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Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment

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23-08-2019 | Original Paper

Modification of the rock mass rating system (RMR_mbi) considering three-dimensional rock block size

Authors: Qingfa Chen, Tingchang Yin

Published in: Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment | Issue 2/2020

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Abstract

Traditional measurements of block size (or degree of jointing), such as the rock quality designation (RQD), are questionable due to certain theoretical limitations, including orientation bias and their weakness in considering the joint persistence and three-dimensional shapes of block sizes. This may lead to inaccurate characterizations of rock mass structures and unreliable classification of rock mass qualities. The modified blockiness index (MB_i) is a three-dimensional measurement of block size which was developed to overcome these problems. In this study, correlations between MB_i and several traditional block size measurements were assessed; based on the MB_i, the rock mass rating (RMR) system was modified, and this version was termed RMR_mbi. In the first part of this work, multiple simulated experiments were conducted using the GeneralBlock software program and 3DEC (three-dimensional distinct element code), and a large volume of MB_i, RQD, joint frequency (JF) and volumetric joint count (J_v) values (artificial data sets) were obtained; subsequently, the correlations between MB_i and RQD, JF and J_v were assessed. In the second part, the combined use of RQD and JF in the RMR system was replaced with MB_i, and hence, the RMR_mbi system was developed; based on the artificial data sets, the viability of RMR_mbi was preliminarily supported. At the end of this study, the correlations between MB_i and RQD, JF and J_v were verified based on actual data; the RMR_mbi was applied to real cases, and a comparison between RMR_mbi and RMR was conducted. The results showed that (i) the MB_i can capture the influence of joint persistence; (ii) the RMR_mbi system can overcome the theoretical limitations caused by RQD and JF; and (iii) simulated experiments showed that the RMR_mbi values are more reliable, thus validating the accuracy of RMR_mbi and revealing its great potential for future application.

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Title: Modification of the rock mass rating system (RMRmbi) considering three-dimensional rock block size
Authors: Qingfa Chen
Tingchang Yin
Publication date: 23-08-2019
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment / Issue 2/2020
Print ISSN: 1435-9529
Electronic ISSN: 1435-9537
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-019-01596-x

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