SCE5431 Earthwork Engineering

(1) Draw the stress-strain response of a joint surface under direct shear test.
Explain what contributes the residual strength of the joint.

N N N

S S S
ϕr
ϕf ϕi

Friction Inclination Roughness

Friction, inclination, roughness

(2) Draw the bilinear model for the failure behavior of saw-teeth joint surface under
direct shearing, and explain why the angle of the failure line is reduced when the
normal stress is high.

ϕf

ϕf + ϕr
σn
When the normal stress is high, the teeth is crushed by the stress. Therefore, the
situation becomes the shearing on the smooth joint.
(3) A tunnel is to be driven through slightly weathered granite with a dominate joint
set dipping at 60 against the direction of the drive. Index testing and logging of
diamond drilled core give typical Point-load strength index values of 8 MPa and
average RQD values of 70%. The slightly rough and lightly weathered joints with a
separation of < 1 mm, are spaced at 300 mm. Tunneling conditions are anticipated to
be wet. Please calculate the RMR value for the rock mass (from Hoek, Practical
Engineering).

Item Value Rating

Point load index 8 MPa 12

Spacing of discontinuities 300 mm 10

Groundwater Wet 7

Adjustment for joint orientation Note 2 -5

Note 1. For slightly rough and altered discontinuity surfaces with a separation of < 1
mm, the table in the notes gives a rating of 25. Indeed, when more detailed
information is available, a more refined rating can be obtained. In this case, the rating
is the sum of: 4 (1-3 m discontinuity length), 4 (separation 0.1-1.0 mm), 3 (slightly
rough), 6 (no infilling) and 5 (slightly weathered) = 22.

Note 2. Table gives a description of ‘Fair’ for the conditions assumed where the
tunnel is to be driven against the dip of s set of joints dipping at 60. Using this
description for Tunnel, the adjustment rating is -5.
 Ta ble 4.4: Rock Mass Rating System (After Bieniawski 1989) .
A. CLASSIFICATION PARAMETERS AND THEIR RATINGS
Parameter Ranae of values
Point-load For this low range -
Strength >10 MPa 4-10MPa 2-4 MPa 1 - 2 MPa uniaxial compressive
of strength index test is oreferred
1 intact rock Uniaxial comp. >250 MPa 100 - 250 MPa 50-100 MPa 25-50 MPa 5 - 25 1-5 <1
material strenath MPa MPa MPa
Rating 15 12 7 4 2 1 0
Drill core Quality RQD 90% - 100% 75% - 90% 50% - 75% 25% - 50% < 25%
2 Rating 20 17 13 8 3
Spacing of discontinuities >2m 0.6 - 2 . m 200-600 mm 60-200 mm < 60 mm
3 Rating 20 15 10 8 5
Very rough surfaces Slightly rough Slightly rough Slickensided surfaces Soft gouge >5 mm
Not continuous surfaces surfaces or thick
Condition of discontinuities No separation Separation < 1 mm Separation < 1 mm Gouge < 5 mm thick or
(See E) Unweathered wall Slightly weathered Highly weathered or Separation > 5 mm
4
rock walls walls Separation 1-5 mm Continuous
Continuous
Rating 30 25 20 10 0
Inflow per 10 m None < 10 10 - 25 25 - 125 > 125
tunnel length (1/ m)
Ground (Jo int water press)/
0 < 0.1 0.1, - 0.2 0.2 - 0.5 > 0.5
5 water (Ma jor principal cr)
Genera l conditions Completely dry Damp Wet Dripping Flowing
Rating 15 10 7 4 0
B. RATING ADJUSTMENT FOR DISCONTINUITY ORIENTATIONS (See F)
Strike and dip orientations Very favourable Favourable Fair Unfavourable Very Unfavourable
Tunnels & mines 0 -2 -5 -10 -12
Ratings Foundations 0 -2 -7 -15 -25
Slopes 0 -5 -25 -50
C. ROCK MASS CLASSES DETERMINED FROM TOTAL RATINGS
Rating 100 t-- 81 80 t-- 61 60 t-- 41 40 t-- 21 < 21
Class number I II Ill IV V
Description Very good rock Good rock Fair rock Poor rock Very poor rock
0. MEANING OF ROCK CLASSES
Class number I II Ill IV V
Average stand-up time 20 yrs for 15 m span 1 year for 10 m span 1 week for 5 m span 10 hrs for 2.5 m span 30 min for 1 m span
Cohesion of rock mass (kPa) > 400 300 - 400 200 - 300 100 - 200 < 100
Friction angle of rock mass (deg) > 45 35 - 45 25 - 35 15 - 25 < 15
E. GUIDELINES FOR CLASSIFICATION OF DISCONTINUITY conditions
Discontinuity length (persistence) <1m 1-3m 3 - 10 m 10 - 20 m > 20m
RatinQ 6 4 2 1 0
Separation (aperture) None < 0.1 mm 0.1 -1.0 mm 1 - 5 mm > 5 mm
Ralina 6 5 4 1 0
Roughness Very rough Rough Slightly rough Smooth Slickensided
Rating 6 5 3 1 0
Infilling (gouge) None Hard filling < 5 mm Hard filling > 5 mm Soft filling < 5 mm Soft filling > 5 mm
RatinQ 6 4 2 2 0
Weathering Unweathered Slightly weathered Moderately Highly weathered Decomposed
Ratings 6 5 weathered 1 0
3
F. EFFECT OF DISCONTINUITY STRIKE AND DIP ORIENTATION IN TUNNELLING**
Strike perpendicular to tunnel axis Strike parallel to tunnel axis
Drive with dip - Dip 45 - 90° Drive with dip - Dip 20 - 45° Dip 45 - 90° I Dip 20- 45°
Very favourable Favourable Very unfavourable I Fair
0
Drive against dip - Dip 45-90° Drive against dip - Dip 20-45° Dip 0-20 - Irrespective of strike
Fair Unfavourable Fair

• Some conditions are mutually exclusive . For example, if infilling is present, the roughness of the surface will be overshadowed by the influence of
the gouge. In such cases use A.4 directly.
•• Modified after Wickham et al (1972).