Fracture network characterisation of the Balmuccia peridotite using drone-based photogrammetry,implications for active-seismic site survey for scientific drilling

The presence of discontinuities(e.g.faults,fractures,veins,layering)in crystalline rocks can be challenging for seismic interpretations because the wide range of their size,orientation,and intensity,which controls the mechanical properties of the rock and elastic wave propagation,resulting in equally varying seismic responses at different scales.The geometrical characterisation of adjacent outcrop discontinuity networks allows a better understanding of the nature of the subsurface rocks and aids seismic interpretation.In this study,we characterise the discontinuity network of the Balmuccia peridotite(BP)in the IvreaeVerbano Zone(IVZ),northwestern Italy.This geological body is the focus of the Drilling the Ivrea eVerbano zonE(DIVE),an international continental scientific drilling project,and two active seismic surveys,SEismic imaging of the Ivrea ZonE(SEIZE)and high-resolution SEIZE(Hi-SEIZE),which aim to resolve the subsurface structure of the DIVE drilling target through high-resolution seismic imaging.For fracture characterisation,we developed two drone-based digital outcrop models(DOMs)at two different resolutions(10^(-3)-10 m and 10^(-1)-10^(3)m),which allowed us to quantitatively characterise the orientation,size,and intensity of the main rock discontinuities.These properties affect the seismic velocity and consequently the interpretation of the seismic data.We found that(i)the outcropping BP discontinuity network is represented by three more sets of fractures with respect to those reported in the literature;(ii)the discontinuity sizes follow a power-law distribution,indicating similarity across scales,and(iii)discontinuity intensity is not uniformly distributed along the outcrop.Our results help to explain the seismic behaviour of the BP detected by the SEIZE survey,suggesting that the low P-wave velocities observed can be related to the discontinuity network,and provide the basic topological parameters(orientation,density,distribution,and aperture)of the fracture network unique to the BP.These,in turn,can be used for interpretation of the Hi-SEIZE seismic survey and forward modelling of the seismic response.

Machine learning-based classification of rock discontinuity trace:SMOTE oversampling integrated with GBT ensemble learning

This paper presents a hybrid ensemble classifier combined synthetic minority oversampling technique(SMOTE),random search(RS)hyper-parameters optimization algorithm and gradient boosting tree(GBT)to achieve efficient and accurate rock trace identification.A thirteen-dimensional database consisting of basic,vector,and discontinuity features is established from image samples.All data points are classified as either‘‘trace”or‘‘non-trace”to divide the ultimate results into candidate trace samples.It is found that the SMOTE technology can effectively improve classification performance by recommending an optimized imbalance ratio of 1:5 to 1:4.Then,sixteen classifiers generated from four basic machine learning(ML)models are applied for performance comparison.The results reveal that the proposed RS-SMOTE-GBT classifier outperforms the other fifteen hybrid ML algorithms for both trace and nontrace classifications.Finally,discussions on feature importance,generalization ability and classification error are conducted for the proposed classifier.The experimental results indicate that more critical features affecting the trace classification are primarily from the discontinuity features.Besides,cleaning up the sedimentary pumice and reducing the area of fractured rock contribute to improving the overall classification performance.The proposed method provides a new alternative approach for the identification of 3D rock trace.

Ant colony ATTA clustering algorithm of rock mass structural plane in groups

Based on structural surface normal vector spherical distance and the pole stereographic projection Euclidean distance,two distance functions were established.The cluster analysis of structure surface was conducted by the use of ATTA clustering methods based on ant colony piles,and Silhouette index was introduced to evaluate the clustering effect.The clustering analysis of the measured data of Sanshandao Gold Mine shows that ant colony ATTA-based clustering method does better than K-mean clustering analysis.Meanwhile,clustering results of ATTA method based on pole Euclidean distance and ATTA method based on normal vector spherical distance have a great consistence.The clustering results are most close to the pole isopycnic graph.It can efficiently realize grouping of structural plane and determination of the dominant structural surface direction.It is made up for the defects of subjectivity and inaccuracy in icon measurement approach and has great engineering value.

Failure mechanism and coupled static-dynamic loading theory in deep hard rock mining: A review

Rock failure phenomena,such as rockburst,slabbing(or spalling) and zonal disintegration,related to deep underground excavation of hard rocks are frequently reported and pose a great threat to deep mining.Currently,the explanation for these failure phenomena using existing dynamic or static rock mechanics theory is not straightforward.In this study,new theory and testing method for deep underground rock mass under coupled static-dynamic loading are introduced.Two types of coupled loading modes,i.e.'critical static stress + slight disturbance' and 'elastic static stress + impact disturbance',are proposed,and associated test devices are developed.Rockburst phenomena of hard rocks under coupled static-dynamic loading are successfully reproduced in the laboratory,and the rockburst mechanism and related criteria are demonstrated.The results of true triaxial unloading compression tests on granite and red sandstone indicate that the unloading can induce slabbing when the confining pressure exceeds a certain threshold,and the slabbing failure strength is lower than the shear failure strength according to the conventional Mohr-Column criterion.Numerical results indicate that the rock unloading failure response under different in situ stresses and unloading rates can be characterized by an equivalent strain energy density.In addition,we present a new microseismic source location method without premeasuring the sound wave velocity in rock mass,which can efficiently and accurately locate the rock failure in hard rock mines.Also,a new idea for deep hard rock mining using a non-explosive continuous mining method is briefly introduced.

Dynamic evolution of shear rate-dependent behavior of rock discontinuity under shearing condition

Rock blocks sliding along discontinuities can cause serious disasters,such as landslides,earthquakes,or rock bursts.The shear rate-dependent behavior is a typical time-dependent behavior of a rock discontinuity,and it is closely related to the stability of a rock block.To further study the shear rate-dependent behavior of rock discontinuities,shear tests with alternating shear rates(SASRs)were conducted on rock discontinuities with various surface morphologies.The dynamic evolution of the shear rate dependency was studied in detail based on the shear test results,and three stages were identified with respect to the shear stress and shear deformation states.The test results revealed that dynamic changes in shear stiffness and the energy storage abilities of the rock discontinuities occurred in relation to the shear rate-dependent behavior of crack growth,which increased with an increase in normal stress and/or the joint roughness coefficient.The stage of decreasing shear stiffness corresponded to a stage of noticeable shear rate-dependency,and the shear rate was found to have no influence on the initial crack stress.

Numerical Analysis on Displacement Law of Discontinuous Rock Mass in Broken Rock Zone for Deep Roadways

On the basis of the characteristics of broken rock zone, using the program of "discontinuous deformation analysis(DDA)", the changing law of influential factors of discontinuous rock mass in large broken rock zone was researched quantitatively for the first time. Based on the results of computation, the concept of "key part"of roadways and its stability criterion were brought forward, and it was pointed out that in inclined coal and rock seams the"key parts"of roadways are the upper side and the floor of surrounding rocks, especially the former.

Deep learning-based key-block classification framework for discontinuous rock slopes

The key-blocks are the main reason accounting for structural failure in discontinuous rock slopes, and automated identification of these block types is critical for evaluating the stability conditions. This paper presents a classification framework to categorize rock blocks based on the principles of block theory. The deep convolutional neural network(CNN) procedure was utilized to analyze a total of 1240 highresolution images from 130 slope masses at the South Pars Special Zone, Assalouyeh, Southwest Iran.Based on Goodman’s theory, a recognition system has been implemented to classify three types of rock blocks, namely, key blocks, trapped blocks, and stable blocks. The proposed prediction model has been validated with the loss function, root mean square error(RMSE), and mean square error(MSE). As a justification of the model, the support vector machine(SVM), random forest(RF), Gaussian naïve Bayes(GNB), multilayer perceptron(MLP), Bernoulli naïve Bayes(BNB), and decision tree(DT) classifiers have been used to evaluate the accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and confusion matrix. Accuracy and precision of the proposed model are 0.95 and 0.93, respectively, in comparison with SVM(accuracy = 0.85, precision = 0.85), RF(accuracy = 0.71, precision = 0.71), GNB(accuracy = 0.75,precision = 0.65), MLP(accuracy = 0.88, precision = 0.9), BNB(accuracy = 0.75, precision = 0.69), and DT(accuracy = 0.85, precision = 0.76). In addition, the proposed model reduced the loss function to less than 0.3 and the RMSE and MSE to less than 0.2, which demonstrated a low error rate during processing.

Failure strength and fracture characteristics of rock with discontinuity under indirect tension

Large-scale discontinuities can significantly affect the mechanical properties of rock masses.However,the tensile behavior of rock discontinuities is often less investigated.To study the statistical characteristics of failure strength and fracture characteristics of rock discontinuities,Brazilian disc tests were conducted on limestone specimens with a single natural discontinuity at different load-discontinuity angles(β).In this study,β=0°andβ=90°correspond to the discontinuity parallel and perpendicular to loading direction,respectively.The results show that Brazilian failure strength(BFS)can reasonably represent the tensile strength of rock with discontinuities,by comparing the BFS and tensile stress in the disc center at peak force.The two-parameter Weibull distribution can capture the statistical BFS characteristics of rock discontinuities parallel to loading direction(β=0°)and at different loaddiscontinuity angles(β≠0°).All specimens with discontinuity at different load-discontinuity angles show more plastic deformational behaviour than intact rock specimen.With increasingβ,the mean BFS of limestone with discontinuity increases before reaching a plateau atβ=45°.The single plane of weakness theory best explains the BFS of fractured limestone withβ.Only a specific segment of preexisting rock discontinuity could affect the fracture process.Whenβ=0°,interfacial cracks and alternative cracks formed.Whenβ≠0°,mixed failure mode with shear and tensile failure occurred,particularly whenβ=30°andβ=60°.The findings can contribute to better understanding the failure and fracture characteristics of rock with discontinuities,particularly the interaction of pre-existing discontinuities with stress-induced fracturing.

Modeling rock failure using the numerical manifold method followed bythe discontinuous deformation analysis

A complete rock failure process usually involves opening/sliding of preexisting discontinuities as well as frac- turing in intact rock bridges to form persistent failure sur- faces and subsequent motions of the generated rock blocks. The recently developed numerical manifold method （NMM） has potential for modelling such a complete failure process. However, the NMM suffers one limitation, i.e., unexpected material domain area change occurs in rotation modelling. This problem can not be easily solved because the rigid body rotation is not represented explicitly in the NMM. The discontinuous deformation analysis （DDA） is specially de- veloped for modelling discrete block systems. The rotation- induced material area change in the DDA modelling can be avoided conveniently because the rigid body rotation is represented in an explicit form. In this paper, a transition technique is proposed and implemented to convert a NMMmodelling to a DDA modelling so as to simulate a complete rock failure process entirely by means of the two methods, in which the NMM is adopted to model the early fracturing as well as the transition from continua to discontinua, while the DDA is adopted to model the subsequent motion of the generated rock blocks. Such a numerical approach also im- proves the simulation efficiency greatly as compared with a complete NMM modelling approach. The fracturing of a rock slab with pre-existing non-persistent joints located on a slope crest and the induced rockfall process are simulated. The validity of the modelling transition from the NMM to the DDA is verified and the applicability of the proposed nu- merical approach is investigated.

Structural plane recognition from three-dimensional laser scanning points using an improved region-growing algorithm based on the robust randomized Hough transform

The staggered distribution of joints and fissures in space constitutes the weak part of any rock mass.The identification of rock mass structural planes and the extraction of characteristic parameters are the basis of rock-mass integrity evaluation,which is very important for analysis of slope stability.The laser scanning technique can be used to acquire the coordinate information pertaining to each point of the structural plane,but large amount of point cloud data,uneven density distribution,and noise point interference make the identification efficiency and accuracy of different types of structural planes limited by point cloud data analysis technology.A new point cloud identification and segmentation algorithm for rock mass structural surfaces is proposed.Based on the distribution states of the original point cloud in different neighborhoods in space,the point clouds are characterized by multi-dimensional eigenvalues and calculated by the robust randomized Hough transform(RRHT).The normal vector difference and the final eigenvalue are proposed for characteristic distinction,and the identification of rock mass structural surfaces is completed through regional growth,which strengthens the difference expression of point clouds.In addition,nearest Voxel downsampling is also introduced in the RRHT calculation,which further reduces the number of sources of neighborhood noises,thereby improving the accuracy and stability of the calculation.The advantages of the method have been verified by laboratory models.The results showed that the proposed method can better achieve the segmentation and statistics of structural planes with interfaces and sharp boundaries.The method works well in the identification of joints,fissures,and other structural planes on Mangshezhai slope in the Three Gorges Reservoir area,China.It can provide a stable and effective technique for the identification and segmentation of rock mass structural planes,which is beneficial in engineering practice.

Probabilistic prediction on three-dimensional roughness of discontinuity based on two-dimensional traces under rock tunnel excavation based on Bayesian theory

Three-dimensional(3D)roughness of discontinuity affects the quality of the rock mass,but 3D roughness is hard to be measured due to that the discontinuity is invisible in the engineering.Two-dimensional(2D)roughness can be calculated from the visible traces,but it is difficult to obtain enough quantity of the traces to directly derive 3D roughness during the tunnel excavation.In this study,a new method using Bayesian theory is proposed to derive 3D roughness from the low quantity of 2D roughness samples.For more accurately calculating 3D roughness,a new regression formula of 2D roughness is established firstly based on wavelet analysis.The new JRC3D prediction model based on Bayesian theory is then developed,and Markov chain Monte Carlo(MCMC)sampling is adopted to process JRC3D prediction model.The discontinuity sample collected from the literature is used to verify the proposed method.Twenty groups with the sampling size of 2,3,4,and 5 of each group are randomly sampled from JRC2D values of 170 profiles of the discontinuity,respectively.The research results indicate that 100%,90%,85%,and 60%predicting JRC3D of the sample groups corresponding to the sampling size of 5,4,3,and 2 fall into the tolerance interval[JRC_(true)–1,JRC_(true)+1].It is validated that the sampling size of 5 is enough for predicting JRC3D.The sensitivities of sampling results are then analyzed on the influencing factors,which are the correlation function,the prior distribution,and the prior information.The discontinuity across the excavation face at ZK78+67.5 of Daxiagu tunnel is taken as the tunnel engineering application,and the results further verify that the predicting JRC3D with the sampling size of 5 is generally in good agreement with JRC3D true values.

New method to identify optimal discontinuity set number of rock tunnel excavation face orientation based on Fisher mixed evaluation

Discontinuity is critical for strength,deformability,and permeability of rock mass.Set information is one of the essential discontinuity characteristics and is usually accessed by orientation grouping.Traditional methods of identifying optimal discontinuity set numbers are usually achieved by clustering validity indexes,which mainly relies on the aggregation and dispersion of clusters and leads to the inaccuracy and instability of evaluation.This paper proposes a new method of Fisher mixed evaluation(FME)to identify optimal group numbers of rock mass discontinuity orientation.In FME,orientation distribution is regarded as the superposition of Fisher mixed distributions.Optimal grouping results are identified by considering the fitting accuracy of Fisher mixed distributions,the probability monopoly and central location significance of independent Fisher centers.A Halley-Expectation-Maximization(EM)algorithm is derived to achieve an automatic fitting of Fisher mixed distribution.Three real rock discontinuity models combined with three orientation clustering algorithms are adopted for discontinuity grouping.Four clustering validity indexes are used to automatically identify optimal group numbers for comparison.The results show that FME is more accurate and robust than the other clustering validity indexes in optimal discontinuity group number identification for different rock models and orientation clustering algorithms.

Some Challenges of Deep Mining

An increased global supply of minerals is essential to meet the needs and expectations of a rapidly rising world population. This implies extraction from greater depths. Autonomous mining systems, developed through sustained R＆D by equipment suppliers, reduce miner exposure to hostile work environments and increase safety. This places increased focus on ＂ground control＂ and on rock mechanics to define the depth to which minerals may be extracted economically. Although significant efforts have been made since the end of World War II to apply mechanics to mine design, there have been both technological and organizational obstacles. Rock in situ is a more complex engineering material than is typically encountered in most other engineering disciplines. Mining engineering has relied heavily on empirical procedures in design for thousands of years. These are no longer adequate to address the challenges of the 21st century, as mines venture to increasingly greater depths. The development of the synthetic rock mass （SRM） in 2008 provides researchers with the ability to analyze the deformational behavior of rock masses that are anisotropic and discontinuous-attributes that were described as the defining characteristics of in situ rock by Leopold Mfiller, the president and founder of the International Society for Rock Mechanics （ISRM）, in 1966. Recent developments in the numerical modeling of large-scale mining operations （e.g., caving） using the SRM reveal unanticipated deformational behavior of the rock. The application of massive parallelization and cloud computational techniques offers major opportunities： for example, to assess uncertainties in numerical predictions： to establish the mechanics basis for the empirical rules now used in rock engineering and their validity for the prediction of rock mass behavior beyond current experience： and to use the discrete element method （DEM） in the optimization of deep mine design. For the first time, mining-and rock engineering-will have its own mechanics-based Ulaboratory.＂ This promises to be a major tool in future planning for effective mining at depth. The paper concludes with a discussion of an opportunity to demonstrate the application of DEM and SRM procedures as a laboratory, by back-analysis of mining methods used over the 80-year history of the Mount Lvell Copper Mine in Tasmania.

Constitutive Laws of the Underground Opening Collapse due to Dynamic Load

The constitutive laws of the collapse of underground openings in a rock massif were in-vestigated based on the results of laboratory and field experiments, and computations using ana-lytical and numerical models. It is shown that the principal mechanism of failure of underground openings over important for practice peak particle velocity amplitude range of 1 to 10 m/s is the roof and wall breakage due to the fall of key blocks. Over this load range the material crushing is of considerably less importance. The geometry of discontinuities influences mainly the stability of key blocks. Further caving depends weakly on block structure of near-tunnel zone. The mean volume of fall material is a rather stable quantity for rock massifs of different structures. Lower tunnel sta-bility in the zones of high fracturing is caused by a higher probability of the presence of the unsta-ble key blocks and the decrease of strength characteristics of fractured bounding blocks. The de-crease of average block size is a less important accompanying factor.

A new integrated intelligent computing paradigm for predicting joints shear strength

Joints shear strength is a critical parameter during the design and construction of geotechnical engineering structures.The prevailing models mostly adopt the form of empirical functions,employing mathematical regression techniques to represent experimental data.As an alternative approach,this paper proposes a new integrated intelligent computing paradigm that aims to predict joints shear strength.Five metaheuristic optimization algorithms,including the chameleon swarm algorithm(CSA),slime mold algorithm,transient search optimization algorithm,equilibrium optimizer and social network search algorithm,were employed to enhance the performance of the multilayered perception(MLP)model.Efficiency comparisons were conducted between the proposed CSA-MLP model and twelve classical models,employing statistical indicators such as root mean square error(RMSE),correlation coefficient(R2),mean absolute error(MAE),and variance accounted for(VAF)to evaluate the performance of each model.The sensitivity analysis of parameters that impact joints shear strength was conducted.Finally,the feasibility and limitations of this study were discussed.The results revealed that,in comparison to other models,the CSA-MLP model exhibited the most appropriate performance in terms of R2(0.88),RMSE(0.19),MAE(0.15),and VAF(90.32%)values.The result of sensitivity analysis showed that the normal stress and the joint roughness coefficient were the most critical factors influencing joints shear strength.This paper presented an efficacious attempt toward swift prediction of joints shear strength,thus avoiding the need for costly in-site and laboratory tests.

Study on Estimation Method of Rock Mass Discontinuity Shear Strength Based on Three-Dimensional Laser Scanning and Image Technique

The estimation of shear strength of rock mass discontinuity is always a focal, but difficult, problem in the field of geotechnical engineering. Considering the disadvantages and limitation of exist- ing estimation methods, a new approach based on the shadow area percentage （SAP） that can be used to quantify surface roughness is proposed in this article. Firstly, by the help of laser scanning technique, the three-dimensional model of the surface of rock discontinuity was established. Secondly, a light source was simulated, and there would be some shadows produced on the model surface. Thirdly, to obtain the value of SAP of each specimen, the shadow detection technique was introduced for use. Fourthly, compared with the result from direct shear testing and based on statistics, an empirical for- mula was found among SAP, normal stress, and shear strength. Data of Yujian （~ River were used as an example, and the following conclusions have been made. （1） In the case of equal normal stress, the peak shear stress is positively proportional to the SAP. （2） The formula for estimating was derived, and the predictions of peak-shear strength made with this equation well agreed with the experimental re- suits obtained in laboratory tests.

Strength test of 3D printed artificial rock mass with pre-existing fracture

Discontinuities or structural planes are widely distributed in natural rock masses and significantly influence their geo-mechanical and geometric properties.Herein,a batch of rock samples,each with a single structural plane,is created using a 3D printer equipped with two robotic manipulators.One of the manipulators is connected via a nozzle to a concrete pumping truck,which can extrude brittle rock-like material to form layered intact rock masses;the rock-like material is mainly composed of cement,silica fume,sand and water.The other manipulator features a knife,which can carve discontinuities onto each layer of the printed model.By means of this system,rock masses with discontinuous joints are formed,and the failure strengths of rock masses with different joints are demonstrated via uniaxial compression tests and direct shear tests.The results thereof obtained via digital image correlation technology show that discontinuities lower the strength of the rock mass models significantly.With the increase of the angle between the fracture and horizontal plane,the uniaxial compressive strength first decreases,and then increases.During shear testing,the shear strength of the rock mass models increases with the surface roughness of the preset joint.These test results indicate that the influence of artificial joints on the mechanical properties of the models is consistent with that of natural rock mass joints.Using digital modeling and 3D printing technology,cracks hidden in a rock mass can be reproduced.

Latest advances in discontinuous deformation analysis method

Discontinuous deformation analysis （DDA） method, proposed firstly by Shi [1] in 1988, is a novel numerical approach to simulate the discontinuous deformation behaviors of blocky rock structures. In DDA, the domain of interest is represented as an assemblage of discrete blocks and the joints are treated as interfaces between blocks. The governing equations of DDA are derived from Newton’s Second Law of Motion and the Principle of Minimum Potential Energy.