OnePetro.org

document preview

PublisherInternational Society for Rock MechanicsLanguageEnglish
Document ID 5CONGRESS-1983-237
Content TypeConference Paper
TitleSURFACE AND NEAR-SURFACE EXCAVATIONS
AuthorsR.E.Goodman, University of California
Source5th ISRM Congress, April 10 - 15, 1983 , Melbourne, Australia
Copyright1983. A.A. Balkema, Permission to Distribute - International Society for Rock Mechanics
PreviewSYNOPSIS:

 The papers offered in Theme B demonstrate that the profession of rock mechanics is making use of modern techniques for describing, measuring, and analyzing rock behavior, some of which were presented as new developments in previous Congresses. There is a wide use of an integrated approach to solutions of rock engineering problems, embracing geology, rock testing, structural mechanics, and instrumentation. The importance of statistics to rock mechanics is not apparent from the selection of papers. In the second half of this report, a new development, "Block Theory", is described. It permits 3-dimensional analysis for the orientation and support needs of surface and underground excavations.



RESUME:

 Les thèses qu'on présente dans la thème B montrent que le métier de mécanique des roches emploie des tecniques modernes pour décrire, mesurer, et analyser le comportement des roches. Certaines d'entre ces tecniques ont été presentées comme de nouveaux développements devant les Congrès précédents. Pour résoudre des problèmes d'application on utilise en général une approche intégrée qui combine: la géologie, les essais des roches, la mécanique structurelle, et l'auscultation. II n'est pas évident, en considérant la ceuillaison des thèses, l'importance que porte la statistique pour la mécanique des roches. La deuxième moitié de ce rapport décrit un nouveau développement qui s'appele "Block Theory". Ce theorie permit une analyse en trois dimensions pour l'orientation, et pour les besoins de soutiennement des excavations.



ZUSAMMENFASSUNG:

 Die Arbeiten die zum Thema B gehören beweisen dass Felsmechanik als Beruf moderne Techniken zur Beschreibung, Messung, und des Analyse des Verhaltens von Felsen verwendet; etliche dieser Techniken wurden als Neuentwicklungen in vorhergehenden Tagungen vorgetragen. Viele der Arbeiten behandeln in integrierter weise die Lösungen von Felsbauproblemen, so dass Geologie, Felsexperimentierung, Strukturmechanik und Instrumente umfasst werden. Die Auswahl der Arbeiten widerspiegelt ungenügend die Wichtigkeit einer statistischen Behandlung der Felsmechanik. In der zweiten Halfte dieses Referates wird ein neuer Begrift, namlich "Block Theory" eingeführt. Diese Theorie ermöglicht eine dreidimensionale Analyse der Orientierung und des Ausbau Bedarf von unterdischen und Oberflächen Felsbauwerken.



1. INTRODUCTION

 This report will discuss progress in rock mechanics for surface and near surface excavations and foundations, using the stimulus of papers submitted to the Congress. We know where the profession or rock mechanics has been, and this meeting demonstrates where it has arrived today, (although the adequacy of that statement could be questioned). I will go a step further and refer also to some new developments whose full applications are yet to come. The contributions to theme B, contained in preprint Volume C, were divided into three sub-themes -- Stability of rock slopes, Foundations on and in rock, and Near surface construction. Dam foundations are included in the second sub-topic. The contents of the 46 papers printed under Theme B reflect a variety of viewpoints and concerns. They are rich in ideas, examples, and results ranging over a considerable portion of rock engineering. Consistent with the spirit of the Salzburg Colloquia most of these contributions avoid narrow specialization in sub-sub elements but rather attempt to fuse geology, mechanics, and engineering practice in addressing real issues in what we know to be a complexly organized inter-disciplinary subject. Tables 1,-2, and 3 list keywords for all the papers, to index their contents. These may serve to guide one's immediate browsing path but they were included mainly to chart the breadth of our material.



2. DISCUSSION OF SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS

 Among the papers of Theme B are many sorts of contributions; every paper has some merit and several will be enduring additions to the reference literature.



2.1 Revelations about practice in exotic places are contained in a number of papers. In an international Congress, what is "exotic" to one delegate will be common-place to the next. Nevertheless, I dare to mention the papers by Gaziev et al, Brand et al, and the several papers from China as particularly edifying to me. The second relates the difficulties of urbanization in Hong Kong, with steep slopes in decomposed rock, and shows how the profession has responded. Because problems of decomposed rock are wide-spread, around the whole world, and we have largely neglected their study in our laboratories, this paper is valuable.



2.2 Rock mechanics applied to construction in extreme environmental conditions occupies our fancy for remote projects connected with underground storage of toxic substances, energy storage and Conversion schemes and so forth. Perhaps less hostile but surely troublesome is the environment at the site of a telecommunications station atop an Alpine peak, discussed by Hellerer and Ostermayer. Among the factors contributing to construction difficulty were highly fractured rock, permafrost, wind, and (last but not least) tourists. Novel methods of excavation and support are described.



2.3 Use of geological and rock-mechanics classification systems to subdivide complex rock masses. Zonation of rocks by means of classifications embracing rock properties continues to be a controversial subject.
File Size 6040 KBNumber of Pages13