Application of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) for rock mass quality evaluation

Abstract

Rock mass quality evaluation is a challenging task in geotechnical investigations given the natural heterogeneity and the limited data. These investigations mainly depend on the traditional drilling tests. However, such tests are expensive and time consuming, provide point measurements, and cannot be conducted in steep topographic areas, and thus cause uncertainties in the geological model. Conversely, geophysical methods such as electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) are non-invasive, user-friendly, and fast. In this work, we establish empirical correlation between ERT and limited drilling data to obtain rock mass integrity coefficient (Kv). The estimated Kv provides 2D/3D imaging of the rock mass quality evaluation via weathered/unweathered rock and faults detection in order to cover the entire area even where no drilling test exists. Compared with the past geotechnical investigations, our work reduce the ambiguities caused by the inadequate well tests and provide more accurate geological model for infrastructures design. Our work proposes that, in case of sparse borehole data, the established empirical equations can be used to determine Kv along different geophysical profiles via 2D/3D insight of the subsurface. Our approach is applicable in any hard rock setting, and the established correlations can be used in areas even where no well test exists.