ENGINEERING PROPERTIES

OF ROCKS AND SOILS

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
What is ROCK STRENGTH?

STRENGTH is the maximum value of applied

stress that the rock can withstand under a given
set of conditions before failure occurs.

Strength in expressed as a pressure

(force over area – Kg/m2) or MegaPascal - MPa

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Rock behaviour
 ELASTIC STRAIN:
“recoverable” strain –
rock returns to its original
state.

 PLASTIC STRAIN:
“permanent” strain – rock
remains in deformed
state.

 VISCOUS STRAIN:
“permanent” strain, but
strain depends on the
strain-rate.
Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Components of rock strength
 COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH: resistance to
being “crushed”

 SHEAR STRENGTH: resistance of parts of

the rock to “slide” relative to each other

 TENSILE STRENGTH: resistance to being

“pulled apart”

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Compressive strength

Rock strength is commonly quoted as “UCS”

(Unconfined Compressive Strength)
Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Factors influencing rock strength
 TEXTURE: size, shape and arrangement
of the grains or crystals.
 CEMENT: amount and type of cementing
material between the grains.
 PORE WATER: amount of water in pores
 CONFINING PRESSURE: “holds the
rock together”

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Strength of types of rocks
 IGNEOUS: holocrystalline rocks.
strength depends on type and texture of
mineral crystals.

 SEDIMENTARY: cemented grains

strength depends on the cement.

 METAMORPHIC: “changed” and recrystallised

strength depends on texture of crystals.

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Strength of soils

Most SOILS are composed of varying

proportions of unconsolidated grains:

quartz sand
clays (montmorillonite or kaolinite)
minor chlorite or serpentine
organic material

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Strength of soils
 COHESION: Van der Waal’s forces –
electrostatic attraction between particles.

 PLASTICITY: property of permanently

deforming without “breaking”

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Factors influencing strength of soils
 TEXTURE: Grain size and sorting
 PACKING (compaction): influences cohesion
 PORE WATER: sorbed water holds grains by
surface tension
 TYPE OF CLAY: Montmorillonite or Kaolinite.
Montmorillonite increases swelling.

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Water in soils and rocks
 Water in the pore
spaces of the soil

 POROSITY –
percentage of the total
Influence of packing
volume that is pore
spaces. Depends on:
- grain size
- packing

Influence of grain size

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 STRENGTH OF ROCK MASSES
 ROCK MATERIAL is the intact rock
between breaks or discontinuities.

 ROCK MASS is the total in-situ

medium comprising all structural
features in and around the rock
material.

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 What are “discontinuities”?
 Bedding planes
 Foliation
 Joints
 Faults
 Dykes/sills
 Folds
 Shear zones

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Foliations in rock masses

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Rock Mass Characterization
Attempt to “classify” or get some
‘numbers’ regarding the behaviour of
the overall rock mass so they may be
used for design purposes.

ie. Want some ‘numbers’ regarding the stability

of excavations made in the rock mass –
usually expressed as the “stand-up time” of
the excavation.
Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Rock Mass Characterization

Attempt to ‘rate’ the stability of a rock mass:

• Strength of the intact rock material

• The ‘geometry’ of the blocks of intact rock

material between discontinuities.

• The characteristics (shear strength) of the

discontinuities between blocks of intact rock

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Rock mass characterization schemes
 Geomechanics classification – RMR (Bieniawski’s)
 Q-System of the NGI (Barton et al.)
 Mining Rock Mass Rating – MRMR (Laubsher)
 Modified stability number

All systems are trying to put a “number” to the stability of the

excavation - usually by indicating the “stand-up time” for
different spans of excavation (based on previous case histories)

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Rock mass characterization
All rock mass characterization schemes are
measuring the following factors:

• Rock strength
• Frequency of jointing
• Joint strength
• Confining stress
• Presence of water

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 ROCK MASS classification
BIENIAWSKI’S ROCK MASS RATING

 STRENGTH OF INTACT ROCK

 ROCK QUALITY DESIGNATION
 JOINT / DISCONTINUITY SPACING
 CONDITION OF JOINTS
 GROUNDWATER CONDITIONS

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Compressive strength

Rock strength is commonly quoted as “UCS”

(Unconfined Compressive Strength)
Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
Rock Quality Designation - RQD

RQD: sum of the lengths of all pieces of core > 10cm divided by the
total length of the core ‘run’ – expressed as a percentage.

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Spacing of joints

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 “joint” conditions

Joint / fault filling

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Nature of the joint surface

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Groundwater conditions

“seepage” “inrush of water”

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength
 Bieniawski’s rock mass rating

Jac Genis-2007
CEG-rock strength