The Application of a Sonic Probe Extensometer for the Detection of Rock Salt Flow Field in Underground Convergence Monitoring

Special regulations have been laid down to establish the principles and requirements for the safety and serviceability of old mining workings which are adapted for tourism. To comply with these regulations the measurements were taken in the Bochnia Salt Mine, which has been in use for 800 years. The presented work demonstrates the use of a sonic probe extensometer in connection with the obtained results of displacement measurements in intact rocks surrounding the gallery. There were also test measurements carried out for determination of the real accuracy of the instrument. The presented study of deformations detected by electromagnetic extensometer measurements is presumed to be the first time that research has been made in salt mines operating in rock mass affected by tectonic stress. The paper presents the process of rock salt flow into the gallery observed over a period of 3 years. It is an unprecedented depiction of salt deformation subjected to natural stresses. One of the more surprising results presented here is the discovery of the occurrence of a specific distribution of strain around the measured gallery. The results of measurements showed that the southern part of the intact rock mass surrounding the passage is more compressed (strain rate 3.6 mm/m/year) than the northern one (strain rate 1.6 mm/m/year). This illustrates the presence and influence of additional tectonic effects resulting from the Carpathian push. These observations represent a new kind of research into tectonic stress and tectonic activity in underground measurements.

A coupling method for simulating tunnel excavation with block, particle and bar elements

Excavation of tunnel in rock mass refers to complex continuum-discontinuous processes. For capturing the damages of side walls and the supports of bolts/cables, different types of elements shall be used in the same framework. In this work, a novel method is proposed which couples block, particle, and bar elements for simulating the intact rock mass, the broken rock mass, and the supporting system respectively during tunnel excavation. Brittle Mohr-Coulomb fracture constitutive law and tensile fracture constitutive law are introduced for describing the contact behavior between different parts. Penalty springs are adopted for accounting the pre-stresses effects. Moreover, for assuring the proper transitions of forces and displacements between different types of elements, an interpolation coupling approach is presented. Cases considering different tunnel sections and supporting strategies are numerically studied, indicating the reliability of the method.

Model Test Study on Cylindrical Blasting Stress Wave Propagation across Jointed Rock Mass with Different Initial Stresses

In the drilling and blasting excavation of underground rock mass, the stress wave produced by the blasting holes usually propagates in the form of cylindrical wave, while the rock mass surrounding the underground engineering is initially subjected to the in situ stress. To explore the propagation and attenuation law of cylindrical stress wave in the in situ stressed rock mass, a model test of cylindrical blasting stress wave propagation across the intact and jointed rock mass under different initial stresses was carried out. First, the attenuation law of the cylindrical stress wave in the intact rock mass under different confining pressures is analysed, and then the influence of the confining pressure scales, the angle, and the number of joints on the propagation law of the cylindrical blast wave in the jointed rock mass is studied. The experimental results show that the physical attenuation of the cylindrical wave in the intact rock mass decreases and then increases as the confining pressure increases from zero. Under zero confining pressure, the transmission coefficient of the cylindrical wave in the jointed rock mass decreases with the increase of joint angle, and the transmission coefficient increases with the increase of the joint angle under confining pressure. As the confining pressure increases from zero, the transmission coefficient shows a trend of increasing firstly and then decreasing.

The Study of Geomechanical Condition of Unstable Rocks in the Vicinity of Mine Working Junctions

The relevance of research of material strain nature based on physical models equivalent to rocks is substantiated. To identify the dependencies and mechanism of unstable rock strain in the vicinity of mine working junctions, an experimental technique has been developed and presented. The method of physical modeling using equivalent materials was applied in the research. Strength characteristics of the rock equivalent material were calculated using the formulas proposed by G.N. Kuznetsov. The equivalent material was prepared based on two components, sand and paraffin. The mix formulation was selected, and ultimate compressive strength of the equivalent material was determined. The experiment was performed for three options of the physical models: an intact rock mass, a rock mass with a single mine working, and a rock mass with mine working junctions. Testing of the models made of the equivalent material was performed through uniaxial vertical loading using a hydraulic press. Based on the model testing findings, the dynamics of fracture propagation and crushing of the enclosing equivalent material in the vicinity of an artificial cavity, simulating a mine working, has been demonstrated. Besides, the graphs of relative strain versus vertical loading for each stage of the stepwise loading of these three model options were produced. The findings of the strain-stress distribution modeling for the equivalent material around the cavities simulating mine working junctions were analyzed. The strain testing findings for the materials simulating rock behavior are expected to be used as the initial data for analysis of physical and numerical simulation, as well as for developing engineering documentation with regard to the selection of parameters for supporting mine working junctions.

Dissipation of Impact Stress Waves within the Artificial Blasting Damage Zone in the Surrounding Rocks of Deep Roadway

Artificial explosions are commonly used to prevent rockburst in deep roadways. However, the dissipation of the impact stress wave within the artificial blasting damage zone (ABDZ) of the rocks surrounding a deep roadway has not yet been clarified. The surrounding rocks were divided into the elastic zone, blasting damage zone, plastic zone, and anchorage zone in this research. Meanwhile, the ABDZ was divided into the pulverizing area, fractured area, and cracked area from the inside out. Besides, the model of the normal incidence of the impact stress waves in the ABDZ was established; the attenuation coefficient of the amplitude of the impact stress waves was obtained after it passed through the intact rock mass, and ABDZ, to the anchorage zone. In addition, a numerical simulation was used to study the dynamic response of the vertical stress and impact-induced vibration energy in the surrounding rocks. By doing so, the dissipation of the impact stress waves within the ABDZ of the surrounding rocks was revealed. As demonstrated in the field application, the establishment of the ABDZ in the surrounding rocks reduced the effect of the impact-induced vibration energy on the anchorage support system of the roadway.

Mathematical Model of Fan-Head Shear Rupture Mechanism

Today frictional shear resistance along pre-existing ruptures (faults) is considered as the lower limit on rock shear strength for confined conditions. The paper proposes a mathematical model of recently identified shear rupture mechanism which can provide propagation of faults through the highly confined intact rock mass at shear stress levels significantly less than frictional strength of pre-existing faults. The model demonstrates that due to the self-unbalancing structure of the rupture head, representing the core of this mechanism, the failure process caused by the mechanism is always spontaneous and violent. It allows a novel point of view for understanding the nature of spontaneous failure processes including earthquakes.

Research on the Surrounding Rock Damage of Deep Hard Rock Tunnels Caused by Bottom Excavation

The damage features of surrounding rock in the process of bottom excavation in deep hard rock tunnel were investigated, combining with the actual tunnel data of JinpingⅡHydropower Station and using numerical simulation approach. The evolution mechanism of microfractures initiation, growth and expansion in deep intact rock mass was performed. It’s shown that the fractures caused by bottom excavation develop to deeper surrounding rock due to stress adjustment, and the zone that have been supported also has some damage. The research results provide important references to understand the damage features of surrounding rock in deep hard rock under high geostress.

Experimental Study of Mechanical Properties of Rock Mass Containing Intermittent Joints of Prefabricated

Most of the engineering rock masses contain a variety of different levels of geological tectonic joints and weak planes, which can weaken the rock strength. The rock masses containing joints have completely different mechanical properties with the intact ones. Through loading failure tests on the rock masses containing two intermittent joints of prefabricated of different spacing, the differences between jointed rock mass and intact one were studied. The research shows that: 1. Comparing with the intact rock mass, the stress-strain curve of jointed one has a relatively large fluctuation near the peak, it isn’t smooth, and there's a reduction in the stage of plastic flow after yielding; ultimate strength decreases obviously, joint depth has a great impact on strength, and there's no necessary link between ultimate strength of rock mass and joints spacing. 2. When the loading is failure, the elastic and deformation modulus of rock mass decrease obviously comparing with those of the intact rock mass, which tend small generally with the increment of joints spacing, however, they have a relatively complex relation and it isn't linear. 3. The failure characteristics of jointed rock mass are different from those of the intact rock mass, failure planes are relatively complex and no longer single shear or complementary shear ones, which presents that shear failures occur along the end of prefabricated joints with few extensional cracks; the spacing of prefabricated joints have a great impact on the failure pattern of rock mass. The research results can provide certain references for the mechanical parameters selection of jointed rock mass of engineering design and numerical analysis.