6CE5-15

ROCK ENGINEERING
Mr. Aiwant Chandaliya
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
Geetanjali Institute of Technical Studies, Udaipur
 Chapter 4

Insitu test on rocks and Jointed Rocks

Properties
 Syllabus Content (Chapter 4)
In-situ test on rocks and Jointed Rocks Properties
In-situ Tests on Rocks: Necessity of In-situ test, Plate load test for

deformability, Field Shear test

Jointed Rocks: Rocks Joint properties, Joint properties, Joint

Roughness Co-efficient, Scale effects, Dilation, Orientation of

Joints,Gouge, Joint Intensity, Uniaxial Compressive strength of
Jointed Rocks.
 In-situ Tests on Rocks
Definition
• In-situ tests on rocks are field tests conducted directly on
rock mass at site to determine its engineering properties
under natural conditions, considering joints, fractures,
and stress state.

Objectives
• To evaluate actual rock mass behavior
• To determine deformability, strength, permeability
• To reduce uncertainty of laboratory results
• To aid safe and economical design
 In-situ Tests on Rocks
Need for In-Situ Tests
• Lab tests represent intact rock only
• Rock mass behavior governed by joints & discontinuities
• Field tests reflect true stress conditions
• Essential for large structures

Common In-Situ Tests on Rocks

1. Plate Load Test
• Determines bearing capacity & deformability
• Used for rock foundations
• Measures load–settlement behavior
2. Field Shear Test
• Determines shear strength of rock joints
• Conducted along natural discontinuities
• Used in slope & foundation design
 Plate Load Test

Definition: The Plate Load Test is an in-situ test used to

determine the deformability, bearing capacity, and elastic
properties of rock mass or rock foundation by applying load
on a rigid plate and measuring settlement.

Purpose of Plate Load Test

• To evaluate deformation characteristics of rock mass
• To determine modulus of deformation (E)
• To assess bearing capacity of rock foundations
• To study load–settlement behavior under field conditions
Principle
• A rigid steel plate is placed on the prepared rock surface. Load is
applied incrementally, and corresponding settlements are measured.
The relationship between applied pressure and settlement reflects
rock deformability.
The following test equipment are needed for
the test,
1. Dead loading platform made up of steel
beams and loaded by concrete cube to
achieve reaction.
2. Hydraulic Jack assembly capable of
applying and releasing the load
increments and capable of maintaining the
desired pressure to within 2 percent of a
selected value throughout the duration of
test
3. Pump with calibrated pressure gauge.
4. Circular bearing plates of sizes 600 mm,
450 mm and 300mm with thickness 30
mm.
5. Settlements need to be recorded with
precise dial gauges having least count of
at least 0.01mm.
Where,
E = Elastic/deformation modulus in kg/cm2
m = 0.96 for circular plate and 0.95 for square plate
δ = Incremental displacement (deformation or settlement) of
bearing plate in one loading cycle in cm
P = Incremental applied load in kg
A = Area of test plate in cm2
μ = Poisson’s ratio of rock mass

[Link]
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 Field Shear Test
Definition
The Field Shear Test is an in-situ test conducted on natural
rock joints or discontinuities to determine the shear
strength parameters (cohesion and angle of friction) of rock
mass.
Objective
• To evaluate shear strength of rock joints
• To study sliding behavior along discontinuities
• To obtain realistic parameters for stability analysis
Principle
• A normal load is applied perpendicular to a joint plane and
then a horizontal shear load is applied until sliding occurs.
The resistance offered gives the shear strength of the joint.
 Field Shear Test
Shear Strength Equation Advantages
• Uses natural joint surfaces
τ=c+σtan⁡ϕ
• Represents actual field
condition
Where: • Reliable for joint-controlled
failures
τ = Shear stress
c = Cohesion Limitations
• Limited number of test
σ= Normal stress
locations
ϕ = Angle of internal • Costly and time-consuming
friction • Requires exposed rock surfaces
 Aspect Field Shear Test Direct Shear Test
Test location Conducted in-situ at site Conducted in laboratory
Natural rock mass joints /
Material tested Intact rock or prepared joint
discontinuities

Stress condition Represents actual field stress Controlled, idealized stress

Natural roughness, infilling,

Joint condition Smooth or artificially prepared
weathering
Scale effect Considered Not considered

Parameters obtained Realistic c and φ of rock mass Basic c and φ of material

Accuracy for design High (field-representative) Moderate

Cost & time Expensive, time-consuming Economical, quicker

Sample preparation Minimal preparation Requires specimen preparation

Failure mode Sliding along natural joint Shear failure of specimen

Slopes, tunnels, dam Lab studies, preliminary
Applications
foundations analysis

Suitability Joint-controlled rock failures Intact rock behavior

 Jointed Rocks

Definition Characteristics of Jointed Rocks

• Reduced strength compared to
• Jointed rocks are rock masses
intact rock
that contain natural fractures
• Behavior governed by joint
or discontinuities (joints) properties
with little or no displacement • Anisotropic and non-
along the fracture plane. homogeneous
• Failure occurs mainly along joints

Formation of Joints
• Cooling and contraction of Important Joint Properties
igneous rocks • Spacing
• Tectonic stresses • Orientation
• Persistence
• Unloading and erosion • Roughness
• Weathering processes • Aperture
• Infilling material
• Weathering condition
 Rock Joint Properties

1. Orientation 4. Aperture
• Direction of joint plane with • Opening width of joint surfaces
respect to engineering structure • Influences permeability and
• Defined by dip and dip direction seepage
• Controls slope, tunnel, and
foundation stability
5. Roughness
2. Spacing • Surface irregularity of joints
• Perpendicular distance between • Expressed by Joint Roughness
adjacent joints Coefficient (JRC)
• Determines block size and rock • Higher roughness → higher shear
mass quality strength

3. Persistence 6. Infilling (Gouge)

• Material present between joint
• Extent or continuity of a joint
surfaces
• Longer persistence → higher • Clay-filled joints → low shear
failure potential strength
 Rock Joint Properties

7. Weathering Condition 9. Joint Intensity

• Degree of alteration of • Number of joints per unit
joint surfaces length or volume
• Weathered joints reduce • High intensity → high
strength and stiffness fragmentation

8. Joint Strength
• Resistance to sliding along 10. Water Condition
joint plane • Dry, damp, wet, or flowing
• Depends on roughness, • Presence of water reduces
infilling, and normal stress effective stress
 Joint Roughness Co-efficient
Definition
Shear Strength Equation (Barton
The Joint Roughness Coefficient
Model)
(JRC) is a numerical index used
to describe the surface roughness
of rock joints, which directly
influences the shear strength of
jointed rock masses.
Where,
• Introduced By Barton & τ = Shear stress
Choubey (1977) σn = Normal stress
Purpose ϕb​= Basic friction angle
• To quantify joint surface JRC = Joint Roughness Coefficient
roughness JCS = Joint Wall Compressive Strength

• To estimate shear strength of

rock joints
• Used in Q-system and Barton
shear strength criterion
 Joint Surface
JRC Range Surface Nature
Description
0–2 Very smooth, planar Polished or slickensided
2–4 Smooth, planar Slightly undulating

Minor surface
4–6 Slightly rough
irregularities

6–8 Rough Clearly irregular surface

8 – 10 Rough, undulating Interlocking asperities
Stepped or jagged
10 – 12 Very rough
surface
Strongly interlocked
12 – 14 Highly rough
asperities

14 – 16 Extremely rough Angular, discontinuous

16 – 18 Very angular Sharp ridges and steps
Highly irregular,
18 – 20 Exceptionally rough
fractured
 Scale Effects
Meaning of Scale Effect
• Scale effect refers to the
b) Material Heterogeneity
variation of engineering
properties of rock when • Mineral composition varies
measured at different sizes or spatially
volumes, ranging from • Intact behavior disappears at mass
laboratory specimens to field scale
rock masses.
• At larger scales, rocks show c) Stress Redistribution
lower strength and stiffness due
to the presence of joints, cracks, • Larger rock masses experience
heterogeneity, and weathering. non-uniform stress
Cause of Scale Effect • Local failures propagate easily
a) Structural Discontinuities
d) Roughness Degradation
• Joints, faults, bedding planes
increase with scale • Asperities are prominent in small
samples
• Larger volumes contain more
weaknesses • Smoothened at large joint surfaces
 Scale Effects
Scale Effect on Joint Roughness (JRC)
• Barton’s Observation
• JRC is scale-dependent
• Lab-measured JRC is higher than field JRC

Where:
JRC​n = JRC at larger scale
Ln= Joint length considered

Engineering Consequences
If scale effect is ignored:
• Overestimation of rock strength
• Under-design of support systems
• Unsafe tunnel and slope designs
 Scale Effects
Scale Effect on Strength Scale Effect on Deformability
Intact Rock • Laboratory modulus (Ei) > Rock
mass modulus (Em)
• UCS decreases with increasing
specimen size • Joint closure and sliding dominate
deformation
• Small cores → higher UCS
• Important for settlement and
• Large cores → lower UCS
convergence analysis

Jointed Rock
Scale Effect on Permeability
• Shear strength reduces with joint
• Small samples show low
length
permeability
• Cohesion decreases significantly
• Rock mass permeability increases
• Friction angle reduces marginally due to connected joints
• Critical for dams, tunnels,
seepage control
 Laboratory Scale (Small Field / Rock Mass Scale
Aspect / Property Engineering Implication
Scale) (Large Scale)
Scale increases
Specimen size Small core or sample Large rock mass volume
discontinuities
Rock condition Mostly intact Jointed, fractured Controls real behavior

Uniaxial Compressive Lab UCS overestimates

High Lower
Strength (UCS) strength

Shear strength Higher Reduced Joint sliding dominates

Cohesion (c) High Significantly reduced Unsafe if not corrected

Friction angle (φ) Slightly higher Slightly lower Minor variation

Deformation modulus (E) High stiffness Low stiffness Greater deformation in field

Joint Roughness
High (sharp asperities) Lower (averaged roughness) Shear resistance decreases
Coefficient (JRC)
Permeability Low High Increased seepage risk

Homogeneity Nearly homogeneous Highly heterogeneous Complex behavior

Failure mode Material failure Joint-controlled failure Governs design

Test method UCS, Direct shear Plate load, Field shear In-situ preferred

Design reliability Limited High Field scale is realistic

 Dilation
Definition
Dilation is the increase in volume or normal separation that occurs
when a rough rock joint or discontinuity is sheared, due to interlocking
and climbing of surface asperities.
• When two rough rock surfaces slide over each other, they cannot move
smoothly. The asperities (roughness) cause the joint to open slightly,
leading to upward or outward movement—this phenomenon is called
dilation.

Key Characteristics
• Occurs mainly in rough, unfilled joints
• More prominent at low normal stress
• Decreases as normal stress increases
• Reduces with repeated shearing (asperities get crushed)
Dilation Angle (ψ)
• Angle representing the rate of volume increase during
shear
• Used in shear strength analysis of joints
Relation with Shear Strength
• Dilation contributes to higher peak shear strength
• After asperity damage, dilation reduces → residual
strength
Importance in Rock Engineering
• Tunnel stability analysis
• Rock slope stability
• Design of rock anchors and foundations
• Estimation of joint shear strength (Barton–Bandis
model)
Barton’s Conceptual Relation
•Rough joints (high JRC) cause asperity interlocking
•Strong asperities (high JCS) resist crushing
•Result: more dilation during shear
•With increasing normal stress → asperities crush → dilation reduces
Barton–Bandis Shear Strength Equation (Conceptual)

Where:
•τ = shear strength
•σₙ = normal stress
•φᵦ = basic friction angle
Dilation Behaviour
•High JRC + High JCS → High dilation
•Low JRC or Low JCS → Low dilation
•Increasing σₙ → Reduced dilation
 Orientation of Joints

Definition Types of Joint Orientation

Orientation of joints refers to the (Relative to Structure)
spatial position of joint planes in
a rock mass, defined by their dip 1. Favorable Orientation
and dip direction (or strike). • Joints dip away from
Parameters Used excavation or slope
Strike • No sliding tendency
Direction of horizontal line on • Stable condition
joint plane
Dip 2. Unfavorable Orientation
Maximum inclination of joint • Joints dip towards
plane excavation or slope
Dip direction • Promotes sliding or
Direction in which the joint slopes toppling
downward
• Requires support
 Gouge

Definition
Gouge is the fine, crushed, clayey or powdery
material present within a rock joint, fault, or
discontinuity, formed due to shearing, grinding, and
weathering of rock surfaces.
Characteristics of Gouge
• Usually composed of clay, silt, or rock flour
• Thickness ranges from thin coating to several
centimeters
• Often soft, compressible, and weak
• May be water-sensitive
 Gouge
Engineering Significance
• Significantly reduces shear strength
• Increases deformability
• Promotes sliding and instability
• Acts as lubricant when wet
Effect on Rock Joint Behavior
• Lowers friction angle
• Eliminates dilation
• Causes brittle to ductile behavior
• Reduces effectiveness of rock bolts
 Joint Intensity
Definition Common Measures of Joint Intensity
• Joint intensity is a measure of the
frequency or abundance of joints
present in a rock mass, indicating
the degree of jointing and overall
rock mass discontinuity.
📌 It reflects how fractured the rock
mass is, not the strength of intact
rock.

Why Joint Intensity is

Important
•Controls:
• Rock mass strength
• Deformability
• Permeability
• Stability of slopes,
tunnels, and foundations
•High joint intensity → low rock
mass quality
 Classification Based on Jv

Jv (joints/m³) Rock Mass Condition

<1 Massive
1–3 Slightly jointed
3 – 10 Moderately jointed
10 – 30 Highly jointed
> 30 Crushed / fragmented

Engineering Significance
•Used in:
• Rock Mass Rating (RMR) Relation with Rock Mass Behavior
• Q-System (indirectly)
• Low joint intensity → blocky, strong
• Foundation and tunnel design
•High joint intensity: rock mass
• Reduces bearing capacity • High joint intensity → small blocks,
• Increases deformation weak interlocking
• Increases water flow
 Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) of Jointed Rocks
Definition
The UCS of jointed rock is the Modes of Failure
maximum axial compressive stress a [Link] along joints
rock mass containing joints or [Link] crushing + sliding
discontinuities can withstand without [Link] splitting across joints
lateral confinement, before failure [Link] shear–tensile failure
occurs along joints or through blocks.
📌 It is much lower than UCS of Controlling Factors
intact rock. •Joint spacing
•Joint orientation
Why UCS Reduces in Jointed •Joint roughness (JRC)
Rocks •Joint infilling (gouge)
•Presence of: •Persistence of joints
• Joints •Intact rock UCS
• Bedding planes
• Fissures
•Failure occurs by:
• Sliding along joints
• Block separation
• Rotation of blocks
•Stress is not uniformly distributed
 Estimation Methods

1. Reduction Factor Approach

σcm=η⋅σc​
Where: Engineering Significance

η = Reduction factor (0.1–0.6) •Used in:

• Bearing capacity of jointed rock
• Tunnel support design
2. Hoek–Brown Rock Mass
• Slope stability analysis
Strength
•Prevents unsafe use of intact rock strength
⋅a
σcm=σc​s
•Accounts for GSI
•More realistic for jointed rock masses
 Thank You,
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