Preliminary results of a study on the responses of sedimentary rocks to shaft excavation

A shaft with a diameter of 6 m and a depth of 150 m was excavated in sedimentary rocks. Anin situ study was carried out to identify the size and rock properties of the zone disturbed by the excavation and to estimate the applicability of existing methods for measuring and modelling such a zone. The study detected displacements and changes in the properties of the rock within about 1 m of the shaft wall. Numerical analysis using a model of continuous rock mass can simulate some features of disturbance due to excavation, although slight discrepancies exist between the measured and analysed results. The excavation disturbance detected in this study is probably due to fracturing, the redistribution of stress and undersaturation. However, the relationships between the disturbance due to excavation and these processes have not been quantified. The existing methods for measurements and numerical analysis can provide important information on the disturbance due to excavation but need to be improved to understand disturbance due to excavation further.