Coalification in Carboniferous sediments from the Lötschberg base tunnel

Vitrinite reflectance (Rr), proximate analysis and carbon isotope composition (δ¹³C) have been used to characterise coal samples from two zones of Late Carboniferous sediments (Gastern and Ferden) in the Aar massif where they are penetrated by the Lötschberg base tunnel (constructed between 1999 and 2005). Samples are characterised by variable ash yields (21.7–93.9%; dry basis); those with ash yields of less than ~50% and with volatile matter content (V;dry ash-free basis) within the limits 2 < V% ≤ 8 are anthracite. Values of Rr range from 3.89% to 5.17% and indicate coalification to the rank of anthracite and meta-anthracite in both Gastern and Ferden Carboniferous zones. Samples of anthracite and shale from the Gastern Carboniferous exhibit a relatively small range in δ¹³C values (–24.52‰ to –23.38‰; mean: –23.86‰) and are lighter than anthracite samples from the Ferden Carboniferous (mean: –22.20‰). The degree of coalification in the Gastern and Ferden Carboniferous zones primarily depends on the maximum rock temperature (T) attained as a result of burial heating. Vitrinite reflectance based estimates of T range from ~290° –360 °C. For a proposed palaeogeothemal gradient of 25 ° C/km at the time of maximum coalification the required overburden is attributable to relatively thin autochtonous Mesozoic/Cenozoic sedimentary cover of the Aar massif and Gastern granite and deep tectonic burial beneath advancing Helvetic, Ultrahelvetic and Prealpine (Penninic) nappes in Early Oligocene to Miocene.     

Rock Mass Grouting in the Løren Tunnel: Case Study with the Main Focus on the Groutability and Feasibility of Drill Parameter Interpretation

The Løren road tunnel is a part of a major project at Ring road 3 in Oslo, Norway. The rock part of the tunnel is 915 m long and has two tubes with three lanes and breakdown lanes. Strict water ingress restriction was specified and continuous rock mass grouting was, therefore, carried out for the entire tunnel, which was excavated in folded Cambro-Silurian shales intruded by numerous dykes. This paper describes the rock mass grouting that was carried out for the Løren tunnel. Particular emphasis is placed on discussing grout consumption and the challenges that were encountered when passing under a distinct rock depression. Measurement while drilling (MWD) technology was used for this project, and, in this paper, the relationships between the drill parameter interpretation (DPI) factors water and fracturing are examined in relation to grout volumes. A lowering of the groundwater table was experienced during excavation under the rock depression, but the groundwater was nearly re-established after completion of the main construction work. A planned 80-m watertight concrete lining was not required to be built due to the excellent results from grouting in the rock depression area. A relationship was found between leakages mapped in the tunnel and the DPI water factor, indicating that water is actually present where the DPI water factor shows water in the rock. It is concluded that, for the Løren tunnel, careful planning and high-quality execution of the rock mass grouting made the measured water ingress meet the restrictions. For future projects, the DPI water factor may be used to give a better understanding of the material in which the rock mass grouting is performed and may also be used to reduce the time spent and volumes used when grouting.     

Effects of Rock Bolting on Stress Distribution around Tunnel Using the Elastoplastic Model

INTRODUCTIONThe stability of underground structures duringand after excavation is the most i mportant factor fordesigners because any kind of collapse may destroylarge parts of a finished tunnel,thereby causing ma-jor repairs and ti me loss.To avoid this problem,rock bolts are widely used as ani mportant support el-ement.These are economical,have a short installa-tion ti me,and provide reinforcement to maintain theintegrity of the stressed rock.The effect of the bearing capacity of rock b…     

Lateral protrusions in the structure of the Earth’s lithosphere

The factual material and modeling results concerning the geology of specific structural elements defined as lateral protrusions, or flowing layers, are considered. The formation of such structural elements is a fundamental phenomenon that controls many features of the structural evolution and geodynamics of platform basement and foldbelts. A lateral protrusion, or flowing layer, is a spatially constrained, nearly horizontal geological body with attributes of 3D tectonic flow (rheid deformation) and lateral transport of rock masses. Flowing layers are large lateral protrusions that play important role in the structure of the continental and oceanic lithosphere. They embody the internal mobility of huge rock bodies and confirm the possibility of their lateral redistribution at different depths of the continental lithosphere. The lateral displacement of rocks within such assemblies may occur in the regime of cold deformation, heating, metamorphism, and ductile flow of rocks under subsolidus conditions or in the process of their partial melting.     

Study on the Safety of the Rock Mass in the Tongling Bank of Taipinghu Bridge

The Taipinghu Bridge is an important engineering construction, and the safety of rock mass of its foundation is very crucial. This article adopts FLAC 3D to analysis the geologic model. The simulating process shows that no mater the excavating process or the loading process the rock mass are safe. The modeling and analyzing process can be used for reference.     

Study on the Safety of the Foundation Rock Masses in the Tangkou Bank of the Taipinghu Bridge

The Taipinghu Bridge is an important project, and the safety of rock masses of its foundation is very crucial. This article analyzes the potential causes of the deformation of the rock masses of the bridge foundation, and uses the Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua to analyze the geologic model. The simulating process shows that no mater in the excavating process or in the loading process the rock masses are suit for the engineering. The modeling and analyzing process can be used for reference.     

Study on the Safety of the Rock Mass in the Tongling Bank of Taipinghu Bridge

The Taipinghu Bridge is an important engineering construction，and the safety of rock mass of its foundation is very crucial．This article adopts FLAC3D to analysis the geologic model．The simulating process shows that no mater the excavating process or the loading process the rock mass are safe．The modeling and analyzing process can be used for reference．     

Study on the Safety of the Foundation Rock Masses in the Tangkou Bank of the Taipinghu Bridge

The Taipinghu Bridge is an important project，and the safety of rock masses of its foundation is very crucial．This article analyzes the potential causes of the deformation of the rock masses of the bridge foundation，and uses the Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua to analyze the geologic model． The simulating process shows that no mater in the excavating process or in the loading process the rock masses are suit for the engineering．The modeling and analyzing process can be used for reference．     

Closed-Form Solutions for a Circular Tunnel in Elastic-Brittle-Plastic Ground with the Original and Generalized Hoek–Brown Failure Criteria

The paper presents a closed-form solution for the convergence curve of a circular tunnel in an elasto-brittle-plastic rock mass with both the Hoek–Brown and generalized Hoek–Brown failure criteria, and a linear flow rule, i.e., the ratio between the minor and major plastic strain increments is constant. The improvement over the original solution of Brown et al. (J Geotech Eng ASCE 109(1):15–39, 1983) consists of taking into account the elastic strain variation in the plastic annulus, which was assumed to be fixed in the original solution by Brown et al. The improvement over Carranza-Torres’ solution (Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 41(Suppl 1):629–639, 2004) consists of providing a closed-form solution, rather than resorting to numerical integration of an ordinary differential equation. The presented solution, by rigorously following the theory of plasticity, takes into account that the elastic strain components change with radial and circumferential stress changes within the plastic annulus. For the original Hoek–Brown failure criterion, disregarding the elastic strain change leads to underestimate the convergence by up to 55%. For a rock mass failing according to the generalized Hoek–Brown failure criterion, using the original failure criterion leads to a high probability (97%) of underestimating the convergence by up to 100%. As a consequence, the onset or degree of squeezing may be underestimated, and the loading on the support/reinforcement calculated with the convergence/confinement method may be largely underestimated.     

Investigating the Economic Performance of Tunnel Excavation in Iran: 1998–2013

Nowadays, the world is witnessing the ever increasing need of Tunnel excavation due to their unique features and the kind of human applied plans. This has led to increase in demand of excavating this engineering factor. Tunnel excavation process faces a lot of challenges due to environmental and technological complexities which causes the economic evaluation and investigation of this project to be difficult. It is tried to develop the proposed model with regard to efficiency concept in order to evaluate and investigate the efficiency of relative economic performance of Tunnel excavation projects and turn to its modeling and implementing by data envelopment analysis and Fuzzy DEMATEL techniques. The results in Iran showed that the proposed model can turn to investigation and evaluation of economic efficiency of Tunnel excavation by considering two optimistic (ideal) and pessimistic perspectives such that the Tunnel excavation process of “Karaj water transition” and “Cheshmelangan water transition” among 12 rock Tunnel excavation projects of Iran in the time period of 1998–2013 were respectively introduced as the most efficient and the most inefficient rock Tunnel excavation projects.     

Silicalites of Hydrothermal Origin in the Lower Cambrian Black Rock Series of South China

A silicalite bed was found in the hanging wall and foot wall of the sulfide-rich bed of the Lower Cambrian black rock series in South China.Its origin was not described before,On the oxide(SiO2-Al2O3,SiO2-MgO,SiO2-k2o Na2O)diagrams for discriminating silicalites of chemical,biological and volcanic origins(Liu Xiufeng,1991),most of the data points of silicalites fall within the areas representing silicalites of chemical and volcanic origins.On the Al-Fe-Mn diagram for discriminating silicalites of hydrothermal and biological origins(Yamamoto,1987),the data points fall within the areas representing silicalites of hydrotermal and hydrothermal-biological origins.On the SiO2-Al2O3 diagram for discriminating silicalites of hydrothermal and hydrogenous origins(Bonatti,1975),the data points mostly fall within the hydrothermal area.The ratios of SiO2/Al2O3,SiO2/(K2O Na2O),SiO2/MgO,and K2O/Na2O in the silicalites stand between those of volcanic sediments and of seafloor hydrothermal sediments.The total amount of rare-earth elements in the silicalites is low;the North american Shale-normalized REE patterns decline leftward with obvious negative Ce anomaly.The trace elements Mo,Zn,As,Sb,Se,U,and Ba are higher than those in non-hydrothermal sediments and U/Th≥1.The present authors think that the silicalites are derived from seafloor hot brines which had attracted elements from igneous rocks.     

Environmental Geochemistry of Fluorine in the Rock—Soil—Water System in the Karst Region of Central Guizhou Province

Systematic determination of and adsorption experiment on fluorine in the carbonate rock-soil-water system in the karst region studied in Guzhou Province,in conjunction with the mineral surface and soil chemistry data,have revealed the geochemical characteristics of F and the mechanisms of its transport and entrichment in the rock-soil-water-system of the karst region central guizhou province,Deep-seated underground waters(-100m or lower)and soil layers in the karst region of central Guizhou are characterized by high-F anomalies whereas shallow-level underground and surface waters by low contents of F(mostly lower than 05mg/L).Fluorine in soil and water in the region studied comes largely from Triassic marine strata dominated by gypsum-bearing carbonate rocks.The special adsorption and desorption of F on the surface of geothite in soil layers are the important mechanisms of its transport and enrichment in the rock-soil-water system of the karst region studied.     

Effect Blasting Excavation of Yujiapeng Tunnel on Stability of Nearby Giant Dangerous Rock Masses (DRM)

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Mining Sequence Deformation and Failure Behaviour Analysis in the hangingwall and Orebody Rock Formations; A Continuum Approach

In this study based on practical geological setting of the hangingwall, orebody and footwall. Two comprehensive evaluation models for selecting the underground mining method to extract the Nchanga Upper Orebody were proposed which constituted of six key attributes of technical economic, rock substance strength, production, orebody dip and thickness. These evaluation models are analyzed by the multiple attribute decision making methods based on eigenvalues, eigenvectors and fuzzy mathematics. In addition two different continuum numerical methods Examine^2D and RS³ are employed to simulate the mining process of the Upper Orebody and finally the optimal mining scheme is determined. By using analytical hierarchy process, Yager’s method and numerical modeling some useful conclusions for mining the highly folded Upper Orebody have been drawn, which will be beneficial to the Nchanga mine.