Rock Mechanics and Tunneling

Course Outline: Part One Rock Mechanics

• Introduction

• Physical and mechanical properties of rocks

– Stress and strain in rocks

– Strength and deformability of intact rock

– Deformation and Failure criteria

• Discontinuities
– Description of discontinuities

• Intact rock characterization

• Rock mass classification and characterization
 Rock Mechanics and Tunneling

Course content: Part II Tunneling

• Introduction • Excavability

• Site investigation • Tunnel excavation and

support methods in rock
• Influence of geological
• Geological engineering
conditions
during tunnel construction
• Rock mass classifications for
tunneling
• Tunnel support design using
rock mass classifications
 Figure 1.1 Rock cycle
Definition of Rock

• Rock is a hard natural aggregate

of mineral particles connected

by strong cohesive forces, and is

usually considered to form a

continuous system.

• Geological classification is

based on: How geologist and engineers

– mode of formation/origin define rock?
• The communication problem
– proportion of different
between geologists and
minerals forming the rock,
engineers exists also with
– its granular structure and regard to rock definition and
texture classification.
 Engineering classification of Rock

• For engineering use rocks may be broadly

classified as:

• Intact Rock

• Rock Mass
Intact Rock
• Intact rock

– Containing no discontinuities such as

joints and bedding.

– Called Rock material.

• A rock mass

– Containing discontinuity planes. Rock Mass

– The rock blocks within the discontinuity

Figure 1.2 Intact rock and
planes have intact rock properties. rock mass.
Figure 1.3 Components of rocks mass
 Introduction on Intact rock
– The strength and deformability characteristics of intact
rock are controlled by its physical properties:
– Mineral composition
– Density
– Structure and fabric
– Porosity
– Permeability
– Durability and hardness
– These are determined by genesis of the rock and geological
and tectonic conditions and process that have affected it
over time.
 Introduction on Rock mass
– The mechanical behavior is of rock mass is influenced by
geological characteristics.
• Lithology and stratigraphy
• Geological structures
• Tectonic joints

• Digenetic discontinuities
• In situ stress of state

• Hydrogeological and environmental conditions

• Climatic and metrological phenomenon

• They causing weathering processes which modify the original
properties of rocks and rock masses.
 Introduction cont..

Figure 1.4 Geological control of the properties of intact rock and of the
rock mass.
• The mechanical state and behaviour of rock masses
– Are result of a combination of all these factors to a
different extent depending on each situation’
Example
– At and near ground level
• discontinuities and weathering processes play
important role in mechanical state and behavior.
– While at greater depths
• existing state of stress, and the corresponding in situ
stress magnitudes play important role in mechanical
state and behavior.
 What is rock mechanics
Rock Mechanics studies
• Is the theoretical and applied
science of the mechanical behavior
of intact rock and rock masses.
• It deals with the mechanical
properties of rocks and the related
methodologies required for
engineering design. Figure 1.5 Rock mass.
• Blocks of Bunter sandstone
• The response of intact rock and
separated by discontinuities
rock masses to the force fields of
their physical environment.
• Rock mechanics can be divided into two subcategories:
– engineering rock mechanics
– geological rock mechanics.

• Engineering rock mechanics

– is applied in human activities including:
• Civil engineering

• Engineering geology

• Mining

• Petroleum and

• Environmental engineering.

• Geological rock mechanics

– deals with the rock’s response caused by natural geological
processes such as faults, folds or fractures.
 Development of Rock Mechanics

• Tunnel constructed more than

2500 years ago in Greece.
• To bring water to the city of
Pythagoreion on the Greek Island of
Samos.

• In early 1900s the rock is considered as

strong.
• In 1920s there was an area where a there
was a serious problem with the rock.
 Development of Rock Mechanics

• Originated in 1773 when Coulomb included results of tests on rocks

• French engineers started construction of the Panama Canal in 1884

and this task was taken over by the US Army Corps of Engineers in
1908.

• Panama Canal 1910-1964

– 60 slides were recorded in cuts along the canal

– Slides were predominantly controlled by structural discontinuities

• Modern rock mechanics concepts are fully applicable to the

analysis of these failures.
– Importance of structural discontinuities on the engineering
behaviour of rock masses.

– Theory of brittle material failure: failure of rock materials

 • In December 1959
Malpasset concrete
arch dam in France
failed.
• Flood killed about
450 people

Figure 1.6 Remains of the

Malpasset Dam as seen today.
• When reservoir filled, the
• The failure is caused by fault water pressure caused
within the reservoir, which that fault to slip and dam
seemed to be safe when you to fail.

look at the mechanics.

A. In the middle distance, in the center of the
picture, is Mount Toc with the unstable slope B. The town of Longarone, located
visible as a white scar on the mountain side downstream of the Arch Vajont dam, before
above the waterline. Massive slope failure the Mount Toc failure in October 1963
reservoir completely filled with debris.

C. The remains of the town of

Longarone after the flood caused by
the overtopping of the Vajont dam
as a result of the Mount Toc failure.
The water overtop the dam by 100m.
Figure 1.7. Vajont dam
• In 1960 a coal mine at Coal • But these events ,all of them, the dam
brook in South Africa failures, the underground pillar
collapsed with the loss of failures, were a wake up call that we
432 lives who were were really pushing rock to its limits
underground at the time. and we had to do some thing serious.

• This event was responsible for the initiation of an intensive research

programme which resulted in major advances in the methods used for
designing coal pillars.
• The formal development of rock mechanics as an engineering discipline
in its own right dates from this period in the early 1960s.
• In the above figure as you
see core in Sir Lanka on a
dam project.

• Lot of pressure from clients and consultants , the

drilling , logging , mapping and description of
core samples improved enormously .
• Heavily jointed rock masses can be • And this then led to the
treated as homogenous and uniform evolution of a number of rock
in their behavior when they building
mass classifications.
a tunnel or slope .
• To estimate parameters and
• They consider that rock masses
tunnel support and we are
concrete or steal engineering
material. still extensively used today.
 Aim of rock mechanics
• To understand the behavior of rocks.
• To predict how they will behave to the response of internal and
external forcing acting on them.
– any excavation or construction works can change or
modify its original conditions.
– This may be resulted in deformation or fail of rocks.
– At microscopic scales mineral particles are displaced and
this may cause failure planes in response to new state of
stress.
– At rock mass scales, deformations and failure usually occur
along discontinuity plane.
 Aim of rock mechanics

• To understand stresses and strains in a rock material may be

subjected to under certain conditions.

– This helps to assess mechanical behavior for design and

planning of engineering work.

– The relationship between stresses and strain describes the

behaviour of different types of rock and rock mass.

– Mechanical behaviour depends on Materials properties and

the prevailing natural conditions affecting them.

 Application of Rock mass
• Rock is geological medium for surface and underground
engineering and mining projects.
• Rock mechanics is applies in the majority of infrastructure
projects including dams, roads, tunnels, bridges, buildings,
and protection of slopes.
• Rock is the structure :
– excavation of tunnels, adits and slopes.
• Rock is the support for man-made structures
– building or dam foundations
• Rock as building material
– rock fills, rock embankments
• Fields of applications of rock mechanics

(a) Deep excavations:

 Mines (Temporary and permanent),
 Tunnels (Roads, Hydro Electric Power),
 Underground chambers (power stations, storage,
recreational).

(b) Surface/near surface engineering works:

 Dams,
 Slopes,
 Buildings,
 Roads and bridges.

(c) Energy Development:

 Petroleum,
 Geothermal,
 Nuclear (power plants, waste disposal),
 Energy storage caverns.

(d) Military (recent development): 22

 In Rock Tunnels and Mines

Rock Slopes Surface Mining Rock Shafts and Tunnels Gilgle

Gibe

Rock Underground Geothermal Radioactive Waste

Mining Energy Disposal
What is tunnel ?
 On Rock: Foundation for Engineering Structures

Vaiont Dam (Italy)

Millau Viaduct (France)

Toronto CN Tower
(Canada)

Hoover Dam (Colorado, USA)

Tekeze Dam
 Of Rock as a Construction Material

The Coliseum
(Rome, Italy)

St. Isaak’s Cathedral

(St. Petersburg, Russia) Egyptian Pyramids(Egypt)
Monument (USA) Axum Old stone
bridge on
Tis Abay,
Ethiopia

Arch of Triumph (Paris, France) Gondar Fassile

• Construction boom especially Rock Mechanics in Ethiopia
Engineering Geology Related Projects
in Ethiopia
 Road development:
 that pass through highlands, rift
escarpments, and the rift valley.
 Railway development:
 that pass through highlands, rift
escarpments, and the rift valley.
• Construction of several dams with
different sizes, types and purposes:
• for irrigation, hydropower, flood
control, etc.

27
 Rock Mechanics in Ethiopia

Historical use of Rocks in

Ethiopia
a) Lalibela
b) Gondar Fassile Wall
c) Zoz Amba
d) Axsum
e) Debre Damo
 Gonderian rock bridge
Lalibela

Sofomar Caves in Bale Debre Damo Monastry

30
 Rock Mechanics in Ethiopia
 Urban development:
construction of high rise
buildings.
 Mining:
 construction, industrial
and metallic, etc.
 Waste disposal sites:
 siting, design and
construction.
 Water resources
development.
 Link with other sectors:
agriculture, etc
31
Because of Engineering Geological Challenges in Ethiopia

 Slope stability problems: both soil and rock.

 Tunneling challenges: railway, roads, hydropower, etc

 Problems with dams: seepages, slope stability, etc.

 Bridges and crossings: roads, railways, etc.

 Foundation challenges: especially in geodynamically active areas.

 Construction materials: reserve, quality, and environment.

 Geo-hazards: Earthquake characterization

 Earth Fissures/ground subsidence: in rift valley and its

escarpments.

 Soil characterization: for different purposes.

 Foundations for high rise buildings

32
• The country is rocky and
mountainous.
• Mega-projects are under
construction which demand
detail investigations.
• With further development,
the demand for rock
mechanics will increase.
• Hence the need for such
specializations.

33
 Tunneling
• Tunneling is the recognition of the most probable mode of
failure modes for the rock conditions encountered and the
selection of an appropriate excavation sequences and
support methods to maintain the tunnel profiles.