Natural rock joint roughness quantification through fractal techniques

Accurate quantification of roughness is important in modeling hydro-mechanical behavior of rock joints. A highly refined variogram technique was used to investigate possible existence of anisotropy in natural rock joint roughness. Investigated natural rock joints showed randomly varying roughness anisotropy with the direction. A scale dependant fractal parameter, K _v, seems to play a prominent role than the fractal dimension, D _r1d, with respect to quantification of roughness of natural rock joints. Because the roughness varies randomly, it is impossible to predict the roughness variation of rock joint surfaces from measurements made in only two perpendicular directions on a particular sample. The parameter D _r1d × K _v seems to capture the overall roughness characteristics of natural rock joints well. The one-dimensional modified divider technique was extended to two dimensions to quantify the two-dimensional roughness of rock joints. The developed technique was validated by applying to a generated fractional Brownian surface with fractal dimension equal to 2.5. It was found that the calculated fractal parameters quantify the rock joint roughness well. A new technique is introduced to study the effect of scale on two-dimensional roughness variability and anisotropy. The roughness anisotropy and variability reduced with increasing scale.     

一种新的岩石节理面三维粗糙度分形描述方法

研究并提出一种新的岩石节理面三维粗糙度分形描述方法。首先,基于激光扫描数据将节理表面离散成三角网,并建立与剪切方向相关的三维均方根抵抗角的计算方法。其次,运用分形数学理论,提出一种新的基于三维均方根抵抗角的节理面粗糙度分形描述方法。最后,采用新方法对天然玄武岩节理和花岗岩张拉型节理的粗糙特性进行分析。研究结果表明,提出的新方法能够较全面地反映节理面的三维几何形貌信息,并能描述节理粗糙度的各向异性特性。研究成果为进一步建立岩石节理面的三维剪切强度公式和剪切本构理论奠定了基础。     

Characterization of the Structure of River-Bed Gravels Using Two-Dimensional Fractal Analysis

This paper is concerned with the application of fractal analysis to understand the structure of water-worked gravel-bed river surfaces. High resolution digital elevation models, acquired using digital photogrammetric methods, allowed the application of two-dimensional fractal methods. Previous gravel-bed river studies have been based upon sampled profiles and hence one-dimensional fractal characterisation. After basic testing that bed elevation increments are Gaussian, the paper uses two-dimensional variogram surfaces to derive directionally dependent estimates of fractal dimension. The results identify mixed fractal behavior with two characteristic fractal bands, one associated with the subgrain scale and one associated with the grain scale. The subgrain scale characteristics were isotropic and sensitive to decisions made during the data collection process. Thus, it was difficult to differentiate whether these characteristics were real facets of the surfaces studied. The second band was anisotropic and not sensitive to data collection issues. Fractal dimensions were greater in the downstream direction than in other directions suggesting that the effects of water working are to alter the level of surface organisation, by increasing surface irregularity and hence roughness. This is an important observation as it means that water-worked surfaces may have a distinct anisotropic signal, revealed when using a fractal type analysis.     

基于功率谱密度的评估岩石节理粗糙度新方法

为进一步提高结构面粗糙特征描述的精确性和可靠性,更全面地体现出细微形貌的影响,将轮廓线凹凸起伏分解为幅值、倾角和曲率3个特征,分别代表轮廓线的高度变化、角度变化和弯曲程度变化。以Barton建议的10条标准轮廓线为例,计算其幅度、角度和弯曲度的特征曲线,获得了三者的分布规律。利用可表征微细观形貌的功率谱密度函数研究了3种特征曲线的频谱特征,然后从功率谱密度对数曲线中提取了可以描述形貌特征的分形参数D_j（斜率相关）和粗糙度参数A_j（截距相关）,在此基础上研究了D_j和A_j与节理粗糙度系数（joint roughness coefficient,简称JRC）的关系。同时,将该指标推广到了三维形貌的表征形式,并计算了大理岩剪切面的三维粗糙度。结果表明：新指标评估精确度高,可反映结构面各向异性特征,能有效表征结构面粗糙特征,对研究结构面剪切力学性质有重要意义。     

岩石节理表面几何特性的三维统计分析

在利用三维非接触式高精度激光表面形状测定仪精确测量岩石节理的表面粗糙形状并进行数值化表达的基础上,应用地理信息系统(GIS)技术,实现了岩石节理粗糙面的三维可视化。再对岩石节理粗糙面的三维几何特性参数（诸如表面粗糙度、裂隙张开度和粗糙高度等）进行统计分析并计算频数分布的特征数字。最后,根据频率直方图的分布趋势和频数分布的特征数字研究各几何特性参数的分布规律。结果表明,花岗岩节理粗糙表面起伏比砂岩大,但二者几何特性参数的分布规律相似,节理粗糙高度和裂隙张开度分布近似于正态分布规律,而节理粗糙面倾斜角分布近似于Γ分布规律。     

Underestimation of roughness in rough rock joints

Numerous studies have been made to improve Barton's shear strength model for the quantification of rock joints. However, in these previous studies, the roughness and shear strength of the rock joint have been underestimated especially for relatively high undulated profiles (joint roughness coefficient (JRC) >14). The main factors of roughness underestimation in rough rock joints are investigated for the proper quantification of rock joint roughness. The aliasing effect and the roughness characteristics are analyzed by using artificial joint profiles and natural rock joint profiles. A 3D camera scanner is adopted to verify the main source of underestimation when using conventional measurement methods. Shear strength tests are carried out by using two types of shear apparatus to study the roughness mobilization characteristics, which may also affect the roughness underestimation. The results of joint roughness assessment, such as aliasing and undulation of waviness, show that the roughness can be underestimated in relatively rough joint profiles (JRC>14). At least two components of roughness parameters are needed to properly represent the joint roughness, for example, the amplitude and the inclination angle of joint asperity. Roughness mobilization is affected by both the normal stress and the asperity scale. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

一种新型粗糙节理面随机强度模型及其应用

天然岩体在长期地质作用下会生成各种节理裂隙等不连续面,而地下工程结构的稳定性一般取决于这些不连续面的强度。在众多因素中,表面形态对岩石节理面剪切强度具有决定性影响。为了系统研究岩石节理面剪切强度的确定方法,把岩石节理面概化为一系列高度不同的微长方体凸起组成的粗糙表面结构,且微长方体凸起有剪胀破坏和非剪胀破坏两种模式。综合微长方体凸起破坏规律,应用概率密度函数描述节理面表面起伏分布的影响,建立了粗糙节理面随机强度模型,推导了节理面剪切强度理论公式,提出了节理面强度的随机评价方法。基于随机强度模型和评价方法编制Matlab计算程序计算自然粗糙节理面的剪切强度,并将计算结果与试验结果进行比较分析。研究表明:粗糙节理面随机强度模型综合了粗糙节理面表面形态和法向应力对节理剪切强度的影响机制,理论计算值与试验数据吻合良好,可以较好的评价粗糙节理的峰值剪切强度和残余剪切强度。该随机模型可作为进一步深入研究的重要基础,分析结构面的连续剪切过程,建立更完善的节理面强度模型。     

Observation of the Degradation Characteristics and Scale of Unevenness on Three-dimensional Artificial Rock Joint Surfaces Subjected to Shear

The present study explores the degradation characteristics and scale of unevenness (small-scale roughness) on sheared rock joint surfaces at a low-stress regime. While the degradation characteristics of unevenness and the normal stress are mutually interrelated, an understanding of the degradation patterns of the three-dimensional roughness of rock joints is one of the important components needed to identify asperity failure characteristics and to quantify the role of damaged unevenness in establishing a shear strength model. A series of direct shear tests was performed on three-dimensional artificial rock joint surfaces at different normal stress levels. After shearing, the spatial distributions and statistical parameters of degraded roughness were analysed for the different normal stress levels. The length and area of the degraded zones showed bell-shaped distributions in a logarithmic scale, and the dominant scale (or the most frequently occurring scale) of the damaged asperities (i.e., unevenness) ranged from approximately, 0.5 to 5.0 mm in length and 0.1–10 mm² in area. This scale of the damaged unevenness was consistent regardless of the level of normal stress. It was also found that the relative area of damaged unevenness on a given joint area, and thus the contribution of the mechanical asperity failure component to shear strength increased as normal stress increased.     

基于多重分形特征的岩体结构面剪切强度研究

Barton剪切强度模型是目前工程实践中普遍采用的强度公式,而实践应用时,该模型中结构面粗糙性系数（JRC）的评估存在主观性和片面性的缺点。鉴于此,应用多重分形理论,提出了采用多重分形参数准确量化JRC的方法。首先应用数字图像处理技术获取了结构面三维形貌数据信息;然后采用投影覆盖法进行了结构面的分形维数计算,重点对结构面的多重分形特征进行了分析,通过对比分析了构造的15个结构面的多重分形特征值。结果表明：结构面越粗糙,多重分形特征参数 和 值越大, 或 能够很好地描述结构面的形貌特征。最后对9组石膏试件进行了剪切试验,通过不同正应力下对应的剪应力数据分析,结合结构面形貌多重分形参数 或 ,以Barton剪切强度公式为基础,应用最小二乘法原理,给出了JRC与 及JRC与 关系。这样在工程实际中,可以用参数 或 对JRC进行估算,克服了JRC人为估值主观性及采用二维标准轮廓线评估片面性的缺点,为准确评估结构面粗糙度提供了一条新的途径。在此基础上,应用Barton模型可准确估算岩体结构面的剪切强度。     

Quantitative Parameters for Rock Joint Surface Roughness

Summary The morphologies of two artificial granite joints (sanded and hammered surfaces), one artificial regularly undulated joint and one natural schist joint, were studied. The sanded and hammered granite joints underwent 5 cycles of direct shear under 3 normal stress levels ranging between 0.3–4 MPa. The regularly undulated joint underwent 10 cycles of shear under 6 normal stress levels ranging between 0.5–5 MPa and the natural schist replicas underwent a monotonous shear under 5 normal stress levels ranging between 0.4–2.4 MPa. In order to characterize the morphology of the sheared joints, a laser sensor profilometer was used to perform surface data measurements prior to and after each shear test. Rather than describing the morphology of the joints from the single profiles, our characterization is based on a simultaneous analysis of all the surface profiles. Roughness was viewed as a combination of a primary roughness and a secondary roughness. The surface angularity was quantified by defining its three-dimensional mean angle, θ_s, and the parameter Z2_s. The surface anisotropy and the secondary roughness were respectively quantified by the degree of apparent anisotropy, k _a, and the surface relative roughness coefficient, R _s. The surface sinuosity was quantified by the surface tortuosity coefficient, T _s.  Comparison between the means of the classical linear parameters and those proposed shows that linear parameters underestimate the morphological characteristics of the joint surfaces. As a result, the proposed bi-dimensional and tri-dimensional parameters better describe the evolution of the joints initial roughness during the course of shearing.     

Towards an understanding of joint roughness

Summary It is argued that the currently available joint models are incapable of accurate predictions of joint shear behaviour without resorting to substantial levels of empiricism. This is because these models fail to adequately quantify joint roughness, or appreciate the importance of scale. A novel approach, which uses fractal geometry to investigate joint roughness, is described. This approach goes beyond describing the symptoms of roughness and seeks to find the cause. In the application of this approach, the concepts of fractal geometry, fractal dimension and self similarity are described and used as a framework to formulate a statistically based and practical model for the characterisation of rock joint roughness. Important relationships between the fractal dimension and the more useful statistical parameters of standard deviation of both asperity angles and asperity heights are derived. These relationships not only provide a useful, working method for quantifying joint roughness, but are also shown to provide a basis for understanding the Barton empirical JRC-JCS model. In addition, the fractal model is able to provide conceptual models for the effects of normal stress on the shear behaviour of joints and the scale-dependence of joints.     

Failure Process after Peak Strength of Artificial Joints by Fractal Dimension

Because lack of information when the joints exhibit strain softening behavior, the transition from peak to residual values is assumed to decrease either linearly or exponentially. Also, displacement of slide side after peak is much larger than the peak displacement and the stress approaches the residual state, thus studying failure process after peak strength is very important. In this research, three types of artificial joints with tooth-shaped asperity under repeated direct-shear were tested. Continuously movement of slide side after peak strength was monitored during shearing test. Reduction of shear parameters was examined according to two failure criteria (Barton and Patton). JRC value (Joint Roughness Coefficient) for a given profile was estimated by fractal dimension. One of the results of this study is that Barton’s criterion predicts a good estimation of residual strength and the second result is when the amount of fractal dimension of a joint surface increases, the JRC amount also increases, and with having value of h (height average) and l (base average) of a tooth-shaped asperity can determine the JRC of joint surface. M. Askari is a M.Sc Student of Engineering Faculty, Mining Engineering Department, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran.     

Numerical Investigations of the Dynamic Shear Behavior of Rough Rock Joints

The dynamic shear behavior of rock joints is significant to both rock engineering and earthquake dynamics. With the discrete element method (DEM), the dynamic direct-shear tests on the rough rock joints with 3D (sinusoidal or random) surface morphologies are simulated and discussed. Evolution of the friction coefficient with the slip displacement shows that the 3D DEM joint model can accurately reproduce the initial strengthening, slip-weakening, and steady-sliding responses of real rock joints. Energy analyses show that the strengthening and weakening behavior of the rock joint are mainly attributed to the rapid accumulation and release of the elastic energy in the joint. Then, effects of the surface roughness and the normal stress on the friction coefficient and the micro shear deformation mechanisms, mainly volume change and asperity damage, of the rock joint are investigated. The results show that the peak friction coefficient increases logarithmically with the increasing surface roughness, but decreases exponentially with the increasing normal stress. In addition, the rougher rock joint exhibits both higher joint dilation and asperity degradation. However, high normal stress constrains the joint dilation, but promotes the degree of asperity degradation significantly. Lastly, the effects of the 3D surface morphology on the shear behavior of the rock joint are investigated with a directional roughness parameter. It is observed that the anisotropy of the surface roughness consequently results in the variation of the peak friction coefficient of the joint corresponding to different shearing directions as well as the micro shear deformation mechanisms, e.g., the extent of joint dilation.     

Method for Quantification of Wear of Sheared Joint Walls Based on Surface Morphology

Roughness and wear evolution of three different joint wall surfaces were characterized using surface roughness and surface wear parameters. Parameters were defined by considering the two components of morphology: waviness (“primary” roughness) and surface roughness (“secondary” roughness). Two surface roughness parameters are proposed: joint interface (or single wall) specific surface roughness coefficient SR _s (0 ≤ SR _s  ≤ 1) for quantifying the amount of “pure” roughness (or specific roughness), and degree of joint interface (or single wall) relative surface roughness DR _r (0 ≤ DR _r  ≤ 0.5). Two further parameters are also proposed in order to quantify the wear of wall surface: joint interface (or single wall) surface wear coefficient Λ_interface, and the degree of joint interface (or single wall) surface wear D _w(interface). The three test specimens were: man-made granite joints with hammered surfaces, man-made mortar joints with corrugated surfaces, and mortar joints prepared from natural rough and undulated schist joint replicas. Shearing under monotonic and cyclic shearing was performed using a computer-controlled bidirectional and biaxial shear apparatus. Joint surface data were measured using a noncontact laser sensor profilometer prior to and after each shear test. Calculation of specific surface roughness coefficient SR _s , and degree of surface wear D _w , indicated that the hammered joint interface with predominant interlocking wears much more (>90%) than the corrugated (27%) and the rough and undulated (23%) joint interfaces having localized interlocking points. The proposed method was also successfully linked to the classical wear theory.     

微凸体对抛光岩石表面静摩擦系数影响试验研究

对典型岩石摩擦滑动试验装置进行了改进,以8种硅酸盐岩作为研究对象,在低正应力条件下对岩石摩擦滑动过程中的静摩擦系数进行了试验研究。对滑动表面形貌进行了表征,从统计学角度分析了粗糙度对静摩擦系数的影响,并基于滑动表面微凸体（凹凸体、微观粗糙度）对这一影响作进一步分析。研究表明：滑动面为抛光面时,千枚岩、石英岩、岩屑砂岩和石英砂岩的静摩擦系数为0.38～0.47,砾岩、含砾粗粒石英砂岩、中粒岩屑砂岩和中粒石英砂岩的静摩擦系数为0.83～1.07;在粗糙度中,轮廓最大谷深Rm和轮廓最大峰高Rp两个参数导致摩擦滑动中产生不同静摩擦系数,且随着这两个参数的增加,静摩擦系数呈指数规律增加;千枚岩、石英岩、岩屑砂岩和石英砂岩滑动表面的微凸体数量较少,砾岩、含砾粗粒石英砂岩、中粒岩屑砂岩和中粒石英砂岩滑动表面的微凸体数量较多,随着微凸体数量的增加岩石摩擦滑动过程中的静摩擦系数增加。     

Fractal dimension of profiles and surfaces using fuzzy morphological coverings

In this paper, we propose a new method, based on fuzzy morphology coverings, to estimate the fractal dimension of profiles and surfaces. This method is geometrically intuitive and simple to implement. Algorithmically, the method fits a covering to the frames or blocks of the profile or surface using fuzzy morphology. Varying the dimension of the frame or block, estimates of the length or area covered are then used to find the fractal dimension. Validation of the proposed method is performed by comparing its results with known fractal dimensions of mathematical profiles. The method is used to obtain the fractal dimension of rock profiles and surfaces.     

月表虹湾Hurst指数分析

月球遥感是在登月技术还不完善的情况下,利用遥感数据,通过各种分析来研究月球演化、内部结果和表面特征的方法。粗糙度是地表隆升、沉降、侵蚀和火山喷射物覆盖在行星表面留下的记录,因此对行星表面粗糙度的定量分析可以精确反映其地质演化过程。而Hurst指数则是粗糙度的精确反映。文中利用LOLA制作的DEM,以月球正面虹湾为例,选取水平方向的12条剖面和垂直方向的15条剖面对其各粗糙度参数进行计算,并结合月表成熟度对Hurst指数与底层年龄的相关性进行了分析,得出如下结论:(1)在1km的剖面长度上,虹湾地区均方根高程的平均值在3m左右;在0.2～3km研究尺度范围内,虹湾地区的坡度不超过2°,说明该地表起伏度小。(2)虹湾地区的Hurst指数跨度比较大,尤其在垂直方向(南北)上,在0.4到0.9之间,表明其构造样式丰富。(3)在0.2～3km研究尺度范围内,Hurst指数自北往南增大、自西往东增大,表示在虹湾地区粗糙度自西北向东南方向增大。(4)虹湾地区地质年龄为自西北向东南方向变小,与Hurst指数增大方向一致。(5)在月表年轻撞击坑地区月表成熟度与Hurst指数大致呈负相关关系。     

Quantification of Natural Fracture Surfaces Using Fractal Geometry

The purpose of this paper is to present an extensive evaluation of the methods to calculate the fractal dimension of natural fracture surfaces. Three methods; variogram analysis (VA), power spectral density (PSD), and roughness-length method (RMS) are applied to 2-D surface data (PSD) and 1-D profiles (VA and RMS) extracted from the surface data of 54 mm diameter crystallized limestone samples. Surface topography of the samples is quantified through a newly designed fully automated device. Before the application, self-affinity of the surface roughness and the applicability of these methods are validated using synthetically generated fractal surfaces. Fractal dimension values of the profiles are obtained as between 1 and 1.5 with a few exceptions. VA and RMS methods yield consistent fractal dimensions while the PSD values are lower than those of the other two methods. In terms of practical applicability, the VA is found more convenient than other two methods because there still exists shortcomings with the PSD and RMS methods due to difficulties in the mathematical analysis of the plots whose slopes are used in the computation of fractal dimension. However, it is observed that the data of limited size fracture surfaces are convenient for fractal analysis and the results are promising for further applications if the fracture surface size is restricted like cores recovered from deep boreholes.