Summary The strength of intact rock and the rock mass is time-dependent. For intact rock experimental verification is available, for the rock mass the scale of time-dependence is a matter of judgement. Rock mass classifications do however emphasize the effect of time on tunnel stability. This paper examines the source of time-dependence in rocks and the rock mass and suggests a technique for estimating the long term strength. The long term strength of the rock mass is controlled by the time-dependent weakening of intact rock. Frictional resistance, a major source of rock mass strength, increases rather than decreases with time. Lifetime estimation for rocks can be accomplished phenomenologically or mechanistically. The first is a statistical process of wide applicability, the second is more restrictive in usage as its applies only to materials that suffer time-dependent strain (creep). Although the mechanistic route is more appealing, it has a major drawback as it concentrates on steady state creep. There is no strong evidence for steady state creep in rocks. The technique for long term prediction is developed through the analysis of the failure rate under constant load. The failure rate for a given load and environment is established from the frequency distribution of time-to-failure data as measured in static fatigue tests. As expected, the failure rate is strongly affected by both the loading and the environmental condition. The influence, however, is systematic and predictable. 相似文献
Argillaceous rocks cover about one thirds of the earth's surface. The major engineering problems encountered with weak- to medium-strength argillaceous rocks could be slaking, erosion, slope stability, settlement, and reduction in strength. One of the key properties for classifying and determining the behavior of such rocks is the slake durability. The concept of slake durability index (SDI) has been the subject of numerous researches in which a number of factors affecting the numerical value of SDI were investigated. In this regard, this paper approaches the matter by evaluating the effects of overall shape and surface roughness of the testing material on the outcome of slake durability indices.
For the purpose, different types of rocks (marl, clayey limestone, tuff, sandstone, weathered granite) were broken into chunks and were intentionally shaped as angular, subangular, and rounded and tested for slake durability. Before testing the aggregate pieces of each rock type, their surface roughness was determined by using the fractal dimension. Despite the variation of final values of SDI test results (values of Id), the rounded aggregate groups plot relatively in a narrow range, but a greater scatter was obtained for the angular and subangular aggregate groups. The best results can be obtained when using the well rounded samples having the lowest fractal values. An attempt was made to analytically link the surface roughness with the Id parameter and an empirical relationship was proposed. A chart for various fractal values of surface roughness to use as a guide for slake durability tests is also proposed. The method proposed herein becomes efficient when well rounded aggregates are not available. In such condition, the approximate fractal value for the surface roughness profile of the testing aggregates could be obtained from the proposed chart and be plugged into the empirical relation to obtain the corrected Id value. The results presented herein represent the particular rock types used in this study and care should be taken when applying these methods to different type of rocks. 相似文献