wedge shapes can be analyzed compared to the tetrahedral wedge option (Block
Shape = Wedge.
3.0 Notes about Basal Joint Analysis
Most of the SWedge features and analysis options that are applicable to tetrahedral wedges can
be used with Basal Joint wedges and operate in the same manner. These include:
Tension Cracks
Probabilistic Analysis
Combination Analysis
Scale Wedges
Support
Water Pressure
However, certain options are NOT available for Basal Joint wedges. For example:
The Bench Design option cannot be used with Basal Joint wedges and is applicable only to
tetrahedral wedges
If a Tension Crack is included (through the Input Data Slope tab), you must specify its
location. The Minimum FS Location and Use Bench Width to Maximize options are not
available.
3.1 Bench Width and Slope Length
For Basal Joint wedges, the Slope Length and Bench Width options are always automatically
enabled in the Input Data Slope tab, as shown in the figure below. They cannot be turned off.
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The reason for this is not obvious and is as follows. If you DO NOT specify constraints for the
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Bench Width and/or Slope Length, wedges with a basal joint tend to infinite size in the bench
width or slope length directions. To overcome this problem, we automatically apply these
constraints.
This is a rather non-intuitive but important aspect of Basal Joint analysis. The Bench Width and
Slope Length constraints are ALWAYS ENABLED. In general, it may be necessary for you to
customize the values of parameters in order to obtain the desired analysis results.
NOTE: You don't necessarily need both constraints and only one may be sufficient in order to constrain the
wedge size from becoming infinite. However, since we don't know in advance which constraint is required,
SWedge automatically applies both all of the time. Remember, you can always increase the values of either
one to obtain the desired result if the default values are too small.
3.2 Socket Wedges
Return to the General tab Project Settings dialog and notice the Include Socket Wedges check
box next to the Basal Joint option.
When you analyze wedges with a Basal Joint, a variety of complex wedge shapes can potentially
be generated. One of these wedge types is referred to as a Socket Wedge, which is defined as a
removable wedge that does not intersect the crest of the slope. One example is shown in the
figure below.
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This example is a simple tetrahedral wedge formed by Joint 1, Joint 2, and the Basal Joint,
forming a wedge that can be removed from the front of the slope. Since the wedge does not
intersect the crest of the slope, it is referred to as a Socket Wedge (i.e., the wedge occupies a
socket in the slope).
Other more complicated shapes can be generated. One is the example shown in the figure below,
which daylights in both the slope face and the upper face, but does not intersect the crest. You can
find additional examples of complex web shapes in the SWedge Examples > Basal Joint Wedges
folder.
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By default, SWedge computes and analyzes Socket Wedges if you are using the Basal Joint
option. If you do not wish to consider these types of wedges, turn off the Include Socket Wedges
check box in the Project Settings General tab. In this case, any Socket Wedges that are
generated are reduced in size until they intersect the crest, at which point they are no longer
technically Socket Wedges.
NOTE: For a summary of all possible wedge shapes that can be generated by a Basal Joint analysis, see
Basal Joint Wedge Types in SWedge Theory Documents.
This concludes the tutorial. You are now ready for the next tutorial, Tutorial 10 - Bench Design in
SWedge.
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