Laboratory and in-situ
rock testing
Advanced Geotechnical Engineering
EAG 442
By: Dr Mohd Ashraf Mohamad Ismail
Table of content
Laboratory test
Simple index test
In-situ test
Table of content
Laboratory test
Simple index test
In-situ test
Index properties
Density
Porosity
Permeability
Strength
Durability
Sonic velocity
Index properties
Density
Porosity
Permeability
Strength
Durability
Sonic velocity
Laboratory test
Uniaxial compressive test (UCS)
Load
Before failure
Universal testing machine (UTM)
Determination of the Uniaxial compressive
strength of cylindrical intact rock specimens
(load up 2000kN). The load rate is kept constant
using a servo-hydraulic control unit.
After failure
p
Laboratory test
c
A
Uniaxial compressive test (UCS)
Basically, there are four main factors which control the test
results other than the intact rock properties itself.
Friction between platen and the end surface
Specimen geometry (shape, height to diameter ratio and size)
Rate of loading
Water content
A height to diameter ratio of 2 (54 mm in diameter and 108 mm in height)
had been employed and testing procedure will strictly follow the Suggested
Methods for Determining the Uniaxial Compressive Strength and
Deformability of Rock Materials (ISRM, 1981).
Laboratory test
Uniaxial compressive test (UCS)
Rock sample
coring
Rock sample
cutting
Laboratory test
Uniaxial compressive test (UCS)
Coring from rock mass sample
p
Laboratory test
c
A
Uniaxial compressive test (UCS)
P (Failure load)
c
A (Specimen cross sectional area)
Height
No. Diameter (m) Load (kN) Uniaxial compressive strength (MPa)
(m)
1 0.05 0.1 48.446 24.67
2 0.05 0.1 50.566 25.75
3 0.05 0.1 52.746 26.86
Average 25.76
Laboratory test
Point load test Load
Before failure
Point load testing machine
Determination of point load strength based on the
application of axial load on rock specimens having After failure
a cylindrical or irregular shape.
Laboratory test
Point load test Load
Before failure
Point load testing machine
Determination of point load strength based on the
application of axial load on rock specimens having After failure
a cylindrical or irregular shape.
Laboratory test
Point load test – shape requirements
Diametric test Axial test
Laboratory test
Point load test – shape requirements
Block test
Irregular lump test
Laboratory test
Point load test – shape requirements
Valid diametric test
Valid axial test
Laboratory test
Point load test – mode of failure
Valid block test
Invalid core and axial test
p
Laboratory test
c
A
Point load test
A rock core is loaded diametrically between the tips of two hardened steel cones,
causing failure through the development of tensile cracks parallel to the loading
direction.
P (Failure load)
Is 2
D (Equivalent core diameter)
No. Diameter (m) Height (m) Load (kN) Is(50) (MPa)
1 0.05 0.075 2.685 1.07
2 0.05 0.075 2.680 1.07
3 0.05 0.075 3.185 1.27
Average 1.14
UCS p 24 I s 50
Correlation between UCS and PL
c
A
UCS 24 I s 50
Sample Point load index UCS Estimated USC value
1 1.07 25.68 24.67
2 1.07 25.68 25.75
3 1.27 30.48 26.86
Average 27.28 25.76
UCS p 24 I s 50
Correlation between UCS and PL
c
A
Table 4: Field estimates of intact rock based on Uniaxial compressive strength and
point load index (Marinos and Hoek, 2000)
G Term UCS PLI Field estimate of strength Examples
(MPa) (MPa)
Specimen can only be chipped with a geological hammer Fresh basalt, chert, diabase,
Extremely
R6 >250 >10 gneiss, granite, quartzite
strong
Specimens requires many blows of a geological hammer Amphibolite, sandstone,
to fracture it basalt, gabbro, gneiss,
R5 Very strong 100-250 4-10 granodiorite, peridotite,
rhyolite, tuff
Specimen requires more than one blow of a geological Limestone, marble,
R4 Strong 50-100 2-4 hammer to fracture it sandstone, schist
Cannot be scraped or peeled with a pocket knife, Concrete, phyllite, schist,
Medium specimen can be fractured with a single blow from a siltstone
R3 25-50 1-2
strong geological hammer
Can be peeled with a pocket knife with difficulty, shallow Chalk, claystone, potash,
R2 Weak indentation made by firm blow with point of geological marl, siltstone, shale, rocksalt
5-25 ** hammer
Crumbles under firm blows with point of a geological Highly weathered or altered
R1 Very weak 1-5 ** hammer, can be peeled by a pocket knife rock, shale
Extremely Indented by thumbnail Stiff fault gouge
R0 0.25-1 **
weak
**Point load tests on rocks with Uniaxial compressive strength below 25 MPa are likely to
yield highly ambiguous results
UCS p 24 I s 50
Correlation between UCS and PL
c
A
Table : Classes of rock excavatability (Franklin et al., 1970)
Uniaxial compressive strength (MPa)
1 5 10 50 100 200
2 100
Fracture spacing (m)
0.6 90
RQD (%)
0.2 75
0.06 25
0.02 0
0.1 0.3 1 3 10
Point Load Index (MPa)
Laboratory test
Triaxial test
Before failure
Triaxial rock testing system
Determination of the compressive strength of
intact rock specimens with simultaneous
application of confining pressure (up to 70MPa)
using the Hoek cell.
After failure
Laboratory test
Splitting tension test (Brazilian test)
Load
Brazilian test machine
Brazilian test apparatus are used for indirect measurement of
tensile strength of rocks
Laboratory test
Ultrasonic test
Ultrasonic measurement apparatus P and S wave recorder
Determination of the ultrasonic velocity of longitudinal and
shear waves in cylindrical rock specimens by calculating the
transit time through them as an index to degree of fissuring
Laboratory test
Ultrasonic test
Table : typical values of longitudinal waves for rocks (Fourmaintraux, 1976)
Rock Longitudinal waves (m/s)
Gabbro 7000
Basalt 6500-7000
Limestone 6000-6500
Dolomite 6500-7000
Sandstone and quartize 6000
Granitic rocks 5500-6000
Laboratory test
Portable direct shear test
Shear of rock discontinuity
Shear test on rock discontinuities
Determination of the shear strength of natural and artificial
rock discontinuities.
Laboratory test
Slake durability test
Specimen in slake durability
Slake durability apparatus test
This test used in the evaluation of the resistance of rocks to
disintegration when subjected to different drying and water-
immersion cycles.
Table of content
Laboratory test
Simple index test
In-situ test
Index test
Objective
Objective Simple
Simple index
index test
test
investigation
investigation Ex)
Ex) Schmidt
Schmidt test
test hammer
hammer
cheap simple operation short time
easy to get anyone many times
Even a naive engineer
can predict the approximated rock property
with small cost in a wide region
Schmidt test hammer
BANG!!
Schmidt test hammer for
concrete
BANG!!
attachment
Schmidt test hammer for
rock
Non-destructive inspection
Rebound number & rock
properties
deformability
rebound number elasticity rebound number
Rebound number & rock
properties
Rebound
number & rock
properties
Schmidt test hammer
measurement in tunnel
Table of content
Laboratory test
Simple index test
In-situ test
In-situ test
Plate bearing test – in-situ deformability of
rock mass
Fixed point
Stiff plate
Jack
fixed line
loading
Result of Plate bearing Test
段階荷重1 段階荷重2 段階荷重3 最大荷重1 最大荷重2 最大荷重3
70.0
60.0
i t y
i l
a b
2
]
rm
[kgf/m
50.0
i ty
f
De
2
]
t ic
応力[kgf/cm
40.0
as
Stress
El
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0
Displacement
変位[mm]
[mm]
Interpretation of
Displacement
Elastic disp.
of discontinuity
Plastic disp. Elastic disp.
of discontinuity of intact rock
Deformability:
discontinuity (Plastic disp.+ Elastic disp.)+intact rock (Elastic disp.)
Elasticity:
discontinuity (Elastic disp.)+intact rock (Elastic disp.)
Pressuremeter Test
Dilatometer Goodman Jack
Equally distributed Resulting displacement
pressure is applied. is equally distributed.
Dilatometer Test
pump
monitor
cable
battery
probe
rubber tube
In-situ Rock Triaxial Test
In situ shearing test
Normal
load
Normal Shear
load load
Shear
load
In situ shearing test
Result of in situ shearing
test
Shear
stress f
Friction
angle
Cohesion
Normal stress
Borehole
hammer
cable
control
battery
probe
hammer
Borehole
hammer
BANG!!
Electromagnetic
hammer
Borehole hammer - Principle
behavior
uniform motion
1 contact
decrease in velocity
velocity
2 stop
1 2 3
increase in velocity
accereration
3 departure
time uniform motion
Borehole hammer - Principle
Good Poor
rock rock
velosity
1 2 3 hight 1 2 3
accele-
ration
width
time time
Definition of Response Value
PMAX
Response value R=
W V0
velocity
initial V0
acceleration Maximum PMAX
time
Pulse width W
Thank you very much
