Damage evolution of rock-encased-backfill structure under stepwise cyclic triaxial loading

Rock-encased-backfill(RB)structures are common in underground mining,for example in the cut-andfill and stoping methods.To understand the effects of cyclic excavation and blasting activities on the damage of these RB structures,a series of triaxial stepwise-increasing-amplitude cyclic loading experiments was conducted with cylindrical RB specimens(rock on outside,backfill on inside)with different volume fractions of rock(VF=0.48,0.61,0.73,and 0.84),confining pressures(0,6,9,and 12 MPa),and cyclic loading rates(200,300,400,and 500 N/s).The damage evolution and meso-crack formation during the cyclic tests were analyzed with results from stress-strain hysteresis loops,acoustic emission events,and post-failure X-ray 3D fracture morphology.The results showed significant differences between cyclic and monotonic loadings of RB specimens,particularly with regard to the generation of shear microcracks,the development of stress memory and strain hardening,and the contact forces and associated friction that develops along the rock-backfill interface.One important finding is that as a function of the number of cycles,the elastic strain increases linearly and the dissipated energy increases exponentially.Also,compared with monotonic loading,the cyclic strain hardening characteristics are more sensitive to rising confining pressures during the initial compaction stage.Another finding is that compared with monotonic loading,more shear microcracks are generated during every reloading stage,but these microcracks tend to be dispersed and lessen the likelihood of large shear fracture formation.The transition from elastic to plastic behavior varies depending on the parameters of each test(confinement,volume fraction,and cyclic rate),and an interesting finding was that the transformation to plastic behavior is significantly lower under the conditions of 0.73 rock volume fraction,400 N/s cyclic loading rate,and 9 MPa confinement.All the findings have important practical implications on the ability of backfill to support underground excavations.

Frost deformation and microstructure evolution of porous rock under uniform and unidirectional freeze-thaw conditions

The frost deterioration and deformation of porous rock are commonly investigated under uniform freeze-thaw(FT)conditions.However,the unidirectional FT condition,which is also prevalent in engineering practice,has received limited attention.Therefore,a comparative study on frost deformation and microstructure evolution of porous rock under both uniform and unidirectional FT conditions was performed.Firstly,frost deformation experiments of rock were conducted under cyclic uniform and unidirectional FT action,respectively.Results illustrate that frost deformation of saturated rock exhibits isotropic characteristics under uniform FT cycles,while it shows anisotropic characteristics under unidirectional FT condition with both the frost heaving strain and residual strain along FT direction much higher than those perpendicular to FT direction.Moreover,the peak value and residual value of cumulative frost strain vary as logarithmic functions with cycle number under both uniform and unidirectional FT conditions.Subsequently,the microstructure evolution of rock suffered cyclic uniform and unidirectional FT action were measured.Under uniform FT cycles,newly generated pores uniformly distribute in rock and pore structure of rock remains isotropic in micro scale,and thus the frost deformation shows isotropic characteristics in macro scale.Under unidirectional FT cycles,micro-cracks or pore belts generate with their orientation nearly perpendicular to the FT direction,and rock structure gradually becomes anisotropic in micro scale,resulting in the anisotropic characteristics of frost deformation in macro scale.

Surrounding rock pressure in the tunnel portal section through moraine under freeze-thaw action

Moraines,characterized by the accumulation of rock and soil debris transported by glacial activity,present unique challenges for tunnel construction,particularly in portal sections,due to prevailing geographical and climatic conditions that facilitate freeze-thaw action.Despite these challenges,there is a dearth of studies investigating the influence of freeze-thaw action and water content on the mechanical properties of moraines,and no research on calculating surrounding rock pressure in moraine tunnels subjected to freeze-thaw conditions.In this study,direct shear tests under freeze-thaw cycles were conducted to examine the effects of freeze-thaw cycles and water content on the mechanical properties of frozen moraine.A comprehensive parameter K,integrating the number of freeze-thaws and water content,was introduced to model cohesion c.Drawing on Terzaghi Theory,we propose an improved algorithm for calculating surrounding rock pressure at the portal section of moraine tunnels.Using a tunnel as a case study,surrounding rock pressure was calculated under various conditions to validate the Improved Algorithm's efficacy.The results show that:(1)Strength loss exhibits a linear trend with the number of freeze-thaw cycles at water content levels of 4%and 8%,while at 12%water content,previous freeze-thaw cycles induce more significant damage to the soil.(2)Moraine saturation peaks between 8%and 12%water content.Following repeated freeze-thaw cycles,moraine shear strength initially increases before decreasing with varying water content.(3)The internal friction angle of moraine experiences slight reductions with prolonged freeze-thaw cycles,but both freeze-thaw cycles and water content significantly influence cohesion.(4)Vertical surrounding rock pressure increases after the initial freeze-thaw cycle,particularly with higher water content,although freeze-thaw cycles have minimal effect on it.(5)Freeze-thaw cycles lead to a substantial increase in lateral surrounding rock pressure,necessitating reinforced support structures at the arch wall,arch waist,and arch foot in engineering projects to mitigate freeze-thaw effects.This study provides a foundation for designing and selecting tunnel support structures in similar geological conditions.

Mechanical behavior and failure mechanisms of rock bolts subjected to static-dynamic loads

This study explores the effects of dynamic and static loading on rock bolt performance a key factor in maintaining the structural safety of coal mine roadways susceptible to coal bursts.Employing a housemade load frame to simulate various failure scenarios,pretension-impact-pull tests on rock bolts were conducted to scrutinize their dynamic responses under varied static load conditions and their failure traits under combined loads.The experimental results denote that with increased impact energy,maximum and average impact loads on rock bolts escalate significantly under pretension,initiating plastic deformation beyond a certain threshold.Despite minor reductions in the yield load due to impactinduced damage,pretension aids in constraining post-impact deformation rate and fluctuation degree of rock bolts.Moreover,impact-induced plastic deformation causes internal microstructure dislocation,fortifying the stiffness of the rock bolt support system.The magnitude of this fortification is directly related to the plastic deformation induced by the impact.These findings provide crucial guidance for designing rock bolt support in coal mine roadway excavation,emphasizing the necessity to consider both static and dynamic loads for improved safety and efficiency.

State-of-the-art on the anchorage performance of rock bolts subjected to shear load

Rock bolts are extensively utilized in underground engineering as a means of offering support and stability to rock masses in tunnels,mines,and other underground structures.In environments of high ground stress,faults or weak zones can frequently arise in rock formations,presenting a significant challenge for engineering and potentially leading to underground engineering collapse.Rock bolts serve as a crucial structural element for the transmission of tensile stress and are capable of withstanding shear loads to prevent sliding of weak zones within rock mass.Therefore,a complete understanding of the behavior of rock bolts subjected to shear loads is essential.This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of the research progress of rock bolts subjected to shear load in three categories:experiment,numerical simulation,and analytical model.The review focuses on the research studies and developments in this area since the 1970s,providing a comprehensive overview of numerous factors that influence the anchorage performance of rock bolts.These factors include the diameter and angle of the rock bolt installation,rock strength,grouting material,bolt material,borehole diameter,rock bolt preload,normal stress,joint surface roughness and joint expansion angle.The paper reviews the improvement of mechanical parameter setting in numerical simulation of rock bolt shear.Furthermore,it delves into the optimization of the analytical model concerning rock bolt shear theory,approached from the perspectives of both Elastic foundation beam theory coupled with Elastoplasticity theory and Structural mechanic methods.The significance of this review lies in its ability to provide insights into the mechanical behavior of rock bolts.The paper also highlights the limitations of current research and guidelines for further research of rock bolts.

Experimental study of the damage characteristics of rocks containing non-penetrating cracks under cyclic loading

The damage evolution process of non-penetrating cracks often causes some unexpected engineering disasters.Gypsum specimens containing non-penetrating crack(s)are used to study the damage evolution and characteristics under cyclic loading.The results show that under cyclic loading,the relationship between the number of non-penetrating crack(s)and the characteristic parameters(cyclic number,peak stress,peak strain,failure stress,and failure strain)of the pre-cracked specimens can be represented by a decreasing linear function.The damage evolution equation is fitted by calibrating the accumulative plastic strain for each cycle,and the damage constitutive equation is proposed by the concept of effective stress.Additionally,non-penetrating cracks are more likely to cause uneven stress distribution,damage accumulation,and local failure of specimen.The local failure can change the stress distribution and relieve the inhibition of non-penetrating crack extension and eventually cause a dramatic destruction of the specimen.Therefore,the evolution process caused by non-penetrating cracks can be regarded as one of the important reasons for inducing rockburst.These results are expected to improve the understanding of the process of spalling formation and rockburst and can be used to analyze the stability of rocks or rock structures.

Energy mechanism of bolt supporting effect to fissured rock under static and dynamic loads in deep coal mines

The stability control of fissured rock is difficult,especially under static and dynamic loads in deep coal mines.In this paper,the dynamic mechanical properties,strain rate evolution and energy dissipation of fissured and anchored rocks were respectively obtained by SHPB tests.It was found that bolt can provide supporting efficiency-improving effect for fissured rock against dynamic disturbance,and this effect increased quadratically with decrease in anchoring angles.Then,the energy dissipation mechanism of anchored rock was obtained by slipping model.Furthermore,bolt energy-absorbing mechanism by instantaneous tensile-shear deformation was expressed based on material mechanics,which was the larger the anchoring angle,the smaller the energy absorption,and the less the contribution to supporting efficiency improvement.On this basis,the functional relationship between energy dissipation of anchored rock and energy absorption of bolt was established.Taking the coal-gangue separation system of Longgu coal mine as an example,the optimal anchoring angle can be determined as 57.5°–67.5°.Field monitoring showed fissured rock with the optimal anchoring angle,can not only effectively control the deformation,but also fully exert the energy-absorbing and efficiency-improving effect of bolt itself.This study provides guidance to the stability control and supporting design for deep engineering under the same or similar conditions.

Mechanical behavior of 2G NPR bolt anchored rock samples under static disturbance loading

The deep mining of coal resources is accompanied by severe environmental challenges and various potential engineering hazards.The implementation of NPR(negative Poisson's ratio)bolts are capable of controlling large deformations in the surrounding rock effectively.This paper focuses on studying the mechanical properties of the NPR bolt under static disturbance load.The deep nonlinear mechanical experimental system was used to study the mechanical behavior of rock samples with different anchored types(unanchored/PR anchored/2G NPR anchored)under static disturbance load.The whole process of rock samples was taken by high-speed camera to obtain the real-time failure characteristics under static disturbance load.At the same time,the acoustic emission signal was collected to obtain the key characteristic parameters of acoustic emission such as acoustic emission count,energy,and frequency.The deformation at the failure of the samples was calculated and analyzed by digital speckle software.The findings indicate that the failure mode of rock is influenced by different types of anchoring.The peak failure strength of 2G NPR bolt anchored rock samples exhibits an increase of 6.5%when compared to the unanchored rock samples.The cumulative count and cumulative energy of acoustic emission exhibit a decrease of 62.16%and 62.90%,respectively.The maximum deformation of bearing capacity exhibits an increase of 59.27%,while the failure time demonstrates a delay of 42.86%.The peak failure strength of the 2G NPR bolt anchored ones under static disturbance load exhibits an increase of 5.94%when compared to the rock anchored by PR(Poisson's ratio)bolt.The cumulative count and cumulative energy of acoustic emission exhibit a decrease of 47.16%and 43.86%,respectively.The maximum deformation of the bearing capacity exhibits an increase of 50.43%,and the failure time demonstrates a delay of 32%.After anchoring by 2G NPR bolt,anchoring support effectively reduces the risk of damage caused by static disturbance load.These results demonstrate that the support effect of 2G NPR bolt materials surpasses that of PR bolt.

Effect of roughness on the shear behavior of rock joints subjected to impact loading

The shear behavior is regarded as the dominant property of rock joints and is dramatically affected by the joint surface roughness.To date,the effect of surface roughness on the shear behavior of rock joints under static or cyclic loading conditions has been extensively studied,but such effect under impact loading conditions keeps unclear.To address this issue,a series of impact shear tests was performed using a novel-designed dynamic experimental system combined with the digital image correlation(DIC)technique.The dynamic shear strength,deformability and failure mode of the jointed specimens with various joint roughness coefficients(JRC)are comprehensively analyzed.Results show that the shear strength and shear displacement characteristics of the rock joint under the impact loading keep consistent with those under static loading conditions.However,the temporal variations of shear stress,slip displacement and normal displacement under the impact loading conditions show obviously different behaviors.An elastic rebound of the slip displacement occurs during the impact shearing and its value increases with increasing joint roughness.Two identifiable stages(i.e.compression and dilation)are observed in the normal displacement curves for the rougher rock joints,whereas the joints with small roughness only manifest normal compression displacement.Besides,as the roughness increases,the maximum compression tends to decrease,while the maximum dilation gradually increases.More-over,the microstructural analysis based on scanning electron microscope(SEM)suggests that the roughness significantly affects the characteristics of the shear fractured zone enclosing the joint surface.

A hardening load transfer function for rock bolts and its calibration using distributed fiber optic sensing

Confinement of rock bolts by the surrounding rock formation has long been recognized as a positive contributor to the pull-out behavior,yet only a few experimental works and analytical models have been reported,most of which are based on the global rock bolt response evaluated in pull-out tests.This paper presents a laboratory experimental setup aiming to capture the rock formation effect,while using distributed fiber optic sensing to quantify the effect of the confinement and the reinforcement pull-out behavior on a more local level.It is shown that the behavior along the sample itself varies,with certain points exhibiting stress drops with crack formation.Some edge effects related to the kinematic freedom of the grout to dilate are also observed.Regardless,it was found that the mid-level response is quite similar to the average response along the sample.The ability to characterize the variation of the response along the sample is one of the many advantages high-resolution fiber optic sensing allows in such investigations.The paper also offers a plasticity-based hardening load transfer function,representing a"slice"of the anchor.The paper describes in detail the development of the model and the calibration/determination of its parameters.The suggested model captures well the coupled behavior in which the pull-out process leads to an increase in the confining stress due to dilative behavior.

Mechanical and acoustic emission characteristics of anhydrite rock under freeze-thaw cycles

To study the damage mechanisms of anhydrite rock under freeze-thaw cycles, the physicalmechanical properties and the microcracking activities of anhydrite rock were investigated through mass variation, nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning electron microscope tests, and uniaxial compression combined with acoustic emission(AE) tests. Results show that with the increase of freeze-thaw processes,the mass, uniaxial compression strength, and elastic modulus of the anhydrite specimens decrease while the porosity and plasticity characteristics increase.For example, after 120 cycles, the uniaxial compression strength and elastic modulus decrease by 46.54% and 60.16%, and the porosity increase by 75%. Combined with the evolution trend of stressstrain curves and the detected events, three stages were labeled to investigate the AE characteristics in freeze-thaw weathered anhydrite rock. It is found that with the increase of freeze-thaw cycles, the proportions of AE counts in stage Ⅰ and stage Ⅱ show a decaying exponential trend. Contrarily, the proportion of AE counts in stage Ⅲ displays an exponential ascending trend. Meanwhile, as the freeze-thaw cycles increase, the low-frequency AE signals increase while the intermediate-frequency AE signals decrease. After 120 cycles, the proportion of low-frequency AE signals increases by 168.95%, and the proportion of intermediate-frequency AE signals reduces by 81.14%. It is concluded that the microtensile cracking events occupy a dominant position during the loading process. With the increase of freeze-thaw cycles, the b value of samples decreases.After 120 cycles, b value decreases by 27.2%, which means that the proportion of cracking events in rocks with small amplitude decreases. Finally, it is proposed that the freeze-thaw damage mechanism of anhydrite is also characterized by the water chemical softening effect.

Testing and modeling of cyclically loaded rock anchors

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration(NPRA) is planning for an upgrade of the E39 highway route at the westcoast of Norway. Fixed links shall replace ferries at seven fjord crossings. Wide spans and large depths at the crossings combined with challenging subsea topography and environmental loads call for an extension of existing practice. A variety of bridge concepts are evaluated in the feasibility study. The structures will experience significant loads from deadweight, traffic and environment. Anchoring of these forces is thus one of the challenges met in the project. Large-size subsea rock anchors are considered a viable alternative. These can be used for anchoring of floating structures but also with the purpose of increasing capacity of fixed structures. This paper presents first a thorough study of factors affecting rock anchor bond capacity. Laboratory testing of rock anchors subjected to cyclic loading is thereafter presented. Finally, the paper presents a model predicting the capacity of a rock anchor segment, in terms of a ribbed bar, subjected to a cyclic load history. The research assumes a failure mode occurring in the interface between the rock anchor and the surrounding grout. The constitutive behavior of the bonding interface is investigated for anchors subjected to cyclic one-way tensile loads. The model utilizes the static bond capacity curve as a basis, defining the ultimate bond sbuand the slip s1 at τ. A limited number of input parameters are required to apply the model. The model defines the bond-slip behavior with the belonging rock anchor capacity depending on the cyclic load level(τcy/τ), the cyclic load ratio(R= τcy/τcy), and the number of load cycles(N). The constitutive model is intended to model short anchor lengths representing an incremental length of a complete rock anchor.

Failure transition of shear-to-dilation band of rock salt under triaxial stresses

Great potential of underground gas/energy storage in salt caverns seems to be a promising solution to support renewable energy.In the underground storage method,the operating cycle unfortunately may reach up to daily or even hourly,which generates complicated pressures on the salt cavern.Furthermore,the mechanical behavior of rock salt may change and present distinct failure characteristics under different stress states,which affects the performance of salt cavern during the time period of full service.To reproduce a similar loading condition on the cavern surrounding rock mass,the cyclic triaxial loading/unloading tests are performed on the rock salt to explore the mechanical transition behavior and failure characteristics under different confinement.Experimental results show that the rock salt samples pre-sent a diffused shear failure band with significant bulges at certain locations in low confining pressure conditions(e.g.5 MPa,10 MPa and 15 MPa),which is closely related to crystal misorientation and grain boundary sliding.Under the elevated confinement(e.g.20 MPa,30 MPa and 40 MPa),the dilation band dominates the failure mechanism,where the large-size halite crystals are crushed to be smaller size and new pores are developing.The failure transition mechanism revealed in the paper provides additional insight into the mechanical performance of salt caverns influenced by complicated stress states.

Probabilistic analysis of tunnel face seismic stability in layered rock masses using Polynomial Chaos Kriging metamodel

Face stability is an essential issue in tunnel design and construction.Layered rock masses are typical and ubiquitous;uncertainties in rock properties always exist.In view of this,a comprehensive method,which combines the Upper bound Limit analysis of Tunnel face stability,the Polynomial Chaos Kriging,the Monte-Carlo Simulation and Analysis of Covariance method(ULT-PCK-MA),is proposed to investigate the seismic stability of tunnel faces.A two-dimensional analytical model of ULT is developed to evaluate the virtual support force based on the upper bound limit analysis.An efficient probabilistic analysis method PCK-MA based on the adaptive Polynomial Chaos Kriging metamodel is then implemented to investigate the parameter uncertainty effects.Ten input parameters,including geological strength indices,uniaxial compressive strengths and constants for three rock formations,and the horizontal seismic coefficients,are treated as random variables.The effects of these parameter uncertainties on the failure probability and sensitivity indices are discussed.In addition,the effects of weak layer position,the middle layer thickness and quality,the tunnel diameter,the parameters correlation,and the seismic loadings are investigated,respectively.The results show that the layer distributions significantly influence the tunnel face probabilistic stability,particularly when the weak rock is present in the bottom layer.The efficiency of the proposed ULT-PCK-MA is validated,which is expected to facilitate the engineering design and construction.

Mechanical and hydraulic properties of fault rocks under multi‑stage cyclic loading and unloading

The rock mass in fault zones is frequently subjected to cyclic loading and unloading during deep resource exploitation and tunnel excavation.Research on the mechanical and hydraulic characteristics of fault rock during the cyclic loading and unloading is of great signifcance for revealing the formation mechanism of water-conducting pathways in fault and preventing water inrush disasters.In this study,the mechanical and seepage tests of fault rock under the multi-stage cyclic loading and unloading of axial compression were carried out by using the fuid–solid coupling triaxial experimental device.The hysteresis loop of the stress–strain curve,peak strain rate,secant Young's modulus,and permeability of fault rock were obtained,and the evolution law of the dissipated energy of fault rock with the cyclic number of load and unloading was discussed.The experimental results show that with an increase in the cyclic number of loading and unloading,several changes occur.The hysteresis loop of the stress–strain curve of the fault rock shifts towards higher levels of strain.Additionally,both the peak strain rate and the secant Young's modulus of the fault rock increase,resulting in an increase in the secant Young's modulus of the fault rock mass.However,the growth rate of the secant Young's modulus gradually slows down with the increase of cyclic number of loading and unloading.The permeability evolution of fault rock under the multi-stage cyclic loading and unloading of axial compression can be divided into three stages:steady increase stage,cyclic decrease stage,and rapid increase stage.Besides,the calculation model of dissipated energy of fault rock considering the efective stress was established.The calculation results show that the relationship between the dissipated energy of fault rock and the cyclic number of loading and unloading conforms to an exponential function.

Mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of soft rock with different water contents under dynamic disturbance

Uniaxial compression tests and cyclic loading acoustic emission tests were conducted on 20%,40%,60%,80%,dry and saturated muddy sandstone by using a creep impact loading system to investigate the mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of soft rocks with different water contents under dynamic disturbance.The mechanical properties and acoustic emission characteristics of muddy sandstones at different water contents were analysed.Results of experimental studies show that water is a key factor in the mechanical properties of rocks,softening them,increasing their porosity,reducing their brittleness and increasing their plasticity.Under uniaxial compression,the macroscopic damage characteristics of the muddy sandstone change from mono-bevel shear damage and‘X’type conjugate bevel shear damage to a roadway bottom-drum type damage as the water content increases.Dynamic perturbation has a strengthening effect on the mechanical properties of samples with 60%and less water content,and a weakening effect on samples with 80%and more water content,but the weakening effect is not obvious.Macroscopic damage characteristics of dry samples remain unchanged,water samples from shear damage and tensile–shear composite damage gradually transformed into cleavage damage,until saturation transformation monoclinic shear damage.The evolution of acoustic emission energy and event number is mainly divided into four stages:loading stage(I),dynamic loading stage(II),yield failure stage(III),and post-peak stage(IV),the acoustic emission characteristics of the stages were different for different water contents.The characteristic value of acoustic emission key point frequency gradually decreases,and the damage degree of the specimen increases,corresponding to low water content—high main frequency—low damage and high water content—low main frequency—high damage.

Fatigue properties and damage constitutive model of salt rock based on CT scanning

To investigate the macroscopic fatigue properties and the mesoscopic pore evolution characteristics of salt rock under cyclic loading,fatigue tests under different upper-limit stresses were carried out on salt rock,and the mesoscopic pore structures of salt rock before and after fatigue tests and under different cycle numbers were measured using CT scanning instrument.Based on the test results,the effects of the cycle number and the upper-limit stress on the evolution of cracks,pore morphology,pore number,pore volume,pore size,plane porosity,and volume porosity of salt rock were analyzed.The failure path of salt rock specimens under cyclic loading was analyzed using the distribution law of plane porosity.The damage variable of salt rock under cyclic loading was defined on basis of the variation of volume porosity with cycle number.In order to describe the fatigue deformation behavior of salt rock under cyclic loading,the nonlinear Burgers damage constitutive model was further established.The results show that the model established can better reflect the whole development process of fatigue deformation of salt rock under cyclic loading.

Development and applications of the quasi‐dynamic triaxial apparatus for deep rocks

The mechanical behaviors of deep rocks have always posed a challenge for the implementation and safe operation of major underground engineering projects.To this end,this study modified the existing mainstream rock mechanics instruments equipped with a dynamic disturbance loading system and developed a second‐generation TFD‐2000/D triaxial instrument.The first‐generation device is equipped with an independent disturbance system and an advanced EDC‐580 all‐digital servo controller,which can apply disturbing load independently,implement the function of cyclic disturbance,and combine dynamic and static disturbances.The instrument was found to be reliable for use in analyzing the damage process of rocks in the disturbance test of marbles.The second‐generation instrument tackles three limitations of the first‐generation instrument:(i)it upgrades the strain measurement system and uses extensometers with linear variable differential transformers to accurately measure deformation;(ii)it uses the self‐balanced chamber to replace the Hoek–Franklin triaxial cell and auto‐balancing triaxial pressure chamber;and(iii)the loading rod is independently equipped with an EDC‐580 all‐digital servo controller,which measures precise loads.The experimental findings confirmed that the second‐generation instrument can be used for rock mechanics testing under cyclic disturbance loading,the disturbance–stress relaxation cycle,and the creep–fatigue cycle.In this sense,the second‐generation instrument can be a useful addition to deep rock mechanical instruments and provide a valuable reference.

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.

Responses of jointed rock masses subjected to impact loading

Impact-induced damage to jointed rock masses has important consequences in various mining and civil engineering applications. This paper reports a numerical investigation to address the responses of jointed rock masses subjected to impact loading. It also focuses on the static and dynamic properties of an intact rock derived from a series of laboratory tests on meta-sandstone samples from a quarry in Nova Scotia, Canada. A distinct element code(PFC2D) was used to generate a bonded particle model(BPM) to simulate both the static and dynamic properties of the intact rock. The calibrated BPM was then used to construct large-scale jointed rock mass samples by incorporating discrete joint networks of multiple joint intensities into the intact rock matrix represented by the BPM. Finally, the impact-induced damage inflicted by a rigid projectile particle on the jointed rock mass samples was determined through the use of the numerical model. The simulation results show that joints play an important role in the impactinduced rock mass damage where higher joint intensity results in more damage to the rock mass. This is mainly attributed to variations of stress wave propagation in jointed rock masses as compared to intact rock devoid of joints.