Excavation

design in
blocky
rocks
GROUP 3
 DESIGN
FACTORS
 What are blocky rocks?
• Rock having joints or cleavage spaced and oriented in a manner
such that it readily breaks into loose blocks under excavation
conditions.
• A blocky or block-jointed rock mass presents a more complex
design problem than the cases considered in the stratified rock and
massive elastic rock
What are blocky rocks?
CONDITION ARISING IN
BLOCKY ROCK MASSES
the generation of discrete rock
 ISSUES TO CONSIDER
Estimated rock mass fracture
Possibility and consequences of slip under
excessive shear stress.
Joints have effectively zero tensile strength, a
jointed rock mass is unequivocally a no-tension
medium.
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

BLOCK THEORY
the topological theory used to perform the identification of
potential block failure modes, is primarily due to Goodman and Shi
(1985). The specific objective of Block Theory is to identify so-called
‘key blocks’ or critical blocks which present particular risk to the
stability of an excavation boundary.
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

REMOVABLE ROCKS
While the shapes and locations of key blocks are a fully three-
dimensional problem, the basic principles of block analysis can be
understood from consideration of the two-dimensional problem. In
the next Figure, three different types of blocks which can be
formed around an excavation boundary are shown.
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

REMOVABLE ROCKS
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

REMOVABLE ROCKS
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION
mapping of a sphere to a plane
ADVANTAGE: allows a fully three-dimensional problem be
analysed in two dimensions
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

STEREOGRAPHIC
PROJECTION
(PROCEDURE)
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

JOINT PYRAMID
Convex pyramid intersected by inward half spaces that
faces of blocks stay on
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

JOINT SET 1

Joint pyramid code

notation:
JOINT 0 - located inside

PYRAMID a great circle

1 - located
outside a great
circle
JOINT SET 3 JOINT SET 2
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

EXCAVATION PYRAMID

Two-Dimensional Three-Dimensional
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

EXCAVATION PYRAMID

Plane Horizontal Roof Excavation South-East Vertical Wall Excavation

IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

APPLICATION IN STABILITY
ANALYSIS
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

EXCAVATION ROOF

Conventional Plan View of a rock

mass with joint sets oriented 30°/90°,
60°/45°, and 20°/330°
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

EXCAVATION ROOF

Stereographic projection and the

location of the key blocks
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

EXCAVATION ROOF

Excavation Pyramid: Region inside

the reference circle
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

EXCAVATION ROOF
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

EXCAVATION SIDEWALLS

JP 100 is the only spherical triangle that does not intersect with the
excavation pyramid.
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

EXCAVATION ROOF
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

EXCAVATION ROOF
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

ESTIMATION OF KEY BLOCK

SIZES
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BLOCK FAILURE MODES

UNIT CELL METHOD

(Kuszmaul, 1999)
Used to estimate the probability of key block to form
and the number of expected key blocks
 UNIT CELL METHOD
1.) Key Block Size Fraction of Interest

2.) Probability of Failure

3.) Define C
 UNIT CELL METHOD
4.) Unconditional Probability of Failure

5.) Cumulative Distribution Function

6.) Probability Density Function

 UNIT CELL METHOD
7.) Expected Number of Key Blocks of Size X
 Assumed to only have three
discontinuity sets

The sets are well defined and

widely spaced
LIMITATIONS OF
UNIT CELL Discontinuities should be
METHOD persistent

Characteristics of the rock mass

should remain uniform along the
planned excavation length
III. SYMMETRIC TRIANGLE ROOF PRISM

Determine the potential

for block displacement.
A. Analysis of Crown Stability Problems
A. Analysis of Crown Stability Problems
A. Analysis of Crown Stability Problems
 equation of static equilibrium for the vertical direction

for N > 0, the condition P > 0 can be satisfied only if α < Φ. Thus if α >
Φ, P < 0, and even in the absence of its own weight, the prism
would be displaced from the crown under the influence of the joint
surface forces. For the case α < Φ, the prism is potentially stable, but
stability can only be assured by a more extensive analysis.
 B. RELAXATION METHOD
OF ANALYSIS (Bray, 1977)
Considers the deformation properties of the joints

 INITIAL ASSUMPTIONS
Joint normal and shear stiffnesses are assumed to be
sufficiently high
Rock was assumed to behave as an elastic
continuum
Elastic analysis take account of the weight of the
medium
Magnitude of surface forces acting on the prism can
be estimated
RELAXATION PROCESS (SUMMARY)
Joint stiffnesses are introduced
Displacements caused by block deformation are
examined
Displacement of the body under internal surface
forces and vertical force were analysed
Stability of the prism is then assessed
Free-body Diagram of Crown Prism
This analysis indicates that when
the elastic state of stress has been
determined, the net vertical
external load required to produce a
state of limiting equilibrium can be
estimated, from equation 9.29,
using the known prism geometry
and joint frictional properties.
the wedge is stable in
the absence of any
installed support

stability of the prism can

be assured only by the
application of a positive
support load
It is instructive to
examine the relation
between the limiting
vertical load and the
horizontal force
components on the
prism surfaces.
Emphasise the important role of the horizontal force components
acting on the prism surfaces
Any process which acts to reduce these surface forces, applied by
the adjacent rock, will reduce the limiting vertical load
Uncontrolled blasting practice near the excavation periphery will inject
high-pressure gases directly into the joints, promote vertical
displacement greater than that associated with elastic joint
deformability, and thereby reduce the final horizontal force responsible
for block retention in the crown of the opening.
Sofianos et al. (1999) considered an
opening of radius in a deviatoric
stress field defined by with
the principal stress axes oriented in
the vertical and horizontal directions.
Stability is assessed in terms of the
horizontal confining force and the
pull-out load, the applied downward
load required to bring the wedge to
limiting equilibrium.
In a further development of this analysis, Nomikos et al.
(2002) considered a symmetric roof wedge in an inclined,
deviatoric stress field. Expressions more complex than those
stated define the Factor of Safety against roof failure, and a
reasonable correspondence was shown between the
analytical solution and some solutions using UDEC.
 IV. TETRAHEDRAL BLOCK

A comprehensive relaxation analysis for a non-regular tetrahedral

wedge in the crown of an excavation presents some conceptual
difficulties. These arise from the extra number of degrees of
freedom to be accommodated in the analysis.
Maintenance of statical determinacy during the relaxation process
would require that the wedge be almost isotropically deformable
internally.
A computational method which takes explicit account of the
deformation properties of the rock mass, and particular joints and
joint systems, presents the most opportune basis for a
mechanically appropriate analysis.
 IV. TETRAHEDRAL BLOCK

If the normal traction is determined at a sufficient number of

points on the joint surface, its average value and the area of the
surface can be used to estimate the total normal force N.
In determining the stability of a wedge under surface and
gravitational forces, it is necessary to take account of the
directions of the shear resistance mobilised by the joint normal
forces.
 IV. TETRAHEDRAL BLOCK

It can be reasonably assumed that, in the case where the crown

trihedral angle of the tetrahedron includes the z axis, the
mobilised shear resistance on any face is directed parallel to the
bisector of the face apical angle.
 IV. TETRAHEDRAL BLOCK

The x, y, z components of the shear resistance on any face can

be determined directly from its magnitude and the
components of the appropriate unit vector for the face, defined
by equation 9.34.
 IV. TETRAHEDRAL BLOCK

For particular joint attitudes, the kinematically possible

displacement may be parallel to the dip vector of a plane of
weakness, or parallel to the line of intersection of two planes.
Since, in all cases, the lines of action of the maximum shear
resistances are subparallel to the direction of displacement,
equations 9.35 and 9.36 should be developed by considering the
direction of the feasible displacement as the reference direction.
 STOPE WALL DESIGN

THE MATHEWS STABILITY CHART METHOD

THE MATHEWS STABILITY CHART METHOD

The Mathews stability graph is an empirical model

that predicts the stability of open stope surfaces and
has been extended to predict the onset of continuous
caving.


THE MATHEWS STABILITY CHART METHOD

The design formulation is based on the calculation

and mapping of two factors:
1. The stability number, N, which represents the
capacity of he rock mass to remain stable under
given conditions of rock stress, rock structure and
orientation of rock surfaces.
The stability number is a derivative of Barton’s Q
factor, it is defined by the product
Where:
Q’ is calculated from the results of structural mapping or
geotechnical core logging of the rock mass using the method
proposed for the tunneling quality Q-classification system (Barton
et al., 1974), taking the joint water reduction parameter and the
stress reduction factor as unity.
The rock stress factor, A, is determined from the ratio of the intact
rock strength (the uniaxial compressive strength, σc) to the
induced compressive stress σi, calculated at the center of the stope
wall; A = σc/σi
Where:
The joint orientation adjustment factor, B, is a measure of the
relative difference in dip between the stope surface and the
critical joint set affecting wall stability, and is estimated.
The gravity adjustment factor, C, reflects the effect that the
orientation of the stope surface has on its stability, under the
influence of gravity.


THE MATHEWS STABILITY CHART METHOD

2. The shape factor or hydraulic radius, S, which accounts

for the geometry of the stope excavation surface and is
determined from

S = (Stope wall area)/(Stope wall perimeter)



ZONES OF STABILITY AND INSTABILITY



ZONES OF STABILITY AND INSTABILITY



THE MATHEWS STABILITY CHART METHOD

For any particular design or stability analysis problem,

the application of the Mathews method and its more
recent versions is quite straightforward, involving the
sequential calculation of the various factors and
assessment of the prospective stope wall stability from
the chosen stability chart. Although the approach may
appear rigorous, in practice the user needs to be mindful
of the limitations arising from uncertainties in the
original data set.
The End.
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