Abstract

OZTURK, C.A; NASUF, E  and  KAHRAMAN, S. Estimation of rock strength from quantitative assessment of rock texture. J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall. [online]. 2014, vol.114, n.6, pp.471-480. ISSN 2411-9717.

The compressive strength of rock (σ_c) has an important effect on design of structures in rock engineering. Compressive strength can be determined in the laboratory using the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) test. Some other index tests, such as the point load test, are also used, particularly when suitable samples for UCS are not available. The quantification of rock texture has introduced a new method in rock engineering for estimating the mechanical and physical properties of rock materials from microscopic investigations. The aim of this study is to quantify rock texture to estimate rock strength from the texture coefficient (TC), which is determined from a statistical assessment of thin section images. Rock texture is quantified by twelve different images from a single thin section to increase the reliability of texture analysis. A data-set is prepared to investigate correlations between TC and σ_c. The statistical correlations are computed after classifying of the rock samples based on their lithology as well as grain features. Equations derived based on the results of this study are used to predict the approximate value of compressive strength from the texture coefficient. This method is particularly useful for preliminary studies in rock engineering projects prior to detailed site investigation.

Keywords : rock engineering; compressive strength; statistical correlation; grain features; texture coefficient.

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