Investigating the Scale Effect of Rock Mass in the Yangfanggou Hydropower Plant with the Discrete Fracture Network Engineering Approach
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 20, Issue 4
Abstract
It is well known that there is a significant difference between the strength of an intact rock sample and that of an in situ rock mass. Studying the scale effect of a rock mass is important for the estimation of the rock mass strength. Discrete fracture network engineering (DFNE) has become a widely used technique in rock mechanics. However, its applications in scale-effect studies remain limited. One of the reasons might include the required cumbersome structural data mapping work. The major advantage of the DFNE application in a scale-effect study would be the capacity to investigate the scale effects of various parameters simultaneously. This paper provided a case study of an investigation of the scale-effect for a fractured rock mass with the DFNE approach. The rock mass of the right-bank slope of the Yangfanggou hydropower plant, China, was taken as the study case. A digital photogrammetry technique was adopted to perform the rock mass structural data mapping. With the collected data, DFNE models were constructed, in which the fractures are considered as circular discs with finite size. The DFNE models were used in the scale-effect study for both the rock mass structural parameters and equivalent mechanical parameters via a discrete-element method (DEM)-based synthetic rock mass (SRM) technique. The comprehensive representative elementary volume (REV) scale and the macromechanical parameters for the rock mass were proposed.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
We acknowledge the reviewers and the editor for their valuable comments and suggestions. This work is financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2016YFC0401803), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 51779253 and 41672319), Major project of the National Basic Research Program of China (no. 51991393), the Key Laboratory for Geo-Mechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology (no. SKLGDUEK1912), CRSRI Open Research Program (program SN: CKWV2016388/KY), and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS.
References
Bahaaddini, M., P. Hagan, R. Mitra, and B. K. Hebblewhite. 2016. “Numerical study of the mechanical behavior of nonpersistent jointed rock masses.” Int. J. Geomech. 16 (1): 04015035. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000510.
Bidgoli, M. N., and L. R. Jing. 2014. “Anisotropy of strength and deformability of fractured rocks.” J. Rock Mech. Geotech. Eng. 6 (2): 156–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2014.01.009.
Butler, R. F. 1992. Chap. 6 in Paleomagnetism: Magnetic domains to geologic Terranes. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Science.
Chen, X., S. Zhang, and C. Cheng. 2018. “Numerical study on effect of joint strength mobilization on behavior of rock masses with large nonpersistent joints under uniaxial compression.” Int. J. Geomech. 18 (11): 04018140. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001260.
Cheng, C., X. Chen, and S. Zhang. 2016. “Multi-peak deformation behavior of jointed rock mass under uniaxial compression: Insight from particle flow modeling.” Eng. Geol. 213 (Nov): 25–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2016.08.010.
Cundall, P. A., M. E. Pierce, and D. M. Ivars. 2008. “Quantifying the size effect of rock mass strength.” In Proc., Southern Hemisphere Int. Rock Mechanics Symp., edited by Y. Potvin, J. Carter, A. Dyskin, and R. Jeffrey. Nedlands, Australia: Australian Centre for Geomechanics.
Dershowitz, W. S. 1984. Rock joint systems. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dershowitz, W. S., and H. H. Herda. 1992. “Interpretation of fracture spacing and intensity.” In Proc., 33rd US Symp. on Rock Mechanics, edited by T. Wawersik, 757–766. Rotterdam, Netherlands: AA Balkema.
Elmo, D., D. Stead, E. Eberhardt, and A. Vyazmensky. 2013. “Applications of finite/discrete element modeling to rock engineering problems.” Int. J. Geomech. 13 (5): 565–580. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000238.
Esmaieli, K., J. Hadjigeorgiou, and M. Grenon. 2010. “Estimating geometrical and mechanical REV based on synthetic rock mass models at Brunswick mine.” Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. 47 (6): 915–926. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2010.05.010.
Goodman, R. E. 1989. Introduction to rock mechanics. 2nd ed. New York: Wiley.
Hammah, R. E., and J. H. Curran. 1998. “Fuzzy cluster algorithm for the automatic identification of joint sets.” Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. 35 (7): 889–905. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-9062(98)00011-4.
He, P. F., P. H. S. W. Kulatilake, D. Q. Liu, and M. C. He. 2017. “Development of new three-dimensional coal mass strength criterion.” Int. J. Geomech. 17 (3): 04016067. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000741.
Hoek, E., P. K. Kaiser, and W. F. Bawden. 1995. Support of underground excavations in hard rock. Rotterdam, Netherlands: Balkema.
Itasca. 2014. 3DEC (3 Dimensional Distinct Element Code) discrete fracture networks in 3DEC (version 5.0). Minneapolis: Itasca.
Ivars, D. M., M. E. Pierce, C. Darcel, J. Reyes-Montes, D. O. Potyondy, R. P. Young, and P. A. Cundall. 2011. “The synthetic rock mass approach for jointed rock mass modeling.” Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. 48 (2): 219–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2010.11.014.
Jiang, Q., G. S. Su, and X. T. Feng. 2019. “Excavation optimization and stability analysis for large underground caverns under high geostress: A case study of the Chinese Laxiwa project.” Rock Mech. Rock Eng. 52 (3): 895–915. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-018-1605-z.
Kim, H. B., M. Cai, P. K. Kaiser, and H. S. Yang. 2007. “Estimation of block sizes for rock masses with nonpersistent joints.” Rock Mech. Rock Eng. 40 (6): 169–192. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-006-0093-8.
Kulatilake, P. H. S. W., and B. B. Panda. 2000. “Effect of block size and joint geometry on jointed rock hydraulics and REV.” J. Eng. Mech. 126 (8): 850–858. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9399(2000)126:8(850).
Kulatilake, P. H. S. W., H. Ucpirti, S. Wang, G. Radberg, and O. Stephansson. 1992. “Use of the distinct element method to perform stress analysis in rock with non-persistent joints and to study the effect of joint geometry parameters on the strength and deformability of rock masses.” Rock Mech. Rock Eng. 25 (4): 253–274. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01041807.
Lu, F., and J. Q. Wang. 2010. “Application of fisher model in rock fracture simulation.” J. China Inst. Water Resour. Hydropower Res. 8 (4): 309–314. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1672-3031.2011.04.013.
Ozelim, L. C. D. M., and A. L. B. Cavalcante. 2018. “Representative elementary volume determination for permeability and porosity using numerical three-dimensional experiments in microtomography data.” Int. J. Geomech. 18 (2): 04017154. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0001060.
Pinto, A., and D. A. Cunha. 1990. Scale effect in rock mass. Rotterdam, Netherlands: A. A. Balkema.
Rajmeny, P. K., U. K. Singh, and S. S. Rathore. 2004. “A new model to estimate rock mass strength accounting for the scale effect.” Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. 41 (6): 1013–1021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2004.03.008.
Sen, Z., and A. Kazi. 1984. “Discontinuity spacing and RQD estimates from finite length scanlines.” Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. Geomech. Abstr. 21 (4): 203–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(84)90797-6.
Wang, X. M., L. Xia, Y. H. Zheng, and Q. Yu. 2013. “Study of representative elementary volume for fractured rock mass based on three-dimensional fracture connectivity.” Supplement, Chin. J. Rock Mech. Eng. 32 (S2): 3297–3303.
Wu, Q., and P. H. S. W. Kulatilake. 2012. “REV and its properties on fracture system and mechanical properties, and an orthotropic constitutive model for a jointed rock mass in a dam site in China.” Comput. Geotech. 43 (Jun): 124–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2012.02.010.
Yangtze River Water Resources Commission. 2000. Standard for classification and flood control of water resources and hydroelectric project. [In Chinese.] Beijing: China Ministry of Water Resources.
Yang, X. X., P. H. S. W. Kulatilake, X. Chen, H. W. Jing, and S. Q. Yang. 2016. “Particle flow modeling of rock blocks with nonpersistent open joints under uniaxial compression.” Int. J. Geomech. 16 (6): 04016020. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000649.
Zhang, W., J. P. Chen, H. E. Chen, D. Z. Xu, and Y. Li. 2013. “Determination of RVE with consideration of the spatial effect.” Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. 61 (Jul): 154–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2013.02.013.
Zhang, W., J. P. Chen, C. Liu, R. Huang, M. Li, and Y. Zhang. 2012. “Determination of geometrical and structural representative volume elements at the Baihetan dam site.” Rock Mech. Rock Eng. 45 (11): 409–419. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-011-0191-0.
Zhang, Y., F. Ren, and X. Zhao. 2016. “Characterization of joint set effect on rock pillars using synthetic rock mass numerical method.” Int. J. Geomech. 17 (3): 06016026. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GM.1943-5622.0000756.
Zhou, H. M., Q. Sheng, and A. Q. Wu. 2001. “Size effect analysis on macro-mechanics parameters for the rock masses of the TGP shiplock slope.” Chin. J. Rock Mech. Eng. 20 (5): 661–664.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 20 • Issue 4 • April 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 23, 2019
Accepted: Jul 17, 2019
Published online: Feb 11, 2020
Published in print: Apr 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Jul 11, 2020
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.