UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL AND MINING ENGINEERING

MN 223: TUTORIAL I

1. Explain why rock is complex in nature.

2. Briefly explain why rock is considered as an engineering material?
3. Which properties of the discontinuities are important from a rock mechanics point of view?
4. A sandstone core composed of quartz and feldspar grains with calcite cement is 76 mm in
diameter and 149 mm long. On saturation in water, its wet weight is 21.42 N; after oven drying
its weight is 20.31 N. Calculate its wet unit weight, its dry unit weight, its porosity and specific
gravity. Suggest which type of the rock this might be? (Use table of Porosity).
5. A sample of rock is taken using SRS 3000 diamond drilling machine. After the core is extruded
from the core barrel a sample of diameter 50 mm and length 80 mm is cut and is found to have a
mass of 290 g. Rock trimmings created during the cutting process are weighed and found to have
a mass of 55 g. These trimmings are then oven dried and found to have a mass of 45 g.
Determine the phase distributions, void ratio, degree of saturation and relevant unit weights.
6. A sandstone core composed of quartz and feldspar grains with calcite cement is 82mm in
diameter and 169mm long. On saturation in water its wet weight is 21.42 N, after oven drying its
weight is 20.31 N. Calculate its wet unit weight, its dry unit weight, its porosity and specific
gravity. Suggest which type of the rock this might be? (Use table of volume weight).

ROCKS VOLUME WEIGHT, gm/cm3

Granite 2.45 - 2.65
Sandstone 2.1 - 2.2
Limestone 2.3 - 2.7
Coal 1.0 - 1.3
Shale 2.4 - 2.6

7. The table below shows data for diamond drill using P-rig for the rock of medium to high strength
with total length of 30m

No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Core length 0.05 5.3 2.6 1.5 6.5 0.15 0.25 0.08 2.1 3.4 4.5 1.6 1.97
(m)
 i. Calculate the RQD
ii. Briefly describe the property of the rock

8. In a core drilling using P-drill rig the length of the hole drilled is 200m with several layers of
rock being observed. The upper part of the hole is weathered up to 25m from the ground surface.
The core samples were taken in unweathered part of the hole and showed that all core pieces had
length of greater than 10cm except three pieces having length of 7cm, 8.2cm and 6cm. Calculate
the RQD and briefly describe the property of the rock.
9. The core of length 200cm was taken in the exploration drilling in the copper mine as illustrated
in the following diagram. Calculate the Rock Quality Designation

10. A rock mass has field conductivity of 10-5cm/.assuming the rock itself is impervious and three
orthogonal sets of smooth fractures recur with spacing 1m, calculate the aperture (e) of the
fractures
11. An orthogonally jointed rock mass has a field permeability of 55.0 Darcies. The mean joint
spacing is 0.5 m. calculate the corresponding average aperture of the fractures.
12. If a rock has a permeability of 1 millidarcy, how much water will flow through it per unit of time
and area under a gradient of unity? (The water temperature is 20c).
13. Most discontinuities contact of rock mass contains infill across the rock – rock joint. Discuss the
effect of infill to rock mass strength as commonly occur in practice.
14. How do you get the rock joint data?
15. The following planes were observed at the back of a certain excavation.
i. 032/20NW
ii. 102/65S
iii. 177/33E
iv. 065/82NW
Draw the great circle for each joint. Do you see any instability caused by these planes?
16. Several rock mass classification rating schemes have been developed and successfully applied
throughout the world, this includes Geomechanics Classification (RMR) developed by
Bieniawski (CSIR, S.A) and Q- System developed by Barton (NGI, Norway)

 Describe the RMR and Q – System for Rock Mass Classification explaining key
parameters used in each system and the comparison between the two systems.
 List at least four other classification rating schemes developed.

17. A tunnel is to be driven through weathered granite with a dominant joint set dipping at 55º
against the direction of the drive. The joints are slightly rough and slightly weathered with a
separation of < 1 mm. The strength of the intact rock has been assessed as 55 MPa, and values
for the RQD and mean fracture spacing are reported as 60% and 0.4 m, respectively. Tunneling
conditions are anticipated to be wet. Use the RMR system to classify this rock mass, and assess
the stability of a 10 m wide excavation.

18. A 15 m span crusher chamber for an underground mine is to be excavated in a norite at a depth
of 1,800 m below surface. The rock mass contains two sets of joints controlling stability. These
joints are undulating, rough and unweathered with very minor surface staining. RQD values
range from 85% to 95% and laboratory tests on core samples of intact rock give an average
uniaxial compressive strength of 170 MPa. The principal stress directions are approximately
vertical and horizontal and the magnitude of the horizontal principal stress is approximately 1.2
times that of the vertical principal stress. The rock mass is locally damp but there is no evidence
of flowing water. Find the Q value and use it to describe the rock mass.
19. How many stress components, and which stress components (in the x,y,z-system) , is required to
describe the stress state in a general case
 2 dimensions:
 3 dimensions:
20. Stress measurements in a borehole gave the following stresses in a plane perpendicular to the
borehole axis

 x  172
. MPa
 y  2.76 MPa
 xy  0.69 MPa
Determine the magnitude and the orientation of the major and minor principal stress in a plane
perpendicular to the borehole using analytical approach. Then illustrate the state of stress with
the aid of Mohr's stress circle.
21. Given the following stress tensor. Determine the hydrostatic and deviatoric stresses

22. The diagram below shows the state of stresses at a plane. Use Mohr circle to calculate normal
and shear stress acted to that plane.
23. Is it possible to use Mohr´s stress circles for both two-dimensional and three-dimensional
problems? Illustrate!
24. Consider a triangle prism with a unit thickness and lengths of sides ‘a’, ‘b’ and ‘c’ as shown
below, where by σp is the principal stress. Show that principle stress can be expressed in
quadratic equation with two real roots.
σz

 c

b
a x

p

25. Find the direction of the major principal analytically if;

a) σxx = 60 and yy =100, and τxy= 20
b) x x = 60, x= 100, and τxy = - 20
c) Verify (a) using Mohr’s circle
d) Verify (b) using Mohr’s circle

26. Explain the procedures of constructing Mohr circle of plane stress rotated at an angle 2Ө from
the horizontal axis.
27. A stress element of a material is subjected to biaxial stress as shown below. Evaluate the stresses
acting on an element centered at the same point at an angle Ө=30º.
 28. Given the state of stresses at a plane as shown below. Use Mohr circle to calculate normal and
shear stress acted to that plane.

Note: In solving Mohr circle’s problems use the following;

 Graph paper
 Protractor
 Ruler

Course instructor
Dr. D. Mfanga