Classification and rating of disintegrated dolomite strata for slope stability analysis

Although disintegrated dolomite,widely distributed across the globe,has conventionally been a focus of research in underground engineering,the issue of slope stability issues in disintegrated dolomite strata is gaining increasing prominence.This is primarily due to their unique properties,including low strength and loose structure.Current methods for evaluating slope stability,such as basic quality(BQ)and slope stability probability classification(SSPC),do not adequately account for the poor integrity and structural fragmentation characteristic of disintegrated dolomite.To address this challenge,an analysis of the applicability of the limit equilibrium method(LEM),BQ,and SSPC methods was conducted on eight disintegrated dolomite slopes located in Baoshan,Southwest China.However,conflicting results were obtained.Therefore,this paper introduces a novel method,SMRDDS,to provide rapid and accurate assessment of disintegrated dolomite slope stability.This method incorporates parameters such as disintegrated grade,joint state,groundwater conditions,and excavation methods.The findings reveal that six slopes exhibit stability,while two are considered partially unstable.Notably,the proposed method demonstrates a closer match with the actual conditions and is more time-efficient compared with the BQ and SSPC methods.However,due to the limited research on disintegrated dolomite slopes,the results of the SMRDDS method tend to be conservative as a safety precaution.In conclusion,the SMRDDS method can quickly evaluate the current situation of disintegrated dolomite slopes in the field.This contributes significantly to disaster risk reduction for disintegrated dolomite slopes.

Standards Ensure Basic Life Quality and Safety

October 14th will be an important day for all of our colleagues engaged in standardization.The theme of the 2008 World Standards Day is'Intelli-gent and sustainable buildings'.The requirements for urban residential developments are rising daily,accompanied by increasing public awareness

Stability evaluation method of large cross-section tunnel considering modification of thickness-span ratio in mechanized operation

Purpose-This study aims to research the large cross-section tunnel stability evaluation method corrected after considering the thickness-span ratio.Design/methodology/approach-First,taking the Liuyuan Tunnel of Huanggang-Huangmei High-Speed Railway as an example and taking deflection of the third principal stress of the surrounding rock at a vault after tunnel excavation as the criterion,the critical buried depth of the large section tunnel was determined.Then,the strength reduction method was employed to calculate the tunnel safety factor under different rock classes and thickness-span ratios,and mathematical statistics was conducted to identify the relationships of the tunnel safety factor with the thickness-span ratio and the basic quality(BQ)index of the rock for different rock classes.Finally,the influences of thickness-span ratio,groundwater,initial stress of rock and structural attitude factors were considered to obtain the corrected BQ,based on which the stability of a large cross-section tunnel with a depth of more than 100 m during mechanized operation was analyzed.This evaluation method was then applied to Liuyuan Tunnel and Cimushan No.2 Tunnel of Chongqing Urban Expressway for verification.Findings-This study shows that under different rock classes,the tunnel safety factor is a strict power function of the thickness-span ratio,while a linear function of the BQ to some extent.It is more suitable to use the corrected BQ as a quantitative index to evaluate tunnel stability according to the actual conditions of the site.Originality/value-The existing industry standards do not consider the influence of buried depth and span in the evaluation of tunnel stability.The stability evaluation method of large section tunnel considering the correction of overburden span ratio proposed in this paper achieves higher accuracy for the stability evaluation of surrounding rock in a full or large-section mechanized excavation of double line high-speed railway tunnels.

A-BQ,a classification system for anisotropic rock mass based on China National Standard

The rock mass in nature is in most cases anisotropic,while the existing classifications are mostly developed with the assumption of isotropic conditions that not always meet the engineering requirements.In this study,an anisotropic system based on China National Standard of BQ,named as A-BQ,is developed to address the classification of anisotropic rock mass incorporating the anisotropy degree as well as the quality of rock mass.Two series of basic rating factors are incorporated including inherent anisotropy and structure anisotropy.The anisotropy degree of rock mass is characterized by the ratio of maximum to minimum quality score and adjusted by the confining stress.The quality score of rock mass is determined by the key factors of anisotropic structure occurrence and the correction factors of stress state and groundwater condition.The quality of rock mass is characterized by a quality score and classified in five grades.The assessment of stability status and probable failure modes are also suggested for tunnel and slope engineering for different quality grades.Finally,two cases of tunnel and slope are presented to illustrate the application of the developed classification system into the rock masses under varied stress state.

Evolution of process capability in a manufacturing process

Before mass production of individual components industries may assess its capability to produce it according to specifications.This capability assessment is a common requirement in the automotive sector.This work shows a case study,providing an in-depth analysis,on a critical component and finds evidence of process degradation over two years of production,quantified through capability analysis.At pre-production,it was concluded that the process was capable and,thus,no statistical process control was done during its production.Over the months no defective units were detected but then its level began to increase and it was apparent that process variability had increased and the process was no longer capable.Process improvement activities were developed using known quality tools and methodologies.This work shows how the control plan initially defined became obsolete and discusses the need to periodically review quality control mechanisms.