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In situ failure investigation and time-dependent damage test for columnar jointed basalt at the Baihetan left dam foundation

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Abstract

Columnar jointed basalt (CJB), characterized by a hexagonal joint network, poses a great challenge for geotechnical designs due to its time-dependent propensity to deformation and damage. In this paper, the geometrical structure and failure modes of CJB exposed on a dam foundation is presented. The study was conducted during the unloading excavation of the Baihetan dam, China, aiming to provide a more in-depth understanding of the CJB damage mechanism. A systematic field test for the columnar jointed rock mass was also carried out on the dam foundation using ultrasonic P wave measurements. It was found that the excavation damage zone of the CJB not only showed time-dependent damage both in depth and degree but also showed spatially inhomogeneous distribution of the damage degree. Sequential regression analysis further demonstrated the time-dependent behavior of the CJB. Successive observations using digital borehole cameras in the field showed that the unloading damage mechanism of the Baihetan CJB was mainly related to the time-dependent opening of the initially closed joints. Several reinforcing methods for improving the stability of the damaged CJB, including the injection of liquid cement and the installation of the prestressed rock bolts, are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge Prof. Jianrong Xu, Prof Mingfa Tang for the help in field geological investigation and test, and the financial supports from the National Key Research and Development Program (No. 2016YFC0600707), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51779251) and the Hubei Province outstanding youth fund (No. 2017CFA060) and the CAS Pioneer Hundred Talents Programs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China

    Quan Jiang, Bin Wang, Xia-Ting Feng & Shufeng Pei

  2. China Three Gorges Project Corporation, Beijing, 100038, China

    Qi-Xiang Fan & Zhilin Wang

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, 38677, USA

    Shan Jiang

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  1. Quan Jiang
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  2. Bin Wang
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Correspondence to Bin Wang.

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Jiang, Q., Wang, B., Feng, XT. et al. In situ failure investigation and time-dependent damage test for columnar jointed basalt at the Baihetan left dam foundation. Bull Eng Geol Environ 78, 3875–3890 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-018-1399-y

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