Cairo university 3rd year Mining engineering

Faculty of Engineering principles of Rock mechanics (MIN 304)

Assignment 3

1- Calculate the stresses at point located at depth 250 m of a rock which has density 2300 kg/𝑚3
(reasonably assume any missing data).

2- Answer the following:

a- What are the three states of safety factor in rock mechanics point of view?
b- What are the principal stresses and principal planes?
c- Mention the stress tensor that represents the stress state whether on a principal plane or
not.
d- In figure (b), what are the indications of the numbers from 1 to 9?

figure (a)

3- While the site investigation of a new dam, a rock sample was collected. The
homogeneous state of the sample is given by 𝜎𝑥 = 64 Mpa, 𝜎𝑦 = -32 Mpa and 𝜏𝑥𝑦 = 20
Mpa.
• Find analytically and by Mohr-Circle:
✓ The L, m component of stress, when L, m axes are inclined at 30 ﾟ and
120 respectively.
✓ The principle stresses and the inclination of the corresponding planes.
✓ The maximum shear stress and associated directions.
✓ The normal stress at maximum shear stress.
4- What’s meant by these terminologies:
a- Elastic behavior
b- Plastic behavior
c- Ductile deformation
d- Brittle behavior.
e- Hydrostatic stress.
f- Deviatoric stress.

5- For a unit vertical stress in a hydrostatic stress field, what is the tangential stress at the
spring lines and crown of a circular tunnel?
6- In case of a uniaxial stress field, determine the position of the maximum stress
concentration at the boundaries.

7- The following figure shows a tunnel with 10m diameter is to be constructed, it’s required
to:
a. Determine the preliminary stresses around the opening before disturbing the rock
mass (using Poisson’s ratio of 0.25)
b. Neglecting the water table, calculate the stresses at the tunnel boundary at
different orientations (use ϴ= 0, 45, 60, 90) measured counterclockwise from
horizontal) using Kirsch’s elastic solution.
c. Determine the zone of influence of excavation.