Research J. Engineering and Tech.

7(4): October- December, 2016

ISSN 0976-2973 (Print) www.anvpublication.org

2321-581X (online) www.ijersonline.org

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Development of Statistical Relationship between the Schmidt Hammer

Rebound Number, P-Wave Velocity and Number of Joints in the Rocks
P. K. Palei*, G. R. Tripathy, R. R. Shirke, N. B. Varshikar, V. K. Ghodake, V. Jain
Vibration Technology Division, Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune- 411 024, Maharashtra, India
*Corresponding Author Email: prakash.palei@gmail.com

ABSTRACT:
Non-destructive testing of various types rock samples collected from different locations of India was carried out
in the laboratory. The main objective of the present study was to establish statistical relationship between the P-
wave velocity, Schmidt hammer rebound number and number of joints in the rock samples. Higher P-wave
velocity was observed in Basalt rock samples. The hardness of the rock samples was determined by the Schmidt
hammer rebound number value. Highest rebound number value was obtained for the intact Basalt rock sample.
Linear relationship was observed between the rebound number values and the P-wave velocity. The predicted P-
wave velocity was found to be very close to the observed P-wave values. The P-wave velocity of the rock
samples was found to decrease with the increase in number of joints. The percentage of reduction of the P-wave
velocity was found to be minimum in case of basalt rock sample. It was also observed that sound velocity index
(SVI) value increases with the increasing rebound number value i.e., high strength rocks possess higher SVI
value. The findings of this study will help the researchers to assess the in-situ quality of rock on the basis of
laboratory measurement. The results in this study suggest that knowing the rebound number value and number of
joints in the rock the researchers can predict P-wave velocity i.e., the quality of the rocks. During rock
excavation in construction projects, these findings will be helpful for assessing the requirement of explosives for
rock blasting.

KEYWORDS: Schmidt hammer rebound number, number of Joints, P-wave velocity, Sound Velocity Index.

Received on 19.08.2016
©A&V Publications all right reserved
Research J. Engineering and Tech. 2016; 7(4): 131-137
DOI: 10.5958/2321-581X.2016.00025.8
1. INTRODUCTION:
In the past several years, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV)
technique has been used successfully to evaluate the
quality of concrete and rocks (Qasrawi, 2000; Fener,
2011). This technique has been extensively used to
evaluate the strength and quality of the rocks because of
its non-destructive nature, high precision, low cost and
relatively easy to use. In this technique, transition time
of a traveling ultrasonic wave is measured between two
points with known distance and P-wave velocity is
Accepted on 14.10.2016 calculated. Measurement of P-wave velocity (Vp) has
been proven to be an effective approach to realize the
petro-physical properties of rocks (Young et al., 1985;
Gaviglio, 1989; King et al., 1995, Kahraman, 2002; Del
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 Research J. Engineering and Tech. 7(4): October- December, 2016
Rio, 2006; Kiliç et al., 2008; Sharma et al., 2008;
Khandelwal et al., 2010). Several studies have revealed
that each type of rock can be characterized by a well
defined Vp (Azhari et al., 2013; Boulanouar etal., 2013).
In fact; the P-wave velocity is closely related to the
quality of the rock and is influenced by several
parameters such as density, porosity, grain size, water
content, mineralogy, texture, hardness, compressive
strength, temperature, etc (Kahraman, 2001). In addition
to these, defects and fractures present in the rock also
significantly affects the P-wave velocity. Because of
difficult site conditions, it is not always possible to
obtain in-situ P-wave velocity data. The presence of
discontinuity and defects also makes it difficult to
accurately measure the travel time of the ultrasonic
wave. Several investigators in the past have used
laboratory studies to accurately estimate the in-situ P-
wave velocity for different types of rocks. Kahraman
studied the effect of number of joints (JN) on the P-wave
velocity for three different types of rocks (granite,
marble and travertine) and observed reduction in Vp with
the increase in the JN (Kahraman, 2002; Boulanouar et
al., 2013). Altindag et al developed a statistical
relationship between the P-wave velocity and number of
joints (Altindag et al., 2005). They also found that with
the increase in JN, the P-wave velocity decreases.
In addition to the number of joints, the strength and
hardness of the rock also influence the P-wave velocity
(Vp). Schmidt hammer test method, a very fast and
economical method is used widely for estimating the
strength and hardness of rock materials. It is a non-
destructive testing technique and used to estimate the
strength and the quality of rocks (Aydin, 2009; Cargill et
al., 1990). Kahraman used Schmidt hammer and UPV
test to find the hardness and strength of the rock samples
(Kahraman, 2002). Therefore, in the present work this
method has been employed to evaluate the surface
hardness and strength of four different types of rocks.
Excavation is an essential part for completion of most of
the construction projects. The choice of excavation
method mostly depends on the quality of the earth
material, which is governed by the compressive strength,
P-wave velocity and rebound number value. Generally
mechanical means are deployed for excavation of
material with low P-wave velocity (< 2.1 km/s) and
blasting is used for materials with higher P-wave
velocity (> 2.1 km/s) (Tripathy et al., 1999). The powder
factor, consumption of explosive per cubic meter of
rock, used for estimation of explosive requirement for
excavation is also controlled by the P-wave velocity. Table-1 Name and location of the rocks
Excavation of hard rock requires more amounts of Sl. No.
explosives than that for the soft rocks. On the other hand, 1
2 Quartz
the hardness of rock is directly related to the P-wave 3
velocity. Hence, rock with higher P-wave velocity 4
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requires more amounts of explosives per cubic meter to
break (Tripathy et al., 1999). Therefore, preliminary idea
of the P-wave velocity of rock formations at the
construction site not only helps to decide the
methodology of excavation but also helps to estimate the
requirement of explosive for excavation.
In the present work, the effects of number of joints on
the P-wave velocity for four different types of rocks
(Quartz, Sand stone, Granite and Basalt) have been
investigated in detail. Based on this study, two statistical
relationships between various parameters have been
established; 1) Schmidt hammer rebound number and P-
wave velocity, 2) number of joints and P-wave velocity.
The study will assist the engineers and researchers to
assess the requirement of explosive for rock excavation
in mining and civil engineering projects.
2. LABORATORY STUDY:
The main objective of the present study is to establish a
correlation between Schmidt hammer rebound number
and the P-wave velocity. In addition to this, the effects of
number of joints on P-wave velocity have also been
investigated by artificially introducing joints in rock
samples. For this purpose, four different types of rock
samples were collected from different localities of India.
The locations and rock type of the samples are given in
Table-1. During sample collection, emphasis was given
to collect defect free samples which are free from
fractures and joints. An L-type Schmidt hammer with
impact energy of 0.735 Nm, was used to obtain the
rebound numbers. The Schmidt hammer consists of a
spring loaded piston which is released when the plunger
is pressed against the material surface. During the
measurement the hammer was held vertically downward
so that the plunger will strike at perpendicular to the
surface of the rock sample. The impact of the piston onto
the plunger transfers the energy to the material surface.
The extent to which the energy is recovered depends on
the hardness of the material surface. This is measured by
a sliding pointer which indicates the rebound of the
hammer on a graduated scale. The principle of the test is
based on the absorption of part of the spring-released
energy through plastic deformation of the rock surface,
while the remaining elastic energy causes the actual
rebound of the hammer. All the tests were performed
with the hammer held vertically downwards (900) and at
right angles to the horizontal rock surface. The
measurement was performed as per ISRM standard
(Aydin, 2009). The results of the Schmidt hammer test
are shown in Table-2.
Rock Type Location
Sand Stone Rajasthan
Andhra Pradesh
Granite Telengana
Basalt Maharashtra
 Research J. Engineering and Tech. 7(4): October- December, 2016
Table-2 Average rebound number, P-wave velocity and density of
the defect free rocks
Type of Average Rebound P-wave Velocity Density
rock Number (km/s) (g/cc)
Sand 35 4.05 2.11
Stone
Quartzite 40 4.35 2.32
Granite 46 4.73 2.57
Basalt 55 5.64 2.73
Rock mass samples (20 cm × 5.5 cm) were prepared to
carry out the P-wave velocity and rebound number tests
in the laboratory. The end surfaces of specimens were
polished smooth to have good coupling. It is well known
that the velocity of ultrasonic pulses traveling in a solid
material depends on the density and elastic properties of
the material. Hence, measurement of ultrasonic pulse
velocity can be used to assess the quality as well as
elastic properties of the material. Portable ultrasonic
non-destructive digital indicating tester (PUNDIT) with
the help of two 54 kHz transducers was used for the
measurement of P-wave velocity. Initially, the P-wave
velocities were measured on each specimen free from
any kind of defect and discontinuity. Then, a
discontinuity plane perpendicular to the measuring
direction was created in each sample specimen by
sawing and the P-wave velocity was measured.
Subsequently, a second discontinuity plane was
introduced in the specimen and the P-wave velocity
measurements were repeated. The test procedure was
conducted on the specimens having four discontinuity
planes. Schematic view of a rock sample with four
artificial joints is shown in Fig.1. The gap between the
consecutive discontinuities was ~ 3.5 cm.
Fig. 1 Schematic view of a rock sample with four artificial joints
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:
P-wave velocity and the Schmidt hammer rebound
number (RN) values of different intact rocks are
presented in Table-2. It was observed that a rock with
higher rebound number value shows higher P-wave
velocity. Among the four different rocks, Basalt shows
highest average rebound number value (55) and P-wave
velocity (5.64 km/s) in the absence of discontinuity in
the sample. The highest values of rebound number as
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well as P-wave velocity was observed in case of Basalt
sample, which may be attributed to the higher bulk
density of the sample shown in Table-2. Fig.2 shows the
plot between RN and Vp in different rock samples. It is
observed that the rock with high rebound number value
shows higher P-wave velocity. In order to find the
correlation between RN and Vp regression analysis was
done. The equation of the best fit line and the correlation
coefficient (r) was determined. The P-wave velocities
predicted from the regression equation are shown in the
Fig.3. The comparison between the observed and
predicted P-wave velocity is shown in Fig.3. The
predicted values are found to be very close to the
observed values. Fig. 4(a) shows the variation of P-wave
velocity in different rocks as a function of the number of
joints in the rock. It is evident here that with the increase
in number of joints in the rock sample P-wave velocity
decreases. This may be due to the significant attenuation
of the ultrasonic wave energy in the presence of
discontinuity in the rocks. The percentage of reduction
of the P-wave velocity with the increase in the number of
joints is shown in Fig. 4(b). It can be seen that the
percentage of the reduction of the P-wave velocity of the
Sand stone sample is higher than other rock samples
which may be due to the less density of the sand stone
rocks than other rocks presented here.
Fig. 2 P-wave velocity (Vp) vs Rebound number (RN)
The density of the Basalt rock sample is higher than
other samples therefore the rate of reduction of P-wave
velocity is less. The values of the P-wave velocity with
respect to the number of joints are listed in the Table-3.
The variation between the P-wave velocity and number
of joints is shown in Fig.5 (a-d). Least square regression
method was used to find the correlation between the P-
wave velocity and number of joints. The regression
equation with corresponding correlation coefficient for
four different types of rock is given in Table- 4. These
 Research J. Engineering and Tech. 7(4): October- December, 2016

equations can be used to predict the number of joints Table-4 Regression equation between number of joints and P-wave
knowing the P-wave velocity. In all the cases the velocity of each rock type
Rock Type Regression Equation Coefficient of Relation
correlation coefficient (r) is found to be higher than 0.99. Sand Stone JN= -2.50 Vp +10.21 r= -0.99
However, inverse linear relationship was observed Quartz JN= -2.74 Vp +11.97 r= -0.99
between the P-wave velocity and the number of joints, Granite JN= -3.05 Vp +14.48 r= -0.99
indicating decrease in P-wave velocity with increase in Basalt JN= -3.19 Vp +17.92 r= -0.99
number of joints (JN). The slope of the least square curve
between the P-wave velocity and number of joints (JN) is
defined as the sound velocity index (SVI) and are given
in Table-5 (Kahraman, 2001).

Table-3 P-wave velocity test results along with the number of Table-5 Sound velocity index and density of the rock samples
joints
Rock Type Sound Velocity Index (SVI) (s/km)
Rock Number of P- wave velocity
Sand Stone -2.50
Type Joints (km/s)
Quartz -2.74
0 4.05 Granite -3.05
1 3.70 Basalt -3.19
Sand Stone 2 3.30
3 2.91
4 2.45

0 4.35
1 3.98 Fig.6 shows the plot between the sound velocity index
Quartzite 2 3.74
3 3.21 (SVI) and rebound number (RN). Regression analysis
4 2.93 was used to find the relationship between the SVI and
RN. It is observed that SVI value increases with the
Granite 0 4.73 increasing RN value i.e., high strength rocks possess
1 4.41
2 4.1 higher SVI value.
3 3.78
4 3.41

0 5.64
1 5.34
Basalt 2 4.87
3 4.69
4 4.43

Fig. 3 Predicted Vp (km/s) vs Observed Vp (km/s)

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 Research J. Engineering and Tech. 7(4): October- December, 2016

Fig. 4(a) Variation of P-wave velocity of different rocks with the number of joints; Fig. 4(b) % of reduction of P-wave velocity of
different rocks with the number of joints

Fig. 5 Least square fitting of P-wave velocity (Vp) with number of joints (JN) for (a) sand stone (b) quartzite (c) granite and (d) basalt.

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 Research J. Engineering and Tech. 7(4): October- December, 2016
Fig. 6 Sound Velocity Index Vs Rebound number
4. CONCLUSIONS:
Laboratory studies were carried out to establish
statistical relationship between the P-wave velocity,
Schmidt hammer rebound number and number of joints
in the rock samples. For this purpose, the Schmidt
hammer tests were performed on four different type rock
samples to find out the surface hardness of the rocks.
The P-wave velocity for these rock samples were also
measured using UPV tests. The P-wave velocity for
these intact rock samples are correlated with the Schmidt
hammer rebound number (RN). The influence of
discontinuities on P-wave velocity was investigated by
measuring ultrasonic pulse wave velocity by artificially
introducing discontinuities in the rock samples. Inverse
linear relationship was found between the number of
joints and the P-wave velocities. The slopes of the
regression lines were defined as the sound velocity index
(SVI). It was observed that high strength rocks exhibit
higher values of SVI than the low strength rocks. Linear
relation was also observed between the SVI values and
the rebound numbers as well as P-wave velocity and the
rebound number. The predicted P-wave values are found
to be very close to the observed values. The findings of
this study indicated that the presence of joints
significantly affects the P-wave velocity. The results
obtained in this study will assist the engineers and
researchers to optimize the explosive amount knowing
the quality of the rock formation at the site while
carrying out the controlled blast study for rock
excavation in mining and civil engineering projects.
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5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
Authors are thankful to Dr M. K. Sinha, Director,
Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune for the
encouragement and support to publish the paper. We
also thank Shri M. D. Kudale, Additional Director,
Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune for the
valuable suggestions and guidance during the
preparation of the manuscript.
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