Enhanced Hoek-Brown(H-B)criterion for rocks exposed to chemical corrosion

Underground constructions often encounter water environments,where water–rock interaction can increase porosity,thereby weakening engineering rocks.Correspondingly,the failure criterion for chemically corroded rocks becomes essential in the stability analysis and design of such structures.This study enhances the applicability of the Hoek-Brown(H-B)criterion for engineering structures operating in chemically corrosive conditions by introducing a kinetic porosity-dependent instantaneous mi(KPIM).A multiscale experimental investigation,including nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR),X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),pH and ion chromatography analysis,and triaxial compression tests,is employed to quantify pore structural changes and their linkage with the strength responses of limestone under coupled chemical-mechanical(C-M)conditions.By employing ion chromatography and NMR analysis,along with incorporating the principles of free-face dissolution theory accounting for both congruent and incongruent dissolution,a kinetic chemical corrosion model is developed.This model aims to calculate the kinetic porosity alterations within rocks exposed to varying H+concentrations and durations.Subsequently,utilizing the generalized mixture rule(GMR),the kinetic porositydependent mi is formulated.Evaluation of the KPIM-enhanced H-B criterion using compression test data from 5 types of rocks demonstrated a high level of consistency between the criterion and the experimental results,with a coefficient of determination greater than 0.96,a mean absolute percentage error less than 4.84%,and a root-mean-square deviation less than 5.95 MPa.Finally,the physical significance of the porosity-dependent instantaneous mi is clarified:it serves as an indicator of a rock’s capacity to leverage the confining pressure effect.

Three-dimensional limit variation analysis on the ultimate pullout capacity of the anchor cables based on the Hoek-Brown failure criterion

Only simplified two-dimensional model and a single failure mode are adopted to calculate the ultimate pullout capacity(UPC)of anchor cables in most previous research.This study focuses on a more comprehensive combination failure mode that consists of bond failure of an anchorage body and failure of an anchored rock mass.The three-dimensional ultimate pullout capacity of the anchor cables is calculated based on the Hoek-Brown failure criterion and variation analysis method.The numerical solution for the curvilinear function in fracture plane is obtained based on the finite difference theory,which more accurately reflects the failure state of the anchor cable,as opposed to that being assumed in advance.The results reveal that relying solely on a single failure mode for UPC calculations has limitations,as changes in parameter values not only directly impact the UPC value but also can alter the failure model and thus the calculation method.

Two-dimensional face stability analysis in rock masses governed by the Hoek-Brown strength criterion with a new multi-horn mechanism

The face stability problem is a major concern for tunnels excavated in rock masses governed by the Hoek-Brown strength criterion.To provide an accurate prediction for the theoretical solution of the critical face pressure,this study adopts the piecewise linear method(PLM)to account for the nonlinearity of the strength envelope and proposes a new multi-horn rotational mechanism based on the Hoek-Brown strength criterion and the associative flow rule.The analytical solution of critical support pressure is derived from the energy-work balance equation in the framework of the plastic limit theorem;it is formulated as a multivariable nonlinear optimization problem relying on 2m dependent variables(m is the number of segments).Meanwhile,two classic linearized measures,the generalized tangential technique(GTT)and equivalent Mohr-Coulomb parameters method(EMM),are incorporated into the analysis for comparison.Surprisingly,the parametric study indicates a significant improvement in support pressure by up to 13%compared with the GTT,and as expected,the stability of the tunnel face is greatly influenced by the rock strength parameters.The stress distribution on the rupture surface is calculated to gain an intuitive understanding of the failure at the limit state.Although the limit analysis is incapable of calculating the true stress distribution in rock masses,a rough approximation of the stress vector on the rupture surface is permitted.In the end,sets of normalized face pressure are provided in the form of charts for a quick assessment of face stability in rock masses.

Rockburst criterion and evaluation method for potential rockburst pit depth considering excavation damage effect

Excavation-induced disturbances in deep tunnels will lead to deterioration of rock properties and formation of excavation damaged zone(EDZ).This excavation damage effect may affect the potential rockburst pit depth.Taking two diversion tunnels of Jinping II hydropower station for example,the relationship between rockburst pit depth and excavation damage effect is first surveyed.The results indicate that the rockburst pit depth in tunnels with severe damage to rock masses is relatively large.Subsequently,the excavation-induced damage effect is characterized by disturbance factor D based on the Hoek-Brown criterion and wave velocity method.It is found that the EDZ could be further divided into a high-damage zone(HDZ)with D=1 and weak-damage zone(WDZ),and D decays from one to zero linearly.For this,a quantitative evaluation method for potential rockburst pit depth is established by presenting a three-element rockburst criterion considering rock strength,geostress and disturbance factor.The evaluation results obtained by this method match well with actual observations.In addition,the weakening of rock mass strength promotes the formation and expansion of potential rockburst pits.The potential rockburst pit depth is positively correlated with HDZ and WDZ depths,and the HDZ depth has a significant contribution to the potential rockburst pit depth.

Limit load and failure mechanisms of a vertical Hoek-Brown rock slope

The problem considered in this short note is the limit load determination of a vertical rock slope.The classical limit theorem is employed with the use of adaptive finite elements and nonlinear programming to determine upper and lower bound limit loads of a Hoek-Brown vertical rock slope.The objective function of the mathematical programming problem is such as to optimize a boundary load,which is known as the limit load,resembling the ultimate bearing capacity of a strip footing.While focusing on the vertical slope,parametric studies are carried out for several dimensionless ratios such as the dimensionless footing distance ratio,the dimensionless height ratio,and the dimensionless rock strength ratio.A comprehensive set of design charts is presented,and failure envelopes shown with the results explained in terms of three identified failure mechanisms,i.e.the face,the toe,and the Prandtl-type failures.These novel results can be used with great confidence in design practice,in particularly noting that the current industry-based design procedures for the presented problem are rarely found.

A new three-dimensional Hoek-Brown strength criterion

The Hoek-Brown （HB） strength criterion has been widely applied to the estimation of strength of intact rock and rock mass, while evolving ever since. However, negligence of the effect of the intermediate principal stress still remains in the criterion＇s latest version. At the same time, several three-dimensional （3D） HB strength, which can takes into account the influence of the intermediate principal stress, have already been proposed, among which the 3D HB criterion proposed by Zhang and Zhu seems to be the most reasonable one. However, the Zhang 3D HB criterion may have problems with some stress path close to triaxial extension state because of the non-convexity characteristic of its failure surface. In this paper, a new 3D HB strength criterion is presented based on a generalized form of the HB criterion, which also considers the effect of the intermediate principal stress and inherits all the merits of the original version of the HB criterion. In addition, this new criterion can remedy to some extent the shortcomings observed in the Zhang 3D HB criterion. Polyaxial tests for five different rocks from pub- lished literatures are used for evaluating this new criterion and comparing it with the Zhang 3D HB criterion. The re- sults show that this new criterion may over-predict or under- predict the polyaxial strength of rocks but the errors are rela- tively small, and similar results are also found for the Zhang 3D HB criterion, which one is better depends on the type of the rock under estimation.

Limit analysis for the seismic stability of three-dimensional rock slopes using the generalized Hoek-Brown criterion

The parameters that influence slope stability and their criteria of failure are fairly understood but over-conservative design approaches are often preferred,which can result in excessive overburden removal that may jeopardize profitability in the context of open pit mining.Numerical methods such as finite element and discrete element modelling are instrumental to identify specific zones of stability,but they remain approximate and do not pinpoint the critical factors that influence stability without extensive parametric studies.A large number of degrees of freedom and input parameters may make the outcome of numerical modelling insufficient compared to analytical solutions.Existing analytical approaches have not tackled the stability of slopes using non-linear plasticity criteria and threedimensional failure mechanisms.This paper bridges this gap by using the yield design theory and the Hoek-Brown criterion.Moreover,the proposed model includes the effect of seismic forces,which are not always taken into account in slope stability analyses.The results are presented in the form of rigorous mathematical expressions and stability charts involving the loading conditions and the rock mass properties emanating from the plasticity criterion.

Unified strength model based on the Hoek-Brown failure criterion for fibre-reinforced polymer-confined pre-damaged concrete columns with circular and square cross sections

Fibre-reinforced polymer(FRP)has the advantages of high strength,light weight,corrosion resistance and convenient construction and is widely used in repairing and strengthening damaged concrete columns.Most of the existing strength models were built by regression analysis of experimental data;however,in this article,a new unified strength model is proposed using the Hoek-Brown failure criterion.To study the strength of FRP-confined damaged and undamaged concrete columns,900 test data were collected from the published literature and a large database that contains the cross-sectional shape of each specimen,the damage type,the damage level and the FRP-confined stiffness was established.A new strength model using the Hoek-Brown failure criterion was established and is suitable for both circular and square columns that are undamaged,load-damaged and fire-damaged.Based on the database,most of the existing strength models from the published literature and the model proposed in this paper were evaluated.The evaluation shows that the proposed model can predict the compressive strength for FRP-confined pre-damaged and undamaged concrete columns with good accuracy.

A simplified three-dimensional extension of Hoek-Brown strength criterion

The Hoek-Brown(HB)strength criterion has been applied widely in a large number of projects around the world.However,this criterion ignores the intermediate principal stress s2.Many evidences have demonstrated that the rock strength is dependent on s2.Thus it is necessary to extend the HB criterion into a three-dimensional(3D)form.In this study,the effect of s2 on the strength of rocks is identified by reviewing the true triaxial tests of various rock types reported in the literature.A simple 3D strength criterion is developed.The modified criterion is verified by the true triaxial tests of 13 rock types.The results indicate that the modified criterion can achieve a good fit to most of rock types.It can represent a series of criteria as b varies.For comparisons,several existing 3D versions of the HB criterion are selected to predict the strengths of these rock types.It is indicated that the proposed criterion works better than other criteria.A substantial relationship between parameter b and the unconfined compressive strength is established,which guarantees that the proposed criterion can still work well even in the absence of true triaxial test data.

Elasto-plastic Analysis of Circular Tunnels in Jointed Rock Masses Satisfy the Hoek-Brown Failure Criterion

The relationship between the Hoek-Brown parameters and the mechanical response of circular tunnels is il-lustrated. Closed-form and approximate solutions are given for the extent of the plastic zone and the stress and dis-placement fields under axisymmetrical and asymmetric stress conditions. For the same rock masses and under axisym-metrical stress conditions,the radius of the plastic zone in terms of Hoek-Brown criterion is generally an approximation of the radius in terms of the Mohr-Coulomb criterion. The radius in terms of the Hoek-Brown criterion is larger under low stress conditions. For poor quality rock masses (GSI<25),measures (such as grouting,setting rock bolts,etc.) that improve the GSI of rock masses are effective in improving the stability of tunnels. It is not advisable to improve the sta-bility of the tunnels by providing a small support resistance p through shotcrete,except for very poor quality jointed rock masses. Without reference to the quality of the rock mass,the disturbance factor D should not less than 0.5. Meas-ures which disturb rock masses during tunnel construction should be taken carefully when the tunnel depth increases.

A modified Hoek-Brown failure criterion considering the damage to reservoir bank slope rocks under water saturation-dehydration circulation

After water is impounded in a reservoir, rock mass in the hydro-fluctuation belt of the reservoir bank slope is subject to water saturation- dehydration circulation （WSDC）. To quantify the rate of change of rock mechanical properties, samples from the Longtan dam area were measured with uniaxial compression tests after different numbers （1, 5, 10, 15, and 20） of simulated WSDC cycles. Based on the curves derived from these tests, a modified Hock- Brown failure criterion was proposed, in which a new parameter was introduced to model the cumulative damage to rocks after WSDC. A case of an engineering application was analyzed, and the results showed that the modified Hock-Brown failure criterion is useful. Under similar WSDC-influenced engineering and geological conditions, rock mass strength parameters required for analysis and evaluation of rock slope stability can be estimated according to this modified Hoek-Brown failure criterion.

Pseudo-static stability analysis of rock slopes reinforced by passive bolts using the generalized Hoek-Brown criterion

The stability analysis of passive bolt-reinforced rock slopes under seismic loads is investigated within the framework of the kinematic approach of limit analysis theory.A pseudo-static method is adopted to account for the inertial forces induced in the rock mass by seismic events.The strength properties of the rock material are described by a modified Hoek-Brown strength criterion,whereas the passive bolts are modeled as bar-like inclusions that exhibit only resistance to tensile-compressive forces.Taking advantage of the ability to compute closed-form expressions for the support functions associated with the modified Hoek-Brown strength criterion,a rotational failure mechanism is implemented to derive rigorous lower bound estimates for the amount of reinforcement strength to prevent slope failure.The approach is then applied to investigating the effects of relevant geometry,strength and loading parameters in light of a preliminary parametric study.The accuracy of the approach is assessed by comparison of the lower bound estimates with finite element limit analysis solutions,thus emphasizing the ability of the approach to properly predict the stability conditions and to capture the essential features of deformation localization pattern.Finally,the extension of the approach to account for slipping at the interface between reinforcements and surrounding rock mass is outlined.

Validation of Hoek-Brown failure criterion charts for rock slopes

Although stability charts suggested by Hoek and Bray on the basis of Mohr-Coulomb criterion are used for rock slopes,but complete and precise recognition is required for distinguishing cohesive strength and Mohr-Coulomb equivalent internal friction angle for rock mass.The paper by Lia et al.[6]is the only one that introduced rock slope charts according to Hoek-Brown failure criterion.In this paper,at first,this type of charts is introduced.Then,Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion charts[2]are compared and validated with Hoek-Brown failure criterion ones[6].Next,Bishop method utilizing Slide software is compared with Hoek-Brown failure criterion stability charts.Average standard deviation(ASD),root mean square error(RMSE)and variance account for(VAF)were used for the comparison.According to the results,because of high distribution and very low correlation among the comparisons,Hoek-Brown failure criterion charts are not efficient.

3D limit analysis of rock slopes based on equivalent linear failure criterion with tension cut-off

Hoek-Brown (HB) failure criterion is widely used to predict the strength of intact or heavily jointed rock mass. For stability analysis of rock slopes governed by the HB failure criterion, the equivalent linearity to Mohr-Coulomb (MC) criterion is often adopted, leading to the well-known equivalent Mohr-Coulomb method (EMCM). Existing studies on EMCM analysis mainly consider the shear strength of rock material, while consideration of the tensile strength is rare. This contradicts the fact that the underlying tensile strength of rock mass has considerable impact on the rock slope stability in real world. In this regard, this paper proposes a limit analysis-based approach that can account for tension in the three-dimensional (3D) stability analysis of HB rock slope. This approach is established on the equivalent linearity of the HB criterion with consideration of tensile strength, known as the equivalent tension cut-off MC method (ETMCM), and using a horn-like 3D mechanism of limit analysis. The safety factor solutions given by the proposed approach are validated by previous studies and numerical results. Parametric studies are conducted to investigate the effect of rock tensile strength on slope stability. Results show that the consideration of tension leads to a more conservative safety factor and a sharper curvature of the failure surface, and these impacts tend to be more obvious with the increases in slope inclination and slope width. Finally, the stability of the HB rock slope under seepage conditions is studied using the proposed approach. The results indicate that the effect of tensile strength is highly remarkable in seepage circumstances.

Retrospective and prospective review of the generalized nonlinear strength theory for geomaterials

Strength theory is the basic theory for calculating and designing the strength of engineering materials in civil,hydraulic,mechanical,aerospace,military,and other engineering disciplines.Therefore,the comprehensive study of the generalized nonlinear strength theory(GNST)of geomaterials has significance for the construction of engineering rock strength.This paper reviews the GNST of geomaterials to demonstrate the research status of nonlinear strength characteristics of geomaterials under complex stress paths.First,it systematically summarizes the research progress of GNST(classical and empirical criteria).Then,the latest research the authors conducted over the past five years on the GNST is introduced,and a generalized three-dimensional(3D)nonlinear Hoek‒Brown(HB)criterion(NGHB criterion)is proposed for practical applications.This criterion can be degenerated into the existing three modified HB criteria and has a better prediction performance.The strength prediction errors for six rocks and two in-situ rock masses are 2.0724%-3.5091%and 1.0144%-3.2321%,respectively.Finally,the development and outlook of the GNST are expounded,and a new topic about the building strength index of rock mass and determining the strength of in-situ engineering rock mass is proposed.The summarization of the GNST provides theoretical traceability and optimization for constructing in-situ engineering rock mass strength.

Triaxial strength behaviour of rockmass satisfying Modified Mohr-Coulomb and Generalized Hoek-Brown criteria

The triaxial strength of twenty rockmass types was predicted using two non-linear triaxial strength criteria for rockmass i.e. Modified Mohr-Coulomb(MMC) criterion and Generalized Hoek-Brown(GHB)criterion. Four different rockmass classification systems were used for the calculation of MMC criterion parameters while only GSI classification system has been used for calculation of GHB parameters. The representative value of the uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of rockmass have been estimated using probabilistic approach. A hypothetical case of an unsupported tunnel has been analyzed considering both MMC and GHB criteria. The analysis was done using the convergence-confinement method with two different approaches. The first approach predicts the tunnel response using GHB criterion directly. The second approach predicts the tunnel response using equivalent Mohr-Coulomb parameters obtained by linearization of triaxial data points obtained from MMC and GHB criteria. The tunnel response has been estimated in terms of radius of plastic zone, tunnel convergence and tunnel convergence strain. For very poor rockmasses the tunnel response predicted by MMC criterion is less than that predicted by GHB criterion. For poor and fair rockmass, the tunnel response estimated considering both the criteria are comparable except for few cases. Squeezing condition in rockmass has been also evaluated.

The Hoeke-Brown failure criterion and GSI-2018 edition

The HoekeBrown criterion was introduced in 1980 to provide input for the design of underground excavations in rock.The criterion now incorporates both intact rock and discontinuities,such as joints,characterized by the geological strength index(GSI),into a system designed to estimate the mechanical behaviour of typical rock masses encountered in tunnels,slopes and foundations.The strength and deformation properties of intact rock,derived from laboratory tests,are reduced based on the properties of discontinuities in the rock mass.The nonlinear HoekeBrown criterion for rock masses is widely accepted and has been applied in many projects around the world.While,in general,it has been found to provide satisfactory estimates,there are several questions on the limits of its applicability and on the inaccuracies related to the quality of the input data.This paper introduces relatively few fundamental changes,but it does discuss many of the issues of utilization and presents case histories to demonstrate practical applications of the criterion and the GSI system.

Collapse analysis of tunnel floor in karst area based on Hoek-Brown rock media

Collapse shape of tunnel floor in Hoek-Brown rock media is investigated with the functional catastrophe theory. The stability of rock system in tunnel floor, which is determined by thickness, half collapse width, half length of cave and detaching curve, has great secure and economic significance in practical engineering. To investigate the failure mechanisms and the outline of detaching block, a reliable damage model is presumed by making reference to the limit analysis theory. The analytical solutions of detaching curve, half collapse width on tunnel floor and the critical and maximum values of collapse thickness are derived based on Hoek-Brown criterion and functional catastrophe theory. The result shows that 0.5 is a most probable condition for instability, and the shape of detaching curve is a part of parabola. It is reasonable by comparing with previous theory and analogous experiments. The effects of major factors on thickness and half collapse width are further discussed. Numerical calculations and parametric analysis are carried out to illustrate the effects of different parameters on the mechanism, which is significant to the stability analysis of tunnel floor in rock media.

A generalized three-dimensional failure criterion for rock masses

The smooth convex generalized failure function, which represents 1/6 part of envelope in tile deviatoric plane, is proposed. The proposed function relies on four shape parameters （L, a, b and c）, in which two parameters （a and b） are dependent on the others. The parameter Ls is called extension ratio. The proposed failure function could be incorporated with any two-dimensional （2D） failure criteria to make it a three-dimensional （3D） version. In this paper, a mathematical formulation for incorporation of Hoek-Brown failure criterion with the proposed function is presented. The Hoek-Brown failure criterion is the most suited 2D failure criterion tbr geomaterials. Two types of analyses for best-fitting solution of published true tri-axial test data were made by considering （1） constant extension ratio and （2） variable extension ratio. The shape and strength parameters for different types of rocks have been determined by best-fitting the published true tri-axial test data for both the analyses. It is observed from the best-fitting solution by considering uniform extension ratio （L~） that shape constants have a correlation with Hoek-Brown strength parameters. Thus, only two parameters （c~. and m） are needed for representing the 3D failure criterion for intact rock. The statistical expression between shape and Hoek-Brown strength parameters is given. In the second analysis, when considering varying extension ratio, another parameterfis introduced. The modified extension ratio is related tofand extension ratio. The results at minimum mean misfit for all the nine rocks indicate that the range off varies from 0.7 to 1.0. It is found that mean misfit by considering varying extension ratio is lower than that in the first analysis. But it requires three parameters. A statistical expression betweenfand Hoek-Brown strength parameters has been established. Though coefficient of correlation is not reasonable, we may eliminate it as an extra parameter. At the end of the paper, a methodology has also been given for its application to isotropic jointed rock mass, so that it can be implemented in a numerical code for stability analysis of jointed rock mass structures.

Limit equilibrium analysis for rock slope stability using basic Hoek–Brown strength criterion

Hoek–Brown(HB)strength criterion can reflect rock’s inherent failure nature,so it is more suitable for analyzing the stability of rock slopes.However,the traditional limit equilibrium methods are at present only suitable for analyzing the rock slope stability using the linear equivalent Mohr–Coulomb(EMC)strength parameters instead of the nonlinear HB strength criterion.Therefore,a new method derived to analyze directly the rock slope stability using the nonlinear HB strength criterion for arbitrary curve slip surface was described in the limit equilibrium framework.The current method was established based on certain assumptions concerning the stresses on the slip surface through amending the initial normal stressσ0 obtained without considering the effect of inter-slice forces,and it can satisfy all static equilibrium conditions of the sliding body,so the current method can obtain the reasonable and strict factor of safety(FOS)solutions.Compared with the results of other methods in some examples,the feasibility of the current method was verified.Meanwhile,the parametric analysis shows that the slope angleβhas an important influence on the difference of the results obtained using the nonlinear HB strength criterion and its linear EMC strength parameters.Forβ≤45°,both of the results are similar,showing the traditional limit equilibrium methods using the linear EMC strength parameters and the current method are all suitable to analyze rock slope stability,but forβ>60°,the differences of both the results are obvious,showing the actual slope stability state can not be reflected in the traditional limit equilibrium methods,and then the current method should be used.