Determination of Joint Roughness Coefficients Using Roughness Parameters

This study used precisely digitized standard roughness profiles to determine roughness parameters such as statistical and 2D discontinuity roughness, and fractal dimensions. Our methods were based on the relationship between the joint roughness coefficient (JRC) values and roughness parameters calculated using power law equations. Statistical and 2D roughness parameters, and fractal dimensions correlated well with JRC values, and had correlation coefficients of over 0.96. However, all of these relationships have a 4th profile (JRC 6–8) that deviates by more than ±5 % from the JRC values given in the standard roughness profiles. This indicates that this profile is statistically different than the others. We suggest that fractal dimensions should be measured within the entire range of the divider, instead of merely measuring values within a suitable range. Normalized intercept values also correlated with the JRC values, similarly to the fractal dimension values discussed above. The root mean square first derivative values, roughness profile indexes, 2D roughness parameter, and fractal dimension values decreased as the sampling interval increased. However, the structure function values increased very rapidly with increasing sampling intervals. This indicates that the roughness parameters are not independent of the sampling interval, and that the different relationships between the JRC values and these roughness parameters are dependent on the sampling interval.     

Laboratory Estimation of Rock Joint Stiffness and Frictional Parameters

Numerical modeling of complex rock engineering problems involves the use of various input parameters which control usefulness of the output results. Hence, it is of utmost importance to select the right range of input physical and mechanical parameters based on laboratory or field estimation, and engineering judgment. Joint normal and shear stiffnesses are two popular input parameters to describe discontinuities in rock, which do not have specific guidelines for their estimation in literature. This study attempts to provide simple methods to estimate joint normal and shear stiffnesses in the laboratory using the uniaxial compression and small-scale direct shear tests. Samples have been prepared using rocks procured from different depths, geographical locations and formations. The study uses a mixture of relatively smooth natural joints and saw-cut joints in the various rock samples tested. The results indicate acceptable levels of uncertainty in the calculation of the stiffness parameters and provide a database of good first estimates and empirical relations which can be used for calculating values for joint stiffnesses when laboratory estimation is not possible. Joint basic friction angles have also been estimated as by-products in the small scale direct shear tests.     

A Constitutive Model for Shear Behavior of Rock Joints Based on Three-Dimensional Quantification of Joint Roughness

A new constitutive model to describe the shear behavior of rock joints under constant normal stiffness (CNS) and constant normal load (CNL) conditions is proposed. The model was developed using an empirical approach based on the results of a total of 362 direct shear tests on tensile fractured rock joints and replicas of tensile joints and on a new quantitative roughness parameter. This parameter, the active roughness coefficient C _r, is derived from the features of the effective roughness mobilized at the contact areas during shearing. The model involves a shear strength criterion and the relations between stresses and displacements in the normal and shear directions, where the effects of the boundary conditions and joint properties are considered by the shape indices C _d and C _f. The model can be used to predict the shear behavior under CNS as well as CNL conditions. The shear behavior obtained from the experimental results is generally in good agreement with that estimated by the proposed model, and the effects of joint roughness, initial normal stress, and normal stiffness are reasonably reflected in the model.     

Influence of Structural Non-Stationarity of Surface Roughness on Morphological Characterization and Mechanical Deformation of Rock Joints

Summary Structural non-stationarity of surface roughness affects accurate morphological characterization as well as mechanical behaviour of rock joints at the laboratory scale using samples with a size below the stationarity threshold. In this paper, the effect of structural non-stationarity of surface roughness is investigated by studying the scale dependence of surface roughness and mechanical behaviour of rock joints. The results show that the structural non-stationarity mainly affects the accurate characterization of the surface roughness of the fracture samples. It also controls the amount and location of the contact areas during shear tests, which in turn affects the mechanical properties and asperity degradation of the samples. It is concluded that for accurate determination of the morphological and mechanical properties of rock joints at laboratory and field scales, samples with size equal to or larger than the stationarity threshold are required. Author’s address: Nader Fardin, Rock Mechanics Group, Department of Mining Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box: 11365/4563, Tehran, Iran     

青藏高原表土孢粉定量重建的气候参数探讨

孢粉在古环境研究中具有重要价值,尤其是在重建古气候方面,既可以定性地恢复过去的植被类型变化,也能定量地重建气候变化规律,是古气候研究中最常用、较可靠和较成熟的环境代用指标。现代类比法是探讨表土孢粉与气候定量关系的方法之一,适用性较为广泛。本文利用青藏高原及其毗邻地区495个现代表土样点的孢粉谱,及现代气象站点器测资料,采用现代类比法得到气候参数的模拟值,并分析模拟值与气候参数观测值之间的关系。结果表明:相关性最高的气候因子是年均降水(r=0.894),其次为年均相对湿度(r=0.863)和年均蒸发量(r=0.801),最低的是干燥度(r=0.18)。因此在重建古气候时降水的可信度较高,相对湿度和蒸发量也具有一定的可信度。并选用相关性较好的年均降水指标,分析其与11个孢粉类型之间的相关性,然后将相关性较高的孢粉组合与降水之间建立孢粉-气候函数模型,用以重建该地区过去气候变化。     

接触变质带中冷凝收缩缝裂缝参数定量研究

模拟岩浆侵入时期的温度场及应力场获取围岩中温度及应力的分布,综合应用应变能及表面能理论,建立热应力与冷凝收缩缝参数之间的定量关系,对裂缝参数作出定量预测,进而总结变质带中冷凝收缩缝的发育规律。对GY凹陷北斜坡接触变质带研究发现：变质带厚度随侵入岩厚度增大而增大,侵入岩厚度小于20 m时无变质带;热应力随着距离侵入岩距离的增大而减小。冷凝收缩缝主要靠近侵入岩体分布,裂缝线密度最大值约为13条/m;远离侵入岩体裂缝线密度迅速变小,至变质带外边缘,裂缝线密度降为3～6条/m。整体上,上变质带孔渗性能稍好于下变质带孔渗性能。冷凝收缩缝孔隙度最大值位于侵入岩厚度最大部位;短轴方向裂缝渗透率与铅直方向渗透率分布相似,两者值均大于长轴方向渗透率。岩心统计资料验证了模拟计算结果的可靠性。     

地表粗糙度参数化研究综述

粗糙度反映了地表的起伏程度,是许多陆面过程的关键影响因子。然而,人们对地表系统认识的不足,造成现有的各种地表粗糙度参数化方案均存在一定的问题。从地表测量技术、粗糙度相关参数和遥感研究3个方面对地表粗糙度参数化研究现状进行了综述。针式廓线法和激光廓线法是当前主流的地表测量技术,而三雏激光扫描和摄影测量技术已展示出了较大的潜力。基于统计方法和基于分形理论的粗糙度相关参数具有截然不同的物理意义,但地表复杂的多尺度特性使得很难用一类参数进行描述。光学遥感与微波遥感均具有广阔的前景,其中前者需要注意与经典粗糙度参数化方案相结合,后者则需拓展在下一代遥感平台上的技术与方法。还针对不同尺度粗糙度参数的比较与转换,地表粗糙度的空间异质性与各向异性,以及三维表面粗糙度参数化等当前地表粗糙度参数化研究中的一些关键问题进行了讨论。     

A New Method for In-situ Non-contact Roughness Measurement of Large Rock Fracture Surfaces

Summary This paper presents a new method for in-situ non-contact measurements of fracture roughness by using a total station (TS). The TS is a non-reflector geodetic instrument usually used for measuring control points in surveying and mapping. By using a special-developed program, the TS can be used as a point-sensor laser scanner to scan a defined area of the fracture surface automatically, in field or in laboratory, at a distance away from the target surface. A large fracture surface can be automatically scanned with a constant interval of the sampling points, both within a defined area or along a cross-section of the exposed rock face. To quantify fracture roughness at different scales and obtain different densities of the scanned points, the point interval can be selected with the minimum interval of 1 mm. A local Cartesian co-ordinate system needs to be established first by the TS in front of the target rock face to define the true North or link the measurements to a known spatial co-ordinate system for both quantitative and spatial analysis of fracture roughness. To validate the method, fracture roughness data recorded with a non-reflector TS was compared with the data captured by a high-accuracy 3D-laser scanner. Results of this study revealed that both primary roughness and waviness of fracture surfaces can be quantified by the TS in the same accuracy level as that of the high accuracy laser scanner. Roughness of a natural fracture surface can be sampled without physical contact in a maximum distance of tens of meters from the rock faces. Received May 24, 2001; accepted July 24, 2002; Published online November 19, 2002     

An Algorithmic 3D Rock Roughness Measure Using Local Depth Measurement Clusters

Summary. A computational algorithm which uses depth data from a reference plane to a rock fracture surface in calculating a new three-dimensional joint roughness coefficient is presented. Two independent sets of fracture data are investigated. The new coefficient is compared to Barton’s 2D joint roughness coefficient JRC. A measure indicating corrupt data is discussed. The algorithm is also used to show that, in general, rock roughness is only a local variable, not a directional one.     

Analysis of Blast Wave Interaction with a Rock Joint

The interaction between rock joints and blast waves is crucial in rock engineering when rock mass is suffered from artificial or accidental explosions, bursts or weapon attacks. Based on the conservation of momentum at the wave fronts and the displacement discontinuity method, quantitative analysis for the interaction between obliquely incident P- or S-blast wave and a linear elastic rock joint is carried out in the present study, so as to deduce a wave propagation equation. For some special cases, such as normal or tangential incidence, rigid or weak joint, the analytical solution of the stress wave interaction with a rock joint is obtained by simplifying the wave propagation equation. By verification, it is found that the transmission and reflection coefficients from the wave propagation equation agree very well with the existing results. Parametric studies are then conducted to evaluate the effects of the joint stiffness and incident waves on wave transmission and reflection. The wave propagation equation derived in the present study can be straightforwardly extended for different incident waveforms and nonlinear rock joints to calculate the transmitted and reflected waves without mathematical methods such as the Fourier and inverse Fourier transforms.