Rock Mechanics I

MinE 311
 Objectives:

„ (a) To understand of the mechanical

behavior of rock materials, rock
fractures and rock masses;
„ (b) To be able to analyze and to
determine mechanical properties of
rocks for mining engineering
applications.
 Schmidt Hammer Rebound Hardness
„ The Schmidt hammer is point perpendicularly and
touch the surface of rock. The hammer is released
and
„ reading on the hammer is taken. The reading gives
directly the Schmidt hammer hardness value. The
standard Schmidt hardness number is taken when
the hammer is point vertically down. If the hammer
is point to horizontal and upward, correction is
needed to add to the number from the hammer.
The correction number is Table below.
„ At least 20 tests should be conducted on any one
rock specimen. It is suggest to omit 2 lowest and 2
highest reading, and to use the remaining reading
for calculating the average hardness value. Report
of results should include descriptions of rock type,
location, size and shape, and orientation of hammer
axis.
Abrasivity are „
measured by tests,
e.g.,
Los Anglos Abrasion
Machine
 Slake Durability Test
„ Select representative rock sample consisting of 10 lumps each of
40-60g, roughly spherical in shape with corners rounded during
preparation. The sample is placed in the test drum of 2 mm
standard mesh cylinder of 100 mm long and 140 mm in diameter
with solid removable lid and fixed base, and is dried to a constant
mass at 105°C. The mass of drum and sample is recorded (Mass A).
The sample and drum is placed in trough which is filled with slaking
fluid, usually tap water at 20°C, to a level 20 mm below the drum
axis, and the drum is rotated at 20 rpm for 10 minutes. The drum
and sample are removed from trough and oven dried to a constant
mass at 105°C without
„ the lid. The mass of the drum and sample is recorded after cooling
(Mass B). The slaking and drying process is repeated and the mass
of the drum and sample is recorded (Mass C). The drum is brushed
clean and its mass is recorded (Mass D).
„ The slake-durability index is taken as the percentage ratio of final
to initial dry sample masses after to cycles,
„ Slake-durability index, Id2 = (C-D)/ (A-D) × 100%
„ The first cycle slake-durability index should be calculated when Id2
is 0-10%,
„ Slake-durability index, Id1 = (B-D)/(A-D) × 100%
Ultrasonic wave velocity
Rock Strength Types
 Geology 229
Engineering and
Environmental Geology

Lecture 5

Engineering Properties of Rocks

(West, Ch. 6)
 Outline of this Lecture

1. Triaxial rock mechanics test

• Mohr circle
• Combination of Coulomb shear failure criterion and
Mohr circle
• Expressing Coulomb criterion by principal stresses

2. Engineering classification of intact rock

3. Engineering tests for strength and durability
Triaxial Compression Test

In a triaxial compression test, the direction of the load is called the

maximum principal direction and the direction of the confining
pressure applied is the minimum principal direction. Attention
should be exercised to the fact that the convention for defining the
principal direction and principal stress may be different from earth
science and physics. In physics, it is usually define the tensile
stress, the extensional deformation as positive, whereas in earth
science it is the opposite. We define compressive stress, and
compressional deformation as positive, simply because the
nominal status in the crust is compressive and compressional
(think about a diver at the depth of 100 m, but the material is not
water but rock now).
In the directions of the principal stresses (σ1, and σ3) there is no shear stress.
Rock mechanic experiments show that the shear stress reaches its maximum
in the direction of about 30 degrees from the maximum principle stress σ1.
Theoretical prediction is 45 degrees from the principle directions.
Mohr’s Circle

Mathematically, it can be shown that the normal stress σ and the

shear stress τ on any plane that has an angle of θ from the
minimum principle stress σ3 direction related to the maximum
and minimum stress in the following equations. These
relationships can also be expressed graphically by the Mohr’s
Circle:

1 1
σ = (σ 1 + σ 3 ) + (σ 1 − σ 3 ) cos 2θ
2 2
1
τ = (σ 1 − σ 3 ) sin 2θ
2
Mohr’s Circle (cont.) center :
1
In a triaxial test, the normal stress and
shear stress on a given plane are the
σ 0 = (σ 1 + σ 3 )
functions of σ1 and σ3 and fall on a circle.
2
radius :
1
r = (σ 1 − σ 3 )
2
Mohr-Coulomb shear failure criterion

The combination of the Coulomb’s criterion on

shear failure and the Mohr’s circle representation of
the relationship between the principal stresses and
the shear and normal stresses on a shear plane.
Now we can examine not the τ−σ pair, but also the
σ1 - σ3 pair to see if their relativity satisfies the
stable/unstable condition.
Mohr-Coulomb shear failure criterion (cont.)
When 2θ = 0.5π - φ, or θ = 0. 25π - 0.5φ, τ = τff , at this point
the circle touches the straight line and this is the point
of failure. Remember: θ is the angle of the shear plane
with respect to the minimum compressive principal
stress, on which the normal and shear stress are
calculated, and φ is the angle of friction on the shear
plane.
When shear failure is occurring, equivalent
to express the failure criterion by the
Coulomb criterion:

τ >= S0 + µσ

We can also find that the principal normal

stresses are related as:

σ1 >= C0 + σ3tan2α
with

C0 = 2S0tanα, and α = π/4+φ/2

Thus, when the circle touches the Coulomb
failure criterion (the straight line) shear
failure occurs. There are three ways for the
circle reach the straight line to reach failure:

1) Increase σ1;
2) Decrease σ3 ;
3) Decrease both σ1 and σ3 at the same amount
(equivalent to increase the pore pressure on
the shear plane that we will discuss later)
Engineering classification of intact rock

There are two ways to classify the intact rock in

terms of 2 parameters:

1) using compressive strength alone (C0)

2) use the ratio of E/ C0
 Engineering classification of intact rock
(cont.)

Using compressive strength alone (C0) we can

classify the rocks in to 5 classes:
A, B, C, D, E

For rocks with very high compressive strength to very

low compressive strength.
Engineering classification of intact rock
(cont.)

Using the ratio of Young’s modulus to the

compressive strength E/ C0 we can classify the
rocks into 3 classes:

H (for high);
M (for mediate);
L (for low).

So by combining the 2 methods we may have rocks

classified as BH, BM, CM, etc.
Engineering Classification of Intact Rock Based on Compressive Strength

Class Level of Strength in Strength in Representative

Strength psi MPa Rocks
A Very high 32,000 220 Quartzite, diabase,
and dense basalt
B High 16,000- 110-220 Most igneous rocks,
32,000 most limestones,
and dolomite, well-
cemented
sandstones and
shales
C Medium 8,000- 55-11 Most shales, porous
16,000 sandstones, and
limestones
D Low 4,000-8,000 27.5-55 Friable sandstones,
porous tuff
E Very low 4,000 25.5 Clay-shale, rock salt
Engineering Classification of Intact Rock Based on E/C0
Level of
Class Strength E/C0
H High 500

M Medium 200-500

L Low 200
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Aggregate are the most frequently used engineering
materials for construction.

What is Aggregate?

An aggregation of sand, gravel, crushed stone slag;

Used in cement concrete, mortar, asphalt pavement,
etc., or used along in railroad ballast.

By surface excavation we can get these materials.

Quarry: - production of bedrocks;

Pit: - production of gravel, sand, or other
unconsolidated materials.
For rock as engineering material we care
about its strength and durability.

For getting the strength test we can use

abrasion test.

For durability test we can use the sulfate

soundness test and freezing and thawing
test.
Abrasion resistance test:

Sample weight 5 kg, specific size gradation

specific number of steel spheres, interior
projecting shelf, 500 revolutions, then use
#12 sieve with d=0.141 mm.

Percent loss = (material finer than #12

sieve) / (original weight)

For highway construction, we need percent

loss less than 35 – 50 %.
For durability test there are two major methods:

1) sulfate soundness:

Soaking the material under test into sulfate solution

and put it into oven for drying to crystal for 5 cycles,
then use the same sieve and get the percent loss;

2) freezing-thawing test:

Freezing and thawing the material for 25 cycles, then

use the same sieve and get the percent loss;

For highway construction material, the maximum loss

for concrete aggregate is 12-15%, and for base course
this number is 15-18%.
For durability Concern, different geographic
regions may have different emphases. For
example, in Florida, the heating-cooling, wetting-
drying are the main processes for material
deterioration; while in our New England, freezing-
thawing, and the chemical reaction caused by road
salt are the major damager for road material.
Readings:

Ch. 6, 7

Homework:

Chapter 6, Problems:

5, 6, 7, 8, 9