Abstract
The use of non-contact-techniques for rock mass characterization has been growing significantly over the last decade. However, their application to stability assessment of ornamental stone has not yet received much attention from researchers. This study utilizes rock mass data both in terms of slope orientations and degree of fracturing obtained from a point cloud, a set of three-dimensional (3D) points representing a rock mass surface, to (1) investigate the influence of geostructures at different scales and (2) assess quarry stability by determining areas susceptible to different failure types. Multi-resolution point clouds are obtained through several photogrammetric survey techniques to identify important structural elements of the site. By integrating orientation data of discontinuity planes, obtained with a traditional survey, and of traces, outlined on point clouds, several joint sets were identified. Kinematic tests revealed various potential failure modes of the rock slope. Moreover, an analysis of the influence of the discontinuity strength determined by the presence of rock bridges was carried out. The study revealed that the strength of the quarry face is governed by the presence of rock bridges that act to improve the stability condition of the rock fronts.
Highlights
Surveying of geometric characteristics of discontinuities in a rock mass is fundamental for the evaluation of potential detachable blocks
A correct joint geometry representation is suggested by ISRM [2], providing that a collected sample is representative of the entire joint population [3,4]
For the purposes of cataloguing and characterization of the discontinuity sets, a geomechanical survey campaign was performed according to ISRM standards [2], describing all the discontinuities survey campaign was performed according to ISRM standards [2], describing all the discontinuities intersecting a scanline
Summary
Surveying of geometric characteristics of discontinuities in a rock mass is fundamental for the evaluation of potential detachable blocks. A geostructural survey devoted to a systematic and quantitative description of rock discontinuities is crucial to understand the stability conditions of a rock mass. Discontinuity sampling can be applied to rock faces, natural or artificial (such as excavations), or on boreholes depending on the available data. Discontinuity properties to be measured include dip, dip direction, length, spacing, roughness, persistence, aperture, filling, and termination [1]. Measurements of dip and dip direction are used to represent the discontinuity orientation on a two-dimensional (2D) map, in order to describe the directional aspects of joints, faults, bedding planes and any other fracture present into the rock mass
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