An approach to large-scale field stress determination

Abstract

The construction of stable structures in rock masses requires knowledge of the in situ stresses at the scale of excavations. However, the measurements obtained by the conventional overcoring technique are related to a small scale (centimetres). To extrapolate them to the scales of interest to rock mechanics (from meters to kilometres) requires a large number of individual stress measurements, followed by statistical analysis to avoid a considerable scatter of the measured values. In this paper, a method is proposed based on (a) large-scale surface stress and modulus measurements using the cylindrical jack method complemented by a special measuring scheme and then (b) back analysis for a given excavation shape. The method allows the simultaneous reconstruction of the stress components at the scale of excavation. A numerical simulation for a cylindrical excavation in an isotropic rock mass demonstrates the high accuracy and robustness of the method. The presence of a fractured zone surrounding the excavation can hamper the stress reconstruction, hence special measures should be taken to conduct the measurements in competent rock.