Empirical Estimation of Uniaxial Compressive Strength of Rock: Database of Simple,Multiple, and Artificial Intelligence-Based Regressions

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - Empirical relationships for estimating Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) of rock from other rock properties are numerous in literature. This is because...     

Prediction of Rock Abrasivity Index (RAI) and Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) of Granite Building Stones Using Nondestructive Tests

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - Rock abrasivity index (RAI) and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) are two key parameters for assessing abrasivity and durability of building stones,...     

Estimation of Rock Cuttability from Shore Hardness and Compressive Strength Properties

Summary Shore hardness has been used to estimate some mechanical and physical properties of rocks for many years. This study differs from previous studies in a way that it is directly oriented to rock cuttability. Two Shore hardness values (SH ₁ andSH ₂) and a coefficient of deformation value (K) have been measured for 30 different rock samples. In the first stage of the study, optimum specific energy values for 16 different rock samples obtained from full-scale cutting tests were correlated with the Shore hardness values of the same rock samples changingSH ₁ values from 9 to 66 andSH ₂ values from 25 to 83, with deformation coefficient values changing from 26 to 195. In the second stage, the performance of a roadheader used in the Kü?üksu (Istanbul) tunnel was recorded in detail and the instantaneous cutting rate of the machine was determined. Then, the relationship between Shore hardness values, deformation coefficient and the instantaneous cutting rate of the machine was determined for different formations encountered. It is concluded that there is a relationship between Shore hardness values, optimum specific energy and compressive strength, which may be used to estimate the rock cuttability and the instantaneous cutting rates of roadheaders within certain limits of reliability.     

The Relationships between Effective Porosity,Uniaxial Compressive Strength and Sonic Velocity of Intact Borrowdale Volcanic Group Core Samples from Sellafield

The effective porosity, saturated sonic velocity and saturated uniaxial compressive strength were determined on a large number of Borrowdale Volcanic Group volcaniclastic core samples from three boreholes at Sellafield, Cumbria. The work formed part of the UK Nirex Limited site investigation into whether the Sellafield area could be suitable as a repository for intermediate and low level radioactive waste. Most of the intact samples were of low to very low effective porosity, had a high sonic velocity and were very strong to extremely strong. However, a proportion of values deviated significantly from this. Bivariate analysis showed a negative relationship exists between sonic velocity and effective porosity. The cross plots of these two parameters with uniaxial compressive strength showed a wide range of strength values for samples of low effective porosity and high sonic velocity. Six failure types were identified during the uniaxial compressive strength tests. The strongest samples tended to fail through the matrix and the weakest rock samples tended to fail through haematized material or along haematized veins. Effective porosity and sonic velocity measurements could not distinguish between those samples that failed through the matrix and those that failed along discrete narrow veins. The presence of narrow haematized veins has a major effect on the intact rock strength.     

A Discrete Element Model for Predicting Shear Strength and Degradation of Rock Joint by Using Compressive and Tensile Test Data

A discrete element model is proposed to examine rock strength and failure. The model is implemented by UDEC, which is developed for this purpose. The material is represented as a collection of irregular-sized deformable particles interacting at their cohesive boundaries. The interface between two adjacent particles is viewed as a flexible contact whose constitutive law controls the material fracture and fragmentation properties. To reproduce rock anisotropy, an orthotropic cohesive law is developed for the contacts, which allows their shear and tensile behaviors to be different from each other. Using a combination of original closed-form expressions and statistical calibrations, a unique set of the contact microparameters are found based on the uniaxial/triaxial compression and Brazilian tension test data of a plaster. Applying the obtained microparameters, joint specimens, made of the same plaster, are simulated, where the comparison of the obtained results to laboratory data shows a reasonable agreement.     

Quantifying TiO_2 Abundance of Lunar Soils:Partial Least Squares and Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis for Determining Causal Effect

Partial least squares(PLS) regression was applied to the Lunar Soil Characterization Consortium(LSCC) dataset for spectral estimation of TiO2.The LSCC dataset was split into a number of subsets including the low-Ti,high-Ti,total mare soils,total highland,Apollo 16,and Apollo 14 soils to investigate the effects of interfering minerals and nonlinearity on the PLS performance.The PLS weight loading vectors were analyzed through stepwise multiple regression analysis(SMRA) to identify mineral species driving and...     

A Review of the Tensile Strength of Rock: Concepts and Testing

A review of the tensile strength of rock was conducted to determine the relationship between direct tensile strength (DTS) and Brazilian tensile strength (BTS) and to examine the validity of estimating tensile strength from other measured properties, such as the crack initiation (CI) threshold. A data set was gathered from the existing literature where tensile values could be reliably correlated with unconfined compressive strength or CI values. It was determined that the BTS obtained in standard testing is generally greater than the equivalent DTS and that this relationship is rock type dependent. CI yields a reasonable estimate of tensile strength and this correlation is improved when the BTS values are reduced to DTS values by rock type specific correlations. The factor f, in DTS = f BTS, can be considered to be approximately 0.9 for metamorphic, 0.8 for igneous and 0.7 for sedimentary rocks. The relationships presented demonstrate that there is wide scatter in the available data for estimating tensile strength likely due to both specimen variability and testing configuration, including platen geometry and relative stiffness. Estimates of tensile strength should only be used for preliminary design purposes and measurements should be made to confirm preliminary assumptions for each design.     

An Estimation of Rock Strength Using a Drilling Performance Model: A Case Study in Blacktip Field,Australia

This paper presents the results of a case study performed in Well BT-1 in the Blacktip field; an offshore field located in northern Australia. An analytical model based on mud logging data was used to estimate a formation’s strength in Well BT-1. The drilled well is vertical and the input data to the model included the rate of penetration, rotary speed, weight on bit and torque values of the bit obtained from mud logging data. The final model was completed in several steps: estimation of the bit constants from either lab or field data, backward calculation of rock strength using a drilling performance model, smoothing of the estimated log to obtain the apparent rock strength log and classifying the formations into zones with similar strength values. The results of a log-based approach carried out in Well BT-1 were used to do the modelling. The results presented here indicate that the drilling performance model is able to predict the formation strength reasonably well. Based on the results, care should be taken when the model is used for the intervals where the bit is worn and dull, since within these intervals the model tends to over-estimate the rock strength.     

The Influence of Testing Procedures on Uniaxial Compressive Strength Prediction of Carbonate Rocks from Equotip Hardness Tester (EHT) and Proposal of a New Testing Methodology: Hybrid Dynamic Hardness (HDH)

The Equotip hardness tester (EHT) is a portable and non-destructive instrument used mainly for the dynamic rebound hardness testing of metals. Although various versions of the ‘single impacts’ and ‘repeated impacts’ testing procedures have been employed by different authors for different applications, it is not yet known whether a particular testing procedure is more relevant for a specific application in rock engineering. To be able to contribute to the subject, the present study was carried out to determine the suitability of different rebound testing procedures with this instrument for uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) estimations of some selected carbonate rocks. To achieve this goal, as well as four different existing rebound testing procedures, a newly proposed testing methodology involving the parameter hybrid dynamic hardness (HDH) was also employed. The statistical analyses performed on the experimental data, on the whole, showed that the test procedures which are based on single impacts test procedures outperformed the repeated impacts test procedures in terms of UCS prediction accuracy. The prediction capability of the newly introduced testing methodology was found to be superior to those of other procedures considered in this work, suggesting that it could be an efficient tool in practice for preliminary estimates of rock strength. The statistical analyses also indicated that, in practical applications of the EHT using different test procedures, it may be possible to predict the UCS more accurately when apparent density data is available. For the range of specimen sizes considered, no clear evidence of size effect was observed in the mean rebound values. The argument raised by some other authors that the EHT might not be a convenient instrument for the dynamic rebound hardness determination of relatively high-porosity rocks was not confirmed in this study.     

Undrained Shear Strength of Normally Consolidated and Overconsolidated Clays from Pressuremeter Tests: A Case Study

Undrained shear strength (s_u) of foundation soil of Marquette interchange near Milwaukee, Wisconsin was evaluated from the results of a number of pressuremeter tests conducted on normally consolidated (NC) organic silts and overconsolidated (OC) silty clay. The s_u-values were interpreted from traditional closed-form methods. The pressuremeter geometry and test sequence as well as response of the soil profiles were also simulated using axisymmetric finite element (FE) method with Cam-Clay soil model. The Cam-Clay model parameters were estimated from laboratory tests on undisturbed soil samples. Results show that the s_u estimated from the rate of cavity pressure change with volumetric strain (referred to as direct traditional method) is almost twice the s_u estimated from an indirect traditional method that estimates s_u from shear modulus, in situ horizontal stress, and ultimate cavity pressure obtained from the cavity pressure curves. The s_u-values predicted from the FE models are lower than those estimated from the traditional methods and shows that the assumption of infinite pressuremeter length in traditional methods results in overprediction of undrained shear strength by a factor of 1.5 for NC clay and 2.2 for OC clay. The results of finite element analysis considering Cam-Clay soil model and finite length for pressuremeters suggest the undrained shear strength of 63 ± 7 kPa for NC organic silt and 259 ± 68 kPa for OC silty clay.     

信息量模型、确定性系数模型与逻辑回归模型组合评价地质灾害敏感性的对比研究

为探索区域地质灾害敏感性评价方法,以宁夏盐池县为研究区域,选取坡度、坡向、坡高、高程、地层、距河流距离、距道路距离、植被覆盖度等8个影响地质灾害发生的评价因子,分别采用信息量模型+逻辑回归模型(I+LR)和确定性系数模型+逻辑回归模型(CF+LR)2种组合模型对盐池县地质灾害敏感性进行评价,将该区域地质灾害划分为极低、低、中和高敏感区4类,并完成结果检验。结果表明：(1)2种组合模型得到的低、中敏感区面积基本相当,而高敏感区面积相差较大,CF+LR模型较I+LR模型高敏感区面积增加约5336 km2,而极低敏感区面积减少约6%;(2)2种组合模型的合理性均符合检验要求,且ROC精度检验AUC值分别为0868和0829,渐进Sigb均小于005,表明2种组合评价模型都能较为客观准确地评价盐池县地质灾害敏感性;(3)ROC检验精度与盐池县地质灾害发育情况均表明I+LR模型精度更高。     

Rock weathering on the eastern mountains of southern Africa: Review and insights from case studies

The mountains in the eastern region of southern Africa are of significant regional importance, providing for a diverse range of land use including conservation, tourism and subsistence agriculture. The higher regions are comprised of flood basalts and are immediately underlain by predominantly aeolian-origin sandstones. Our understanding of the weathering of these basalts and sandstones is reviewed here, with particular focus on the insights gained from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and an ongoing study into the deterioration of rock art. While the chemical weathering attributes of the basalts have been substantially investigated, it is evident that the environmental surface conditions of rock moisture and temperature, as affecting weathering processes, remain largely unknown. Within the sandstones, studies pertaining to rock art deterioration present insights into the potential surface weathering processes and highlight the need for detailed field monitoring. Outside of these site-specific studies, however, little is understood of how weathering impacts on landscape development; notably absent, are detail on weathering rates, and potential effects of biological weathering. Some palaeoenvironmental inferences have also been made from weathering products, both within the basalts and the sandstones, but aspects of these remain controversial and further detailed research can still be undertaken.     

Rock weathering on the eastern mountains of southern Africa: Review and insights from case studies

The mountains in the eastern region of southern Africa are of significant regional importance, providing for a diverse range of land use including conservation, tourism and subsistence agriculture. The higher regions are comprised of flood basalts and are immediately underlain by predominantly aeolian-origin sandstones. Our understanding of the weathering of these basalts and sandstones is reviewed here, with particular focus on the insights gained from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and an ongoing study into the deterioration of rock art. While the chemical weathering attributes of the basalts have been substantially investigated, it is evident that the environmental surface conditions of rock moisture and temperature, as affecting weathering processes, remain largely unknown. Within the sandstones, studies pertaining to rock art deterioration present insights into the potential surface weathering processes and highlight the need for detailed field monitoring. Outside of these site-specific studies, however, little is understood of how weathering impacts on landscape development; notably absent, are detail on weathering rates, and potential effects of biological weathering. Some palaeoenvironmental inferences have also been made from weathering products, both within the basalts and the sandstones, but aspects of these remain controversial and further detailed research can still be undertaken.     

基于逻辑回归模型的泥石流易发性评价与检验：以金沙江上游奔子栏—昌波河段为例

基于地理信息系统(ArcGIS100)平台和小流域单元,采用逻辑回归(LR)模型对金沙江上游(奔子栏—昌波河段)干热河谷区进行泥石流易发性评价,并对预测结果进行总体检验与随机个案检验。评价与检验结果表明,得到的最优指标组合下LR评价模型的AUC值为827%;预测的极高易发区、高易发区面积合占全区面积的3598%,实发泥石流面积占泥石流总面积的6503%;在个案检验中,位于各等级分区的检验组样本实发泥石流比例随着分区易发性等级降低,依次为917%(极高)、750%(高)、364%(中等)、167%(低)、0(极低),表明评价效果良好。研究区泥石流集中发育于金沙江沿岸的东北部、中部和西南部,主导性的评价指标依次为距主干道路距离、岩性、距断裂带距离、雨季月平均降雨量。人类活动与季节性降雨为研究区干热河谷泥石流的主要诱发条件。基于逻辑回归模型的泥石流易发性评价方法提高了泥石流发生可能性的预测精度,可为干热河谷区泥石流预测预警和防治提供参考依据。