INDEX PROPERTIES Rock

Mass
Easily determined properties useful in the quantitative description of rocks :-

1. POROSITY
ROCK MASS
2. DENSITY
INTACT ROCK AND
3. ACOUSTIC VELOCITY
DISCONTINUITIES
4. PERMEABILITY
5. STRENGTH
6. DURABILITY
Laboratory
Specimen
Index properties determined in the laboratory relate most closely to
the behaviour of INTACT ROCK. They are of lesser importance and
Block of Joints
require caution when used in the prediction of ROCK MASS behaviour Intact Rock
Material

POROSITY
TYPICAL
POROSITY
Porosity shows some useful empirical correlations :- VALUES

NEGATIVE : Unconfined Compressive Strength

Deformation modulus
Density
particularly in unweathered fresh rock types.

For similar rock types porosity also shows correlations Porosity decreases
with :- with depth
Porosity increases
NEGATIVE : Geological age due to weathering
Depth of burial

1
POROSITY v DEPTH AND UCS
DENSITY OR UNIT WEIGHT
Uniaxial Compressive Strength, MPa
250 UCS reduction
0 Increasing
overburden 200 Rock density is often a function of porosity since most rocks
Depth below surface (km)

have relatively similar average grain densities.

150
POSITIVE : Geological age
100 Burial depth
Compressive strength
Deformation modulus
50

2 NEGATIVE : Porosity

ρ and γ
0.05 0.1 0.3 0 10 20 30 Weathering
Porosity, %
Log Porosity

DENSITIES OF MINERALS TYPICAL DENSITIES AND UNIT WEIGHTS OF ROCK TYPES

ROCKS Density g/cm3 Unit Weight kN/m3
MINERALS DENSITY gm/cm3
Halite 2.1-2.6 Granite 2.65 26
Gypsum 2.3-2.5 Diorite 2.85 27.9
Serpentine 2.3-2.6
Orthoclase 2.5-2.6 Gabbro 3.0 29.4
Quartz 2.65
Gypsum 2.3 22.5
Plagioclase 2.6-2.8
Chlorite/Illite 2.6-3.0 Rock Salt 2.1 20.6
Calcite 2.7
Muscovite 2.7-3.0 Coal 0.7-2.0
Biotite 2.8-3.1 Dense Limestone 2.7 26.9
Dolomite 2.8-3.1
Anhydrite 2.9-3.0 Marble 2.75 27
Pyroxene 3.2-3.6
Shale f(depth) 2.25-2.62 22.1-25.7
Olivine 3.2-3.6
Barite 4.3-4.6 Rhyolite 2.37 23.2
Magnetite 4.4-5.2
Pyrite 4.9-5.2 Basalt 2.77 27.1
Galena 7.4-7.6 Amphibolite 2.99 29.3

2
 ACOUSTIC VELOCITY LABORATORY ACOUSTIC VELOCITY TESTING
• Acoustic velocity in rock cores is easily determined by measuring the
travel time of vibrational waves introduced by piezoelectric crystals. Transmitter
• Compression (P) and shear (S) waves can be measured but the more
standard index tests use only P-wave velocity Pulse Power
Specimen
• The transmitted wave velocity depends on rock elastic properties and Generator Amplifier Preamplifier
density. Fractures cause marked changes in elastic properties and
transmission velocities are sensitive to fracturing. Receiver
Oscilloscope

Receiver Transmitter

Transducers S-wave
P-wave
Oscilloscope

Geophones

ACOUSTIC VELOCITY

Transducers can be made for use under:

• Uniaxial conditions or
• Triaxial conditions

3
MINERALS Vp(m/s) ROCKS Vp (m/s) ROCK QUALITY CLASSIFICATION IN
Olivine 8400 Gabbro 6800-7200 RELATION TO EXCAVATION
Pyrite 8000 Basalt 6500-7200
Dolomite 7500 Dolomite 6500-7000 6
EH Blast to fracture
Epidote 7450 Limestone 5500-6500
2
Magnetite 7400 Sandstone 5000-6000 VH
TYPICAL

Fracture Spacing (m)

Pyroxene 7200 Granite 5500-6000 0.6

Amphibole 7200
ACOUSTIC 0.2
H
Blast to loosen
Calcite 6600
VELOCITY M
0.06
Plagioclase 6250 VALUES L Rip
0.02 Dig
Quartz 6050 VL
Muscovite 5800 VL L M H VH EH
0.03 0.1 0.3 1 3 10 30
Orthoclase 5800 Point Load Strength
MN/m 2

Velocity in metres/sec X 1000

0 1 2 3 4
PERMEABILITY
• Permeability conveys information about the interconnection of
pore space and fissures within a rock.
GLACIAL TILL
IGNEOUS
Granite • Changes in permeability with stress can be used to assess the
Basalt influence of pores and fissures
Trap rock
SEDIMENTARY
Shale • Flat microfissures or cracks are much more susceptible to
Sandstone
Siltstone closure under normal pressure than spherical pores.
Claystone
Conglomerate
Breccia
• Discontinuities have a major influence on permeability which is
Caliche thus extremely Scale Dependent.
Limestone
METAMORPHIC Spherical pores
Schist Microfissures or cracks
Slate
MINERAL & ORES
Coal
Iron ore
D10 RIPPABLE MARGINAL NON-RIPPABLE

DIG OR BLAST ???

4
 ROCK STRENGTH DESIGNATION AND
CRUDE TEST CRITERIA FOR ESTIMATING
INTACT ROCK STRENGTH IN FIELD (ISRM)

Striking with geological hammer

Crumbles Breaks easily Requires several Can only be

Indenting with geological pick hard blows to break chipped
Peeling with knife
Easy Difficult
Medium
Extremely weak Very weak Weak Very strong Extremely strong
strong
Soft rock Hard rock
2 6 20 60 200
MPa

STRENGTH
POINT LOAD TEST

An index test for rock strength is provided by the POINT

LOAD TEST.

The rock is hydraulically loaded between spherically truncated,

hardened, conical steel platens and fails by the development of
tensile cracks parallel to the axis of loading.

Is = P/D2 P = Load at failure

D = Distance between platens.

• Is is normally reported for D = 50mm

called Is50
• The Uniaxial compressive strength,
Co, is approx 24Is50

5
 Point load tester POINT LOAD SPECIMENS can be tested as :-

Hardened conical Diametral test :- loaded across the diameter of the core
platens L
L>0.5D
D

Axial test :- loaded along the core axis D

0.3W>D>W

W
L>0.5D
L
Irregular lump:- should be spheroidal.
D
DIAMETRAL TEST The ISRM suggested method includes
a size correction procedure to determine Is50 from
diametral, axial and irregular lump tests.

POINT LOAD TEST ANALYSIS

POINT LOAD TEST INTERPRETATION
Is50= F. P
Is50=18x1000 D
50 2500 1.6
F size correction factor

P50 = 18kN
250
10 1.0
P (kN)

6
UCS, MPa

0.6
2
0.2
VALID TESTS Co = 22Is(50)
100 200 500 1000 2500 40 80 100 140 50
De2 (mm2) De (equivalent ) core
diameter (mm) 0 6 10 14
Is(50)
Graphical Procedure Size Correction Factor INVALID TESTS

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 RANGE OF UCS VALUES FOR INTACT ROCK
POINT LOAD INDEX VALUES
Material Point Load Index (MPa) P
Tertiary Sandstone and claystone 0.05-1.0 Co=P/A
Coal 0.2-2.0
Limestone 0.25-8.0
Mudstone, shale 0.2-8.0
Volcanic Flow rocks 3.0-15.0
Dolomite 6.0-11.0

REBOUND TESTS
SCHMIDT HAMMER
Originally used for non destructive testing of concrete. Four types
of hammer available with varying impact energy. The rebound of
the hammer mass after impact on the rock surface can be read
directly from the instrument casing (Schmidt hardness number.)

Type L hammer is recommended by ISRM owing to its low impact

energy.
The Schmidt hardness number has been correlated with the
uniaxial compressive strength of rock types
A large amount of scatter is often obtained in the field; problems
include:
• influence of discontinuities:
• Weathering
• Alteration
• Jointing THE SCHMIDT HAMMER and
• Calibration ACCESSORIES

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 HARDNESS
SLAKE DURABILITY
CONE INDENTORS
Changes in rock properties due to processes of chemical and
Several tests are available for measuring the hardness of rocks, most
mechanical breakdown (eg. exfoliation, hydration, solution,
adapted from metallurgy and called Indentation tests
oxidation, abrasion etc.) can be very important in engineering
The hardness values obtained from the indentation tests have been
applications. A good index test of rock degradability is the Slake
correlated with unconfined compressive strength, Co.
Durability Index.
ABRASIVENESS Apparatus :-
• 140mm diameter drum with 100mm long 2mm mesh walls.
• trough to contain drum + water
CERCHAR ABRASIVENESS TEST • motor drive (20rpm)

A sharp hardened steel stylus is passed across the rock surface for
a distance of 10mm under a load of 7kgf .. the unit of abrasiveness
is related to the dimension of the scratch..measured using optical
techniques.

SLAKE DURABILITY
SLAKE DURABILITY APPARATUS Method
1. Sample consisting of 10 spheroidal lumps each approx 50g
is placed in the drum and weighed.
2. Drum is placed in trough filled with water at 20oC to a
100mm level just below drum axis and rotated at 20rpm for 10
Drum lid minutes.
Mesh Cylinder 3. Drum is removed and material retained dried at 105oC
4. Cycle is repeated and the dried material retained after 2
cycles weighed.

SLAKE DURABILITY = Weight retained 2 cycles

INDEX Initial weight
Drum base
Trough

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 SWELLING PRESSURE AND STRAIN
SLAKE DURABILITY
CLASSIFICATION The Swelling pressure index is a measure of the pressure necessary to
constrain at constant volume, an undisturbed rock specimen immersed
in water. The apparatus used is similar to a soil consolidometer.

DURABILITY Cycle 1 (% retained) Cycle 2. (% retained Swelling Pressure = F/A F = Max axial swelling Force
Very High >99 >98 Index, Isp A = Cross sectional area of
High 98-99 95-98 specimen.
Medium-High 95-98 85-95
Medium 85-95 60-85
The Swelling strain index is a measure of the axial swelling strain
Low 60-85 30-60
Very Low <60 <30 developed when a radially confined undisturbed rock specimen is
immersed in water.

Swelling Strain = d/L *100% d = Max swelling

displacement
Index, Iss L = Initial height of specimen

CONFINED SWELL TEST

Standpipe
Rigid Plate

Porous plate
Ring
Sample
Porous plate