Assessment of the Excavation-Damaged Zone in a Tall Rock Slope Using Acoustic Testing Method

During slope excavation, high stresses can become concentrated in the rock mass because of stress redistribution. Failure of the rock mass creates an excavation-damaged zone (EDZ) in the slope. The damage reduces the acoustic wave velocity in the rock mass. Results of field tests measuring acoustic wave velocity at the Jinping I Hydropower Station are used here to study the EDZ in a tall rock slope. Two acoustic testing methods were adopted in the field tests: single-hole acoustic testing (SAT) and cross-hole acoustic testing (CAT). The acoustic wave velocity was lower in the EDZ, and the depth of the EDZ increased with decreasing slope elevation. Statistical analysis shows that the acoustic wave velocity obtained by the SAT method is larger than that obtained by the CAT method, and the relative difference between the SAT- and CAT-derived velocities is lower for a high quality rock mass than for a low quality rock mass. The integrity ratio and severity of damage can also be determined by acoustic wave velocity test results, revealing that the integrity ratio and elastic modulus of a rock mass are reduced in the EDZ.