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Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering
Published in: Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering 4/2013

01-07-2013 | Original Paper

An Investigation of Discontinuity Roughness Scale Dependency Using High-Resolution Surface Measurements

Authors: Bryan S. A. Tatone, Giovanni Grasselli

Published in: Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering | Issue 4/2013

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Abstract

The influence of roughness on the hydro-mechanical behavior of rock discontinuities has long been recognized. As a result, several definitions and measures of roughness have been developed. According to the ISRM (Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 15(6):319–368, 1978), discontinuity roughness comprises large-scale (waviness) and small-scale (unevenness) components. However, the division between these scales is not clear and most investigations of surface roughness have been restricted to small fracture surfaces (<1 m2). Hence, the large-scale components of roughness are often neglected. Furthermore, these investigations typically define roughness using two-dimensional profiles rather than three-dimensional surfaces, which can lead to biased estimates of roughness. These limitations have led to some contradictory findings regarding roughness scale dependency (scale effects). This paper aims to provide some explanation of these contradictory findings. Through the in situ digitization and analysis of two adjacent large-scale (~2 × 3 m2 and ~2 × 2 m2) migmatitic-gneiss fracture surfaces, the influence of sample size on roughness estimates are investigated. In addition, the influence of measurement resolution on roughness estimates is investigated by digitizing small-scale (100 × 100 mm2) samples from the same fracture with varying resolution. The findings show roughness to increase as a function of the sampling window size, in contrast to what is commonly assumed. That is, the combined waviness and unevenness of a discontinuity relative to its mean plane increases with scale. Compared to the sampling window size, the resolution of surface measurements is shown to have a far greater influence on roughness estimates. This influence of measurement resolution may explain some of the contradictory roughness scale relationships that have been published previously. It is important to note that the observed decrease in shear strength with increasing scale, as observed in many prior studies, is not being questioned; rather, a clarification of the role of roughness in this phenomenon is sought.
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Footnotes
3
Since the results for the left and right rectangular and square windows were found to display similar trends, only the results from the right square sampling windows are plotted herein.
 
4
The ‘average’ values of θ max * /[C + 1] and θ max * /[C + 1]2D are represent mean of the values calculated at each orientation.
 
5
In this particular case, ‘large’ and ‘steep’ refer to steps in the fracture greater than ~50 mm and inclinations steeper than ~75° measured relative to the best-fit plane through the fracture surface.
 
6
The ‘average’ values of R P and Z 2 represent the mean of the individual values calculated for each profile.
 
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Metadata
Title
An Investigation of Discontinuity Roughness Scale Dependency Using High-Resolution Surface Measurements
Authors
Bryan S. A. Tatone
Giovanni Grasselli
Publication date
01-07-2013
Publisher
Springer Vienna
Published in
Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering / Issue 4/2013
Print ISSN: 0723-2632
Electronic ISSN: 1434-453X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-012-0294-2

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