scholarly journals A brief analysis of behaviour possibility of a jointed rock mass near to longwall excavation face simulation using Distinct Elements Method (DEM) in the context of the Beam on Elastic Foundation (BEF) theory

2019 ◽  
Vol 106 ◽  
pp. 01015
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Tomiczek
Keyword(s):  
Rock Mass ◽  
Elastic Foundation ◽  
Distinct Element ◽  
Beam Theory ◽  
Wave Theory ◽  
Jointed Rock ◽  
Coal Bed ◽  
Face Advance ◽  
Rock Masses ◽  
Distinct Element Code

Rock masses are discontinuous medium. Using the program based on the Distinct Element Method (DEM) UDEC (Universal Distinct Element Code) a 2D model of the rock mass near the longwall face was built. The UDEC code, due to its properties, is particularly suitable for modelling discontinuous and jointed rock masses. The coal bed lying at a depth of 700m had a thickness of 3m and was mined by longwall system with caving. The total face advance was 415m. The model had dimensions of 1500×500m (w×h). A vertical stress of σz=7.2MPa was applied to the upper edge of the model. The mechanized support protected the roof for a length of 4m at a distance of 2m from the face of the longwall. During simulation, among others, vertical displacements of roof and vertical stresses were closely examined. There were observed phenomena of bending, cracking, loosening and falling of roof blocks of rock. The results of numerical simulations were compared with the results of analytical solutions. The calculations were based on the solutions of the elastic foundation beam theory and the stress wave theory. Comparable shapes of arch pressure σzmax and the range of its impact were obtained.

Stability Analysis of Cut Rock Slope with Reinforcement by Steel Cables

2007 ◽  
Vol 353-358 ◽  
pp. 2509-2512
Author(s):  
Shui Lin Wang ◽  
Ying Hui Lu ◽  
Yu Yong Jiao ◽  
Chun Guang Li
Keyword(s):  
Rock Mass ◽  
Rock Slope ◽  
Slip Surface ◽  
Distinct Element ◽  
Jointed Rock ◽  
Structural Formation ◽  
Bedding Planes ◽  
Strength Reduction Technique ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Distinct Element Code

There are a large number of cracks, joints and layers with different scales and orientations in the rock masses. With the structural formation in it, the rock mass is unlike the isotropic and homogenous materials in physics and mechanics characteristics, and the failure of the rock mass is controlled by those discontinuities. This paper studies the stability of a jointed rock slope with bedding-planes. Universal Distinct Element Code (UDEC) is used to carry out the numerical analysis. The factor of safety (FOS) and failure mode are obtained by strength reduction technique before and after the steel bolts are installed in the slope. In addition, the forces along the bolts indicate that they reaches the maximum value in the potential slip surface of the slope.

scholarly journals Buckling Failure Mechanism of a Rock Dam Foundation Fractured by Gentle Through-Going and Steep Structural Discontinuities

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 5426
Author(s):  
Donghui Chen ◽  
Huie Chen ◽  
Wen Zhang ◽  
Chun Tan ◽  
Zhifa Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Method ◽  
Failure Mechanism ◽  
Shear Failure ◽  
Distinct Element ◽  
Mechanism Analysis ◽  
Rock Masses ◽  
Dam Foundation ◽  
Deformation Features ◽  
Universal Distinct Element Code ◽  
Distinct Element Code

The failure mechanism analysis of dam foundations is key for designing hydropower stations. This study analyses the rock masses in a sluice section, which is an important part of the main dam of the Datengxia Hydropower Station currently built in China. The stability of the sluice rock masses is predominantly affected by gentle through-going soft interlayers and steep structural fractures. Its foundation failure mechanism is investigated by means of a numerical method, i.e., Universal Distinct Element Code (UDEC) and the geomechanical model method. The modeling principle and process, and results for the rock dam foundation are introduced and generated by using the abovementioned two methods. The results indicate that the failure mechanism of the foundation rock masses, as characterized by gentle through-going and steep structural discontinuities, is not a conventional type of shear failure mechanism but a buckling one. This type of failure mechanism is verified by analyzing the deformation features resulting from the overloading of both methods and strength reduction of the numerical method.

Optimizing Method of Main Caverns in Large Underground Water-Sealed Storage Caverns

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang An ◽  
E-chuan Yan ◽  
Xing-ming Li ◽  
Shao-ping Huang
Keyword(s):  
Rock Mass ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Distinct Element ◽  
Strength Criterion ◽  
Axial Direction ◽  
Optimization Method ◽  
Underground Water ◽  
Land Resource ◽  
Maximum Displacement ◽  
Distinct Element Code

Abstract As a main method of petroleum strategic reserve in China, underground water-sealed storage cavern owns lots of outstanding advantages, such as low operating costs, high safety, and land resource conservation. Main caverns are important structure in underground project and the layout parameters and excavation scheme will have significant impact on overall project quality. The optimization method of main cavern layout and excavation scheme was put forward by a proposed large-scale underground water-sealed cavern project in China. First, based on field survey results, the Hoek-Brown strength criterion combined with rock mass quality Q classification system was used to estimate the equivalent mechanical parameters of rock mass. Second, the numerical experiments were carried out by relying on 3 Dimensions Distinct Element Code (3DEC). The discontinuous medium model was adopted, and displacements of key points, maximum displacement values and volume of the plastic zone were used as evaluation indicators. Axial direction, buried depth, spacing and excavation scheme of main caverns have been optimized. Results showed that axial direction should adopt NW325°, buried depth of cavern roof should locate at -100m, and distance between adjacent main caverns should be 1.5 times the span (36m). The “jump excavation” mode was recommended in construction. That is, the caverns on both sides should be excavated first, and the middle cavern should be excavated later. This mode could effectively reduce the interaction effect between caverns. This method has the characteristics of easy data acquisition and strong operability. It could be used to guide design and construction of similar projects . As a main method of petroleum strategic reserve in China, underground water-sealed storage cavern owns lots of outstanding advantages, such as low operating costs, high safety, and land resource conservation. Main caverns are important structure in underground project and the layout parameters and excavation scheme will have significant impact on overall project quality. The optimization method of main cavern layout and excavation scheme was put forward by a proposed large-scale underground water-sealed cavern project in China. First, based on field survey results, the Hoek-Brown strength criterion combined with rock mass quality Q classification system was used to estimate the equivalent mechanical parameters of rock mass. Second, the numerical experiments were carried out by relying on 3 Dimensions Distinct Element Code (3DEC). The discontinuous medium model was adopted, and displacements of key points, maximum displacement values and volume of the plastic zone were used as evaluation indicators. Axial direction, buried depth, spacing and excavation scheme of main caverns have been optimized. Results showed that axial direction should adopt NW325°, buried depth of cavern roof should locate at -100m, and distance between adjacent main caverns should be 1.5 times the span (36m). The “jump excavation” mode was recommended in construction. That is, the caverns on both sides should be excavated first, and the middle cavern should be excavated later. This mode could effectively reduce the interaction effect between caverns. This method has the characteristics of easy data acquisition and strong operability. It could be used to guide design and construction of similar projects .

Integrated geophysical and geotechnical monitoring for multiscale rock mass damaging investigation at the Acuto Field-Lab (Italy)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guglielmo Grechi ◽  
Danilo D'Angiò ◽  
Matteo Fiorucci ◽  
Roberto Iannucci ◽  
Luca Lenti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rock Mass ◽  
Monitoring System ◽  
Thermal Stresses ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Jointed Rock ◽  
Failure Behavior ◽  
Rock Masses ◽  
Geotechnical Monitoring ◽  
Strain Monitoring

<p>Rock mass damaging has become a topic of great interest in the engineering-geology research community during the last decades as it can significantly influence slopes stability. In this sense, the study of mechanics and dynamics of jointed rock masses represents a challenge because it will allow to better understand how external continuous and transient stressors can influence the short- to long-term stability controlling their pre-failure behavior. Consequently, the detection of permanent changes in physical and mechanical parameters, due to periodic or transient stressors, is an important target to mitigate the related geological risk as it can potentially lead rock masses to failure, especially when infrastructures and natural or cultural heritages are exposed elements. In this framework, the Acuto field laboratory (Central Italy) has been designed and implemented in 2016 within an abandoned quarry by employing an integrated geotechnical and geophysical monitoring system, with the aim of investigating how natural and anthropic conditioning factors could lead fractured rock masses to failure. The integrated monitoring system, which is installed on a potentially unstable 20-m<sup>3</sup> jointed rock block, is composed of several strain devices (i.e., strain gauges -SG- and jointmeters -JM-), one fully equipped weather station, one rock thermometer, eight high-sensitivity microseismic uniaxial accelerometers and optical and InfraRed Thermal cameras. The acquisition of long-term monitoring time-series, coupling multimethodological approaches, allowed to establish cause-to-effect relationships among different environmental stressors and induced strain effects, highlighting the continuous action of thermal stresses on rock mass deformations both at the daily and seasonal timescales. In fact, while the analysis of thermal and strain monitoring data allowed to characterize the cyclic contraction and relaxation response of major rock fractures and microcracks to temperature fluctuations, the microseismic monitoring array was able to detect during thermal transient (i.e., freezing conditions) the occurrence of microseismic emissions potentially related to the genesis or progressive growth of pre-existing cracks.</p><p>Starting from 2018, experimental activities at the Acuto field lab are supported by the “Dipartimento di Eccellenza” project of the Italian Ministry of Education Universities and Research funds attributed to the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Rome “Sapienza”.  In this framework, the Acuto filed laboratory will undergo a structural upgrade that will be aimed at the investigation of two new sectors of the abandoned quarry. These new sectors will be instrumented with innovative thermal profiles probe, fiber Brag grating sensors and traditional SG and JM for detailed stress-strain monitoring, acoustic emission sensors and high-frequency and low-frequency geophones for ambient seismic noise monitoring and microseismic events detection as well as accelerometers for evaluating the rock mass response in the case of seismic shaking. The main goal of such an improvement will be both technical and methodological, and will shed light on the application of integrated geophysical and geotechnical monitoring approaches in investigating the multiscale rock mass damaging process as well as the detection of rock mass failure precursors by using non-conventional combinations and configurations of geotechnical and broad-band geophysical devices.</p>

scholarly journals Primary Investigation on Equivalent Anchoring Method of Jointed Rock Mass Tunnel and Its Engineering Application

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Min Gao ◽  
Shanpo Jia
Keyword(s):  
Rock Mass ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Engineering Application ◽  
Friction Angle ◽  
Jointed Rock ◽  
Jointed Rock Mass ◽  
Surrounding Rock ◽  
Rock Masses ◽  
Reinforcement Effect ◽  
Rock Bolts

Rock bolts, one of the main support structures of the tunnel, can improve the stress state and mechanical properties of the surrounding rocks. The rock bolts are simulated by bar or beam elements in present numerical calculations for most 2D tunnel models. However, the methods of simulating rock bolt in three-dimensional models are rarely studied. Moreover, there are too many rock bolts in the long-span tunnel, which are hardly applied in the 3D numerical model. Therefore, an equivalent anchoring method for bolted rock masses needs to be further investigated. First, the jointed material model is modified to simulate the anisotropic properties of surrounding rock masses. Then, based on the theoretical analysis of rock bolts in reinforcing mechanical properties of the surrounding rock masses, the equivalent anchoring method of the jointed rock mass tunnel is numerically studied. The equivalent anchoring method is applied to the stability analysis of a diversion tunnel in Western China. From the calculation results, it could be found that the reinforcement effect of rock bolts could be equivalently simulated by increasing the mechanical parameter value of surrounding rocks. For the jointed rock mass tunnel, the cohesion and internal friction angle of the surrounding rocks are improved as 1.7 times and 1.2 times of the initial value, which can simulate the reinforcement effect of rock bolts. Comparing with analytical results, the improved internal friction angle is nearly consistent with analytical result. The reinforcement effect of rock bolts is simulated obviously when the mechanical parameters of surrounding rocks are increased simultaneously. The engineering application shows that the equivalent anchoring method can reasonably simulate the effect of rock bolts, which can provide reference for stability analysis of three-dimensional tunnel simulations.

A New Method to Determining the Strength Parameters of Fractured Rock Mass

2014 ◽  
Vol 898 ◽  
pp. 378-382
Author(s):  
Yun Hua Guo ◽  
Wei Shen Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Rock Mass ◽  
Mechanical Response ◽  
Fractured Rock ◽  
Fracture Network ◽  
Jointed Rock ◽  
Jointed Rock Mass ◽  
Constitutive Relationship ◽  
Hydropower Station ◽  
Rock Masses ◽  
Fractured Rock Mass

A Hydropower Station is located in the middle reach of the Dadu River in southwest China. The natural slope angles are generally 40°~65° and the relative elevation drop is more than 600m. Complex different fractures such as faults, dykes and dense fracture zones due to unloading are developed. Many abutment slopes were formed during construction of the abutments. The stability of these steep and high slopes during construction and operation period plays an important role for the safe construction and operation of the hydropower station. According to the statistical distribution of joints and fractures at the construction site, the slope is divided into a number of engineering geological zones. For each zone, a stochastic fracture network and a numerical model which is close to the real state of the fractured rock mass are established by the Monte-Carlo method. The mechanical response of fractured rock masses with different sizes of numerical models is studied using FLAC3D. The REV characteristic scale is identified for rock masses in the slopes with stochastic fracture network. Numerical simulation is performed to obtain the stress-strain curve, the mechanical parameters and the strength of the jointed rock mass in the zone. A constitutive relationship reflecting the mechanical response of the jointed rock mass in the zone is established. The Comparison between the traditional method and the method in this paper has been made at the end.

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