STRENGTH OF

GEOLOGIC MATERIALS &

MASSES

2. ENGINEERING PROPERTIES
OF GEOLOGIC ROCKS

Introduction
Rock’s involved in many civil and engg
projects.

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 Introduction.....(2)
Rock is divided into:
into:

Intact rock,

Rock mass

Intact Rock
An intact specimen may be described by std
geologic terms:

Texture

Mineralogy

grain size
Thus, geologic terminology is:

Informative, but....

Does NOT provide Enggr with
quantitative DESIGN DATA, e.g.;

Intact Rock.....(2)

Some props that define Intact rock props
include Rock type, Mineral composition, Grain
size, Grain interlock, texture, Weathering, Porosity,
primary permeability, Density, Strength, young’s
modulus, Poisson's ratio, …etc.
etc.

Physical props of value to enggr – strength,

permeability, elastic modulus – are ALL a
function of geologic props of rocks
rocks..

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 Intact Rock strength

Its fundamental & quantitative engg prop.

Defined as amount of applied stress @ rock

failure/rupture.
Applied stress may be:

Compressive → Compressive Strength

Tensile → Tensile Strength

Shear → Shear Strength

Intact Rock strength

Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) of intact rock:

most commonly measured & used strength

usuallyobtained by testing cylindrical rock
specimen.

dependent upon:

rate of loading

core size, and length-to-diameter ratios

(ratio range of 2.5-3 & core diameter no less

than NX size (approx. 54 mm).

Deformation of Intact Rock

When load is applied to intact rock sample,
STRAINS are produced.

Summation of these strains over stressed
length is the DEFORMATION, which:

Normally leads to change in SHAPE and/or VOLM

Generates Data used to calculate ELASTIC

MODULI;

Modulus of Elasticity or Young’s Modulus (E)

Poisson’s ratio (ν)

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 Types of Deformation
1) Elastic – where:

when load is removed, deformn instantly &

completely disappears.

Relationship between STRESS & STRAIN
is more or less linear
2) Plastic – where:

STRAIN resulting from STRESS is NON-

UNIFORM.

Elastic Deformation

Shown by stress-strain σ
relationship
∆L

Represented by linear portion
of curve for material testing
Example: L

Cylinder of length L is loaded by a

stress, σ. Shortening in length, ∆L
gives the strain:
ε = ∆L / L
If, when stress is removed, deformation instantly
disappears, material is said to be ELASTIC.

Elastic Deformation
Deformation.....(2)
1. Modulus of Elasticity (E) is determined by:
E = Stress / Strain = σ/εε
E = Modulus of elasticity or Young’s modulus (kN m-2)
σ = axial compressive stress (Uniaxial tests), or
deviator stress (σ1-σ3) for triaxial tests (kN m-2)
ε = Axial Strain (expressed in mm/mm)

Value for E may be obtained from stress-strain diag.

Eav is obtained from best fit to linear or elastic part of
curve.

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 Elastic Deformation
Deformation.....(3)
Plot of unconfined compressive test stress-strain data
Axial Strain (%) 1 1.3 1.6 1.9 2.5 3.2 4.7 5.8 7.4 7.8 8.3 8.5
Compressive stress (kN m-2) 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
Axial Compressive Stress – kN m-2

∆σ
Eav = ∆σ / ∆ε
∆ε
Axial Strain - %

Elastic Deformation
Deformation.....(4)
2. Poisson’s Ratio (ν) σ

Useful engg prop → ∆L
measure of change in
diameter with change in
length under axial
compressional stress.
stress. L

Is a unitunit--less modulus
obtained from following
equation::
equation
ν = unit change in diameter ∆D/2 ∆D/2
unit change in length
⇒ ν = ∆D/∆
∆L And has Max value of ν is 0.5

Elastic Deformation
Deformation.....(5)
Rocks exhibit ELASTIC behaviour, some ELASTIC –
PLASTIC others PLASTIC – ELASTIC behaviour

Elastic Elastic-Plastic Plastic-Elastic-Plastic

ε
This behaviour forms basis for rockmass classifications

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Rock Masses
Engg use of rock – as foundation materials, in
excavations & tunnels, or in maintaining slopes –
involves ROCK MASSES, in which presence of
DISCONTINUITIES often has greater influence on
engg character than physical props of intact rock.

Rock Masses.....(2)
⇒Design on/in rock MUST be based on:

Intact rock props, &

Those of the heterogeneous & anisotropic
rockmass..
rockmass
Strength & deformability of rock → dependent
on:

strength/deformability of rock mass.
⇒ Props of intact sample → not the only design
criteria.

Rock Masses.....(3)
Most universally occurring anisotropic
character of rocks is the presence of
DISCONTINUITIES – bedding surfaces, joints,
faults, well-developed metamorphic foliation.
⇒Resulting rockmass is:

An aggregation of blocks with significantly
different physical props from intact rock
samples...

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Rock Masses.....(4)
⇒Presence of discontinuities in rock mass →
primary controlling factor of mass strength &
deformability.
Comparison of Mohr strength envelopes of
intact cores and natural open-joint shear
strength......

Rock Masses.....(5)
.....Mohr
..... Mohr strength envelopes of intact cores.....
cores.....
τ (kN m-2)

σ (kN m-2)

Rock Masses.....(6)

⇒Evaluation of engg props of rock mass

includes:

Knowledge of intact rock props

Occurrence & nature of discontinuities

Extent of weathering

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Discontinuities in Rock Masses
Recap:

Almost all rocks ramified by discontinuities

of some kind.

These discontinuities are of utmost
importance to all engg works on rock.
⇒ shear strength of discontinuous rockmass
is of primary importance.

Characteristics of Discontinuities
Influence of discontinuities on strength &
deformability of rockmasses arising from engg
construction on/within them is affected by their:

Orientation

Spacing

Continuity

Surface characteristics (roughness, weathering / alteration)

Thickness & nature of filling material (if present)

Presence of water

Orientation

Importance of discontinuities in any project
depends partly on their orientation relative
to directions of imposed stresses.
stresses.
Example 1:

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Orientation.....(2)
Example 2:

Stable scenario

Spacing of Discontinuities

Affects overall rock mass strength and/or
quality..
quality

Even strongest intact rock is reduced to
one of little strength, when closely
spaced joints are encountered.
encountered.
⇒ When discontinuity-spacing is large,
behaviour of rockmass will be strongly
influenced by intact rock props.

Spacing of Discontinuities.....(2)
Spacing btwn discontinuities must be measured....

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Discontinuity Surface Characteristics

Factors involved in consideration of surface

characteristics of discontinuities:

1. Roughness / waviness

2. Physical props of material filing space

Discontinuity Surface Characteristics.....(2)

1. Roughness

results in variations in orientation / attitude
along given discontinuity.
discontinuity.

provides friction btwn two adjacent blocks
blocks..

Discontinuity Surface Characteristics.....(3)

Shear strength of discontinuities – expressed in
terms of c & ϕ. Roughness has important influence
on discontinuity strength, which varies depending on
scale
cale of roughness relative to discontinuity plane.

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Weathering of Rockmass
Weathered state of rock has significant
influence on engg props of rock mass
mass::

Physical weathering results in changes in
SIZE & No. of DISCONTINUITIES in
rockmass.

Chemical weathering of rock mass is
enhanced by movement of grdwater thru
network of discontinuities.

Weathering of Rockmass.....(2)
Control of water movement thru discontinuities
may result in localised & often deeply
penetrating zones of weathering.

Summary

Geologic factors – mineralogy, texture, grain
size, and cementing material – significantly
affect intact rock strength
strength..

Rocks with interlocking textures are typically
stronger than those with clastic textures
textures..

Chemical weathering alters engg props of all
rocks..
rocks

Strength & deformation props are primary
factors in utilisation of both INTACT ROCK &
ROCKMASSES in engg projects
projects..

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Summary.....(2)

Geologic factors – mineralogy, texture, grain
size, cementing material – significantly affect
intact rock strength & deformability.

Chemical weathering alters engg props of all
rocks, thereby weakening rocks.

Strength & deformability of rock masses and
susceptibility to chemical weathering are
controlled by presence of discontinuities.

Summary.....(3)

Presence of intersecting discontinuity-sets
greatly reduces rock mass strength
compared to that of intact rock.

Characteristics of discontinuities →
orientation, frequency of occurrence,
continuity and surface characteristics – have
an important role in way rockmass deform.

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