A Methodology for Rock Mass

Characterisation to Control
Blast-induced Vibrations
E Hamdi1 and A Karrech2

ABSTRACT
The uncertainty of geomaterials properties is commonly encountered in resource engineering
applications, especially in mining engineering where the rock mass texture, joints, fractures and
damage zones can impose the mining method and operation cycles. In the present research work,
we focus on the elastic properties of rock masses. We use stochastic numerical simulation of
fractured rock masses to estimate their Young moduli. The procedure starts with field mapping
campaigns which are conducted to evaluate the locations, dip angles, strike and trace lengths
of pre-existing fractures. We develop statistical law parameters of the natural fracture network
to represent the weakness patterns. In addition, we use HLA-Dissim, a recently developed and
validated Matlab program, to simulate the propagation of monochromatic longitudinal waves and
derive the equivalent elastic modulus of fractured rock masses. Such procedure applies within a
simulation domain, which is greater than an Elementary Representative Volume.
At a second stage, we conduct finite element simulations to validate the previous approach.
Thematrix and the actual fractures zones are reproduced in the model to mimic the natural set-up.
Theblock is excited on particular positions and its response is evaluated on predefined spots. Real field
rock fracture mapping data and monitored single-hole blast induced vibrations are used to validate
the theoretical and numerical approaches discussed herein. Comparison between the simulated and
measured vibration records shows a great agreement which confirms that the proposed methodology
has a full potential to predict and optimise multihole/multidelay blast-induced vibrations.

INTRODUCTION
The vibration environment associated with rock fragmentation
or excavation by blasting has become of increasing interest,
especially in regions where construction activities become
significant. In these blasting operations, a lot of attention is
required in order to design more efficiently the blast to keep
vibrations below the thresholds imposed by the regulations
both in terms of amplitudes and dominant frequencies.
This concern leads naturally to an increasing interest on wave
propagation within fractured rock masses. Homogenisation,
the theory that predicts the overall behaviour of materials
based on local heterogeneities and/or discontinuities, can
play a key role in describing fractured rock masses as it
replaces natural rock media with equivalent homogeneous
domains that obey the principles of continuum mechanics.
In this context, different methodologies were proposed by
previous researchers:
empirical approaches such as the isotropic strength
criterion of Hoek and Brown (1980) and the geomechanical
classifications of Bieniawski (1973) and Barton, Lien and
Lunde (1974) are widely used
analytical approaches (Amadei and Goodman, 1981;
Bekaert and Maghous, 1996; Frard, 2000; Atta, 2004) are
also of high relevance, although they are limited to simple
rock geometries
numerical approaches based on precise description of
random discontinuity distribution and their mechanical
behaviour (Pouya and Ghoreychi, 2001; Min and
Jing, 2003; Chalhoub and Pouya, 2006) are gaining
momentum nowadays with the increasing development
of computational techniques.
Empirical approaches allow connecting the deformation
modulus of the rock mass to structural parameters such as rock
quality density (RQD) (Deere et al, 1967; Coon and Merritt,
1970; Gardner, 1987; Zhang and Einstein, 2004) or rock masses
classification systems such as the Rock Mass Rating (RMR)
(Bieniawski, 1973), the Q factor (Barton, Bandis and Bakhtar,
1985) or the geological strength index (Hoek, Wood and Shah,
1992). RQD is still widely used to estimate the fractured rock
mass deformation modulus in spite of its dependence on
space directions. Table 1 presents several relations which
were proposed by previous researchers to relate the ratio
between the fractured rock mass Youngs modulus Em and
the intact rock matrix Youngs modulus Er to some other
structural and mechanical parameters. In particular, Amadei

1. Associate Professor, Universit de Tunis El Manar Ecole Nationale dIngnieurs de Tunis, LR14ES03-Ingnierie Gotechnique, BP 37 Le Belvdre, Tunis 1002, Tunisia.
Email: essaieb.hamdi@enit.rnu.tn
2. Associate Professor, School of Civil and ResourceEngineering, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009. Email: ali.karrech@uwa.edu.au

11TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ROCK FRAGMENTATION BY BLASTING / SYDNEY, NSW, 2426 AUGUST 2015 89
E HAMDI AND A KARRECH

TABLE 1 theoretical statistical laws and their parameters for azimuth,

Empirical estimation of homogenised Youngs modulus of fractured rock mass. dip angle, trace length and spacing, HLA-Dissim performs a
random stochastic simulation of the real discontinuity network.
Equation Reference Afterwards, the density of the simulated discontinuity network
Em = EEr Gardner (1987) is characterised by evaluating the specific length (ratio between
E = 0.0231 RQD-1.32 0.15 if RQD >57% the total length of all discontinuities comprised in the fixed
Em/Er = 0.15 if RQD <57% simulation domain and the volume of this domain) and the
classical RQD as a mean value overall RQDs determined in
Em 1 Kulhawy (1978)
= different meshing nodes considering all possible directions.
Er E
Adetailed description of HLA-Dissim can be found in Gasmi,
1+ s.k
r

n Hamdi and Bouden Romdhane (2014).

s and kn are the mean spacing and normal rigidity
of discontinuities respectively
Er ]1 + 0.01RQDg 1.1747 Kayabasi, Gokceoglu and
Em = 0.1423 < F Ercanoglu (2003)
WD
WD is the weathering degree of discontinuities
Em/Er = 100.0186RQD-1.91 Zhang and Einstein (2004)
vc b RMR - 100 l Hoek, Carranza-Torres and
Em = .10 40
100 Corkum (2002)
c is the compressive strength of intact rock
1 Barton (2000)
Em = 10. b l
Q 3
100
1- D Hoek and Diederichs (2006)
= f 0.02 + p
Em
2 for civil construction and cement plant raw material. Jebel
E
eb l
60 + 15D - GSI
11
D is damage factor
and Savage (1993) showed clearly the effect of normal rigidity
on the deformation modulus of the fractured rock mass.
Numerical modelling is one of the powerful available
tools and allows engineers to analyse and solve complex
mathematical and physical problems that are difficult to
address explicitly using analytical methods or prohibitively
expensive to treat experimentally. In this paper, we suggest a
numerical model capable of integrating randomly distributed
fractures with their respective dimensions, surface
orientations, dips and mechanical properties. The model
combines a Python script that generates the fault distributions,
material assignments, and boundary conditions to the
commercial finite element software Abaqus, which is used
to solve the problem numerically. The mode was validated
by comparing its outputs to the results of Gasmi, Hamdi
and Bouden Romdhane (2014), who used an in-house code
known as HLA-Dissim to investigate the effects of blasting
on the vibration of fractured media. In addition, it was used
to describe the mechanical behaviour of fracture networks
under vibration. The scope of the paper includes an overview
on discontinuity network simulations. It then focuses on the
specific geological site the Zriba quarry situated in northern
Tunisia. The fieldwork conducted on this particular site is
used to source the natural distribution of fracture networks
and their characteristics. The last part of this paper is dedicate
to the actual numerical analysis that is used to investigate the
effect of blasting on the behaviour of fracture networks.
The discontinuity network characteristics usually exhibit
uncertainty and probabilistic dispersion. Several researchers
applied stochastic mathematics to study the global properties
of rock masses with regards to dispersion in discontinuities
density and orientation (Zhou and Yu, 1999; Esmaieli,
Hadjigeorgiou and Grenon, 2010). Kolmogorov-Smirnov test
(KS) was often used as an indicator if the mean and variances
of two samples were statistically different from each other and
to determine the best stochastic characteristics (distribution
function, mean, standard deviation) (Zhang et al, 2012; Chen,
Xiao and Wang, 1995; Wang, Chen and Shi, 2004).
SITE AND GEOLOGY PRESENTATION
The Zriba quarry is located 20 km from the Spa Zriba at Jebel
Zaghouan. The quarry is exploited for aggregates production
Zaghouan is a mountain topped by a massive limestone of
the vertebral Jurassic and oriented in a direction of N40 to
N50. The investigated bench front is made of five limestone
benches separated by four marly joints with an opening of
3cm each and a total 6 m height (see Figure 1). The direction
of the front is N310.
Two sampling scanlines were carried out with a total length
of 40 m. Both lines allow the mapping of 31 discontinuities
with azimuth angles varying from 15 to 330 and dip angles
ranging from 30 to 85. The visible trace length of mapped
discontinuities ranges from 1 to 6 m. These discontinuities
are centimetre openings and show filling materials which are
generally marl or calcite.
The automatic classification of discontinuities in directional
sets, based on the normal vectors proximity (Gasmi, Hamdi
and Bouden Romdhane, 2014) lead to identifying two
discontinuity sets. This first classification was confirmed by a
clustering classification test for each set as described by Fisher
(1953) and more recently by Priest (1993). Figure 2 shows
the results of the clustering procedure for the so identified
discontinuity sets using rose diagrams.

DISCONTINUITY NETWORK SIMULATIONS

HLA-Dissim is a Matlab code that applies a rigorous approach
based on the field systematic discontinuity mapping campaign,
as proposed by the ISRM. The statistical processing of these
field data leads to the identification and the characterisation of
the main directional discontinuity sets. Based on the best fitting FIG 1 Investigated front at Zriba quarry.

90 11TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ROCK FRAGMENTATION BY BLASTING / SYDNEY, NSW, 2426 AUGUST 2015
 A METHODOLOGY FOR ROCK MASS CHARACTERISATION TO CONTROL BLAST-INDUCED VIBRATIONS

Table 2 shows the best fitted distribution theoretical laws

A and their parameters (mean and standard deviation) that best
represent the variation of parameters characterising the two
identified discontinuities sets.
Histograms showing the dispersion of trace length, dip angle,
azimuth and spacing for the two sets are shown in Figure 3.
Table 2 presents the parameters of the best fitted theoretical
laws for the two identified sets in the investigated bench front.
The investigated bench front RQD and specific length
cumulative distributions coming from 20 stochastic
simulations are presented in Figure 4. The tightness of normal
distribution to the simulated 20 samples was tested using the
KS test. Itis worth to be reminded that the normal distribution
fits the samples only if the p-value is lower than 1.36. Table3
gives the results of KS test statistics calculations. It is clear
from the p-values obtained that the normal distribution fits
the RQD simulated data and that the specific length does not
B follow a normal distribution as the p-value for the KS test
does exceeds the threshold.

NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF FRACTURE

NETWORKS
The numerical model developed herein involves a preprocessing
phase which is written using Python scripts, a processing
phase which carries out the finite element calculations using
the commercial software Abaqus and a post processing which
combines Python scripting and the visualiser of Abaqus. The
first phase is crucial in our case because it ensures a realistic
representation of a fracture network, which would be difficult
to obtain manually given the large number of fractures
involved. As an input of our Python module, we include a
digital data file, which contains the statistical distribution of
C faults as generated by HLA-Dissim. The data is tabulated in
columns specifying respectively, the identity number of each
fault, its dip direction, dip angle, origin coordinates, length
and thickness. Based on this information, the Python code uses
the built-in classes of Abaqus to generate the domain as well
as the different fractures and create the necessary partitions.
A special care is given to the possible intersection of fractures
and their extension through the solid domain as nested edges
need to be sorted to produce compact domains that are
suitable for finite element meshing. Once the geometry of the
fracture network is generated, a second procedure of material
assignment is commenced. It includes the segregation between
the fracture networks and the matrix zones. Upon geometrical
identification of the different domains, material properties are
attributed to the different partitions. The matrix is assumed
to behave linearly with a Young modulus of 63 GPa and a
D Poissons ratio of 0.25. As for the faults, their behaviour is based
on their normal and tangential stiffnesses. In accordance with
Geymonat, Krasucki and Lenci (1999), we consider that the
normal and tangential stiffnesses can be expressed as:

E f _1 + Vf i Ef
Kn = and Kt =
t f `1 - Vf j`1 - 2Vf j t f 2 _1 + Vf i
where:
tf is the thickness of a given fault zone
Ef is the Youngs modulus
Vf is the Poissons ratio
The subscripts n and t refer to the normal and tangential
directions. In the context of the current study, Kn is
varied between 5 GPa m-1 and 25 GPa m-1, and the Poisons
FIG 2 Clustering procedure for discontinuity set 1: (A) azimuth and ratio is set to 0.25. The densities of the intact matrix and the
(B) dip angle; and discontinuity set 2: (C) azimuth and (D) dip angle. faults are respectively 2650 kg m-3 and 2100 kg m-3 respectively.

11TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ROCK FRAGMENTATION BY BLASTING / SYDNEY, NSW, 2426 AUGUST 2015 91
E HAMDI AND A KARRECH

TABLE 2
Best fitted theoretical laws for the two identified sets.

tab Set 1 Set 2

Law Mean Standard deviation Law Mean Standard deviation
Azimuth () Normal 287.4 46.7 Normal 197.5 53.4
Dip angle () Normal 75 13.46 Normal 82.14 6.11
Trace length (m) Normal 3.06 1.49 Normal 2.96 1.15
Spacing (m) Exponential 2.47 - Exponential 2.04 -

A A

FIG 4 Cumulative distribution of rock quality designation

(RQD) and specific length for Zriba quarry rock mass.

The responses in terms of displacement at the point B are

detected with a delay t. The wave velocity is calculated from
the output of the numerical model as the travelled distance
over delays:

V = | AB | / dt .

FIG 3 Histograms for the geometrical parameters of the two identified sets.
Figure 5 illustrates the workflow of the current study.
Figure 5a and 5b show respectively the fracture distribution
as obtained by Python and the discretised domain.
Figure 5c shows the response of the block at the position
A = (xmax, 0.5ymax, zmax) due to an applied displacement of
10-2sin(100t) at the position B = (0, 0.5ymax, zmax).
Upon application of the sinusoidal displacement at a
pointA (see Figure 5), mechanical waves travel outward with
a speed of the order of:
Em t m
where:
Em and mare the overall Young modulus and density
respectively
The existence of fractures, their distributions and mechanical
properties alter the overall properties of rock masses and
subsequently the wave velocity within the considered block.
Our simulations confirm this behaviour and reveal that the
stiffness of fractures affects the response of the fractured
medium. Figure 6 shows that the wave velocity increases
with respect to the normal fracture stiffnesses. The obtained
results are of a fair agreement with those obtained by Gasmi,
Hamdi and Bouden Romdhane (2014) as the velocities are
of the same order of magnitude and the increasing trend is
reproduced. The slight discrepancies are due to the fact that
the current model is three-dimensional while those obtained
by Gasmi, Hamdi and Bouden Romdhane (2014) are quasi-
one-dimensional. We believe that the current model is more
reliable as it mimics the actual field configuration more
faithfully.
Figure 7 depicts the propagation of stress from pointA, both
within the matrix and the fracture zones, for the particular case

92 11TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ROCK FRAGMENTATION BY BLASTING / SYDNEY, NSW, 2426 AUGUST 2015
 A METHODOLOGY FOR ROCK MASS CHARACTERISATION TO CONTROL BLAST-INDUCED VIBRATIONS

TABLE 3
Statistical analysis of rock quality designation (RQD) and specific length parameters.

Parameter Confidence interval at 95% Confidence interval at 95% p KS

RQD (%) 76.7 75.7 77.7 2.1 1.6 3.1 0.5 0.12
d(m.m-2) 4.19 4.11 4.27 0.17 0.13 0.25 4.19 4.11

A B

FIG 5 Workflow and output of the numerical model: (A) distribution of fractures as produced using Python; (B) mesh of the geological
domain the discontinuous lines indicate the dip directions; (C) the vertical displacement at the point B (shown in Figure 5a).

of Kn = 10 GPa m-1. It can be seen that initially the stresses
are concentrated in the vicinity of the point of application of
the load (ie the imposed displacement at pointA). At around
t = 7.15 ms, the stresses reach the point B of the block and
induces an increase of the stresses especially at the tips of the
fractures. It was noticed that the stresses fluctuate considerably
but they are correlated with the obtained displacement, which
means that they are governed by the same propagation speeds
that are obtained for displacement waves.
CONCLUSION
The present paper investigates the influence of the existence
of fractures, their distribution and material properties on the
response of natural rock masses. In particular, it focuses on
the evaluation of overall material properties based on local
micro-structure considerations. It was shown that pre-existing
fracture networks influence the delay of wave propagation. In
addition, it was shown that the propagation of displacement
through the fracture networks induces the development of
stress waves as well, which may affect the strength of the local
fractures.
The current model extends previous contributions, which
investigate the effects of local fractures on the overall
behaviour of rock masses using one-dimensional approaches.
The three-dimensional nature of the current analysis offers a
more reliable methodology to track the response of fractured
materials as it mimics real world geomaterials structures more
faithfully. Future work will investigate not only the delays
and attenuation of mechanical waves but also their progress
in case of excessive stress fields.

11TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ROCK FRAGMENTATION BY BLASTING / SYDNEY, NSW, 2426 AUGUST 2015 93
E HAMDI AND A KARRECH

B
FIG 6 Variation of the wave velocity with respect
to the normal stiffness of fractures.

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