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Evaluation of the stiffness characteristics of rock joints from data of field observations at water-development projects

  • Safety Of Water-Development Works
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Hydrotechnical Construction Aims and scope

Conclusions

1. The stiffness characteristics of rock joints, which are some of the basic initial data required for numerical modeling of fissured rock masses, have recently acquired major urgency.

2. The study presents results of the analysis of numerous field tests on joint properties, which were conducted by coworkers of the Autonomous Union "Institut Gidroproekt" on a whole series of water- development projects.

3. Basic factors affecting the tangential and normal joint stiffnesses are disclosed, and empirical relationships for their determination obtained from results of analysis. The latter can be used for a predicted estimate of joint stiffnesses in the preliminary stages of design without conducting costly field tests.

4. The study introduces a new concept — the semi-limiting tangential joint stiffnessK s50. Consideration of this characteristic makes it possible to reproduce more reliably the shear strength of joints during numerical calculations of the stress-strain state of rock masses.

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References

  1. V. I. Rechitskii, "Review of results of experimental research on joint stiffness in rocks,"Geoékologiya, No. 2 (1998).

  2. Guidelines for Field Investigations of the Shear Strength of the Rock Foundations of Hydraulic Structures [in Russian], Énergiya, Leningrad (1973), pp. 1–73.

  3. S. C. Bandis, A. C. Lumsden, and N. R. Barton, "Fundamentals of rock joint deformation,"Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. and Geomech. Abstr.,20 (1983).

  4. S. C. Bandis,Mechanical Properties of Rock Joints, Proceedings of the International Symposium on Rock Joints, Loen (1990).

  5. I. Nelson, Jr., and M. A. Kanji,Estimating the Shear Stiffness of Rock Joints, Proceedings of the International Symposium on Rock Joints, Loen (1990).

  6. M. D. Ruiz, G. Re, T. B. Celestino, and M. A. Buosi,A Synthesis of the Geomechanical Characteristics of Basaltic Masses as Dam Foundations, Proceedings of the Fourth Congress of the International Society of Rock Mechanics, Montreal (1979).

  7. R. Yoshinaka and T. Yamabe, "Joint stiffness and the deformation behavior of discontinuous rock,"Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. and Geomech. Abstr.,23 (1986).

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Authors
  1. V. I. Rechitskii
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Additional information

Translated from Gidrotekhnicheskoe Stroitel’stvo, No. 8, pp. 44–49, August, 1998.

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Rechitskii, V.I. Evaluation of the stiffness characteristics of rock joints from data of field observations at water-development projects. Hydrotechnical Construction 32, 463–469 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02905981

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02905981

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