Developments in the assessment of in-situ block size distributions of rockmasses

Lu, P Latham, JP

P. Lu et Jp. Latham, Developments in the assessment of in-situ block size distributions of rockmasses, ROCK MECH R, 32(1), 1999, pp. 29-49

50

INGLESE

Article

Geological Petroleum & Minig Engineering

ROCK MECHANICS AND ROCK ENGINEERING

0723-2632 → ACNP

32

1

1999

29 - 49

ISI

0723-2632(199901/03)32:1<29:DITAOI>2.0.ZU;2-4

The block sizes in a rock mass play an important role in many rock engineer ing projects and therefore the assessment of in-situ block size distributio n (IBSD) has been an increasing pursuit of researchers in mining, quarrying and highway cutting operations. This paper discusses further developments in the assessment of IBSD which build upon a broadly accessible approach fo r engineers published previously by the Geomaterials Unit. The original res earch provided look-up tables appropriate for field data, with theoretical joint set spacing distributions and an assumption that discontinuities exte nd indefinitely. The developments reported in the paper include: the predic tion of IBSD with special reference to discontinuity sets with fractal spac ing distributions; the influence of impersistence of discontinuities on the prediction of IBSD; and the use of grey correlation analysis when selectin g a closely fitting theoretical distribution for discontinuity spacing data . Various approaches to IBSD assessment are discussed.