Technical Note Some Effects of Scale on the Shear Strength of Joints NICK BARTON? STAVROS BANDISt In rent article, Te & Croden [1) pointed out that fay smal errors in extimaing the elm roughness co ficient URC) when visually comparing joint profes, ould result im serious errors im estimating the peak shear stength (2) from equation (0), Barton & Chow bey [2 especially if the ratio TCS 2, was lege 1 # e,tan URCIog;9(ICS/0) + &) 0 where = eflective normal stres ICS = joint wall compression strength 1, = fesidual retton angle “They therefore recommended a numerical check of the value of JRC, based on a detailed profiling and alysis ubliing several of the mathematical tech niques for describing srlace characteristics used in ‘mechanical engineering, to "avoid the subjectivity of estimates of JRC by comparison with pial protles. “A ka} post of Barton & Choubeys recommends ons [=) Was in face that tor pus tet hear tests Under seltweight indoced stresses) were a more zliable ‘method of eximating IRC than comparison sith typ Gal proses. Surprisingly Tse & Craden [I) did not proceed to the important question of scale elect on Shear strength Seale feet on IRC Tn practice itis found that JRC is aly a constant for 4 fixed joint length. Generally longer profiles (of the Same joint) have lower JRC values, Consequently Tonger samples tend to have lower peak shea strength, ‘a demonstrated conclusively by Prat etal (31 Barton & Choubey [2] suggested that the correct ‘ze of joint for indexing (Shear testing o* sure analy Sis) might as a fist approximation be given by the patoral block size (spectcally the spacing of eroer Joie) Rook maces with widely spaced jot have les Treedom for block oration than rock masses with smal block sizes Smaller Blocks have restr freedom to fol Tow and fee the smaller sale and steeper asperities of the component joints Bence the higher IRC vals. Tie scale ofc i ilustrated in Fig 1 (t8 appreciate that this Feedom for individ rotation may be limited at high sires levels. ° In effect the spacing of eros ois (or block size) is ‘he minimum ‘hinge length in the rock mas hence ts significance asa potential teal eet sz limi. “The abow scale effet could presumably be simu- lates by Tse & Croden's [1] numerical analysis of sur- face coordinates if targe sips were taken when pro- filing longer jms Ts technique was used by Fesker 4 Rengrs (3) snd Barton [5]. In eect, the larger sepe jmp over the smaller steep asperities. thereby sampling nly the longer and more gently inclined aspertie ‘which Seem 1o cotta ul fale shear stength ef, Pat- ton {6} The shear cisplacementeequized to mobilize peak sirength sems tobe a measure af the distance the e0 “Technical Note Tr} Gide NV sews tw seas mass ei Joint has to displace for contact to be made between those asperios that ace elective for that particular Joint length. This ditance inereases with increasing Joint lenath ‘comprehensive sres of shear tests by Bandis (7) has cleat demonstrsed the sale dependency of IRC. ‘rubber moulding sysiem was used fo take Precise -mprestons of many tsps of natural jin Srfaces in ‘ariey of rocks, A carefully designed model metal ‘vas used 0 east several set of identical interlocking jointed) specimens Irom cach pair of moulds. These Sspocimens were shear texted either a fl sale (260mm) fF cut into smaller specimens of 180, 120 or 60mm length. At prototype Scale these represented 9.45, 3 ot 11S mlenaths of joint while the simulated! rock had an unconfined compression strength (o) of 70 MPa CS =o, her “able I shows some typical test results. The probe bility that JCS also reduces with incrsssing size [2] ‘due 10 the well known scale fect on compression strength probably causes the JRC stale effect to be cuageerated. A constant valve of JCS was assumed ‘when Back-analsing these rests ‘The shape of the shear force—displacement curves also changes signifianty with iereasing sale, Behav jour changes fom “rite to ‘plastic’ and shear ste nes reduces a illustrated in Fig > The reason for the ‘changing shape ofthe eases isthe progressive amuse fecurs to larger and larger asperies as the scale ineressed fierce of Book sie ‘Ofcourse a felt exss in that he shear bo ets ace performed on individual) jointed Blocks. The 1e- Sponse of the surrounding tock mast is absent in Almost all shear bor test. although on av indiidul ‘ass small jointed blocks ae likey to behave in & more brite manner than lage jointed blocks. colette the ‘much greater number of Boeks it a Rea jointed ook mass will end to cause moce “pase behaviour In edginion is probable at many heavily Joined fosk masses hive ute pianar joints. This would fortber emphasis he plas’ type of behaviou. ‘Shear tess on jointed asembles of rack looks pee sent serious expetimental problems. simpler ppreach to the problem can be mide via ‘o-dimen- Sonal plane sree jointed models tested in a bial Fi eb changes rm" Bp” wh Ne ise eh. (Cute mm i, aneTechoial Note 1 fies i 3. Man filing oop tring nn loading fame. Inthe tests summarized here three die ferent block sizes were simulated by generating two intersecting sets of tension fractures with spacing 612 for 24mm. The principe i ilstrated in Fig. 5. Each model consisted of 4000, L000 or 250 locks, epending on te joint spacing chosen. The joint oien- tation (2 = 36°) and the loading path (constant os, increasing o, to fllre) were iseatial in eich cae Figure 4 ilustrats the principle of the test. Tn model saudes shear box samples (length L.) are sual larger than L, La oF Ly ane therefore wnderest imate the shear strength of the joimed mass, In rock mechanics practie shear box samples ate. Ustally smaller than L, and therefore oerettinate the thea? Strength of the rook mass Table 2 shows the reslts tha were back calculated fiom the salues of 8; and ¢, required fo cause shear falar inthe bianal tests. These rests see compared ith shear box tess om Blocks containing singe joints ofthe same soughiness ‘The usual problem of insuficient sample sie may therefore be reversed in mode sucies rough sort late modeled. The 50 2nd 100mm long sheer box Sarmples of mode joins were ico long to represent the Jointed mass, wih its much smaller block fies. Note ‘that this cesult is the opposite of what is usually observed from smooth block models. The great major ‘iy of physical models so far perormed in rock mech nis studies have planar joints URC = 0) and lace the Important interlocking ect of rough joint, “There may be a tendency amit the present interes with Joint roughness analysis (Tee © Cruden [7} Krak & Mongenstern [9] 19 overlook the fact that the natural lock size (or similar) may be the most relevant scaletee’ sae to analyse or test This i Of course considerably larger than the “laboratory” sie Specimens usualy testedin rack mechanics. The cheap. {st solution st conduet i or pul tere on the nstral block size of a gen rockmass, using gravity alone ae the cheap and renewable source of nosmal stress The hedddToa ae ora ah TRE Tipo cost of bolatng or extracting jointed Blocks for stor pull tests for example using line ering s a small fraction of the rule-olhomls $1000 (US! needed to Setup and execute a conventional large in st sheat tes Ge. I x im) with associated Hydraulic jock ‘guipment in the $0-100 tons range Ts heavily joinied rock masses expecially when least thee sets of Joints afe present Fis. Ss) i will cen be a relatively simple matter to exract jinted blocks by hand exeavaton, Accurate estimates of IRC an ther be obtained in # matter of minutes with o bore in tbe way of equipment than a clinometer to measure the tit angle 12) at which siding oovurs. In ihis ease JRC is given by a simple rearrangement of cation (1 PRO GIES Gal a where = oh cos? x (= normal sess induced by set weigh of block. see re [20) rock density ticks of upper block For the case ofthe pul test illustrated daptammat cally in Fig. 3b, an eternal shearing free Ts will De Fequted 0 mobilize the peuk value of JRC. This can be ‘pnlied va groued holt and hook if locks ate large 1 Sanoipated that at least one side ofthe block 10 be pall ested wil have to be fine dled t0 remove the 2 ‘Technical Note stabilcing effect of intslockiag asperites from neigh bourng blocks. Tin tis cae the relevant value of JRC is given by the aol (28) -—t j PRC = Tog ICS ANT e where A= the join area In both the above cases the joint wall compression sre (ICS) and the rei ct angle (yl ean Be cstimated using a Schmidt hammer (see Barton & ‘Choubey [2] for deals) These extmates need not be tert accurate, Underestimates and overestimates wil be aviomatically compensated by corzesponding oeerest- ‘nates oe anderestiates of IRC. Unbke mathemstcal Profile analysis the proposed measurement of JRC must produce a result that exacdy consutss the cores (measured) shear strength. A. paniculirly favourable feature i the high vale of the ratio ICS, in se ‘weigh tess: probably in the range 10DI-100000 in ‘most conceivable cases, Thus errors in estimating, ae feduced by a factor of 3-8. Errore sm estimating JCS wil be small duet te logarithmic formulation. Typical valuss that might be obtained in practice ae sven in he following to examples of hypothetical it and pul tests Example 1. Ti tes Assume the following values have heen measured y= 51 (alt ange) 00 mm (eck thickness cy, = 0005 MPS SkNT Jes = Soa estimated using. Schmitt tame mer, 8 [2] fr deta (a) tay nese (ey po rer“Technical Note i "el Sapa a Example 2. Pal test Assume’ the following values have been measured andor estimate N = 2 tons (normal and tangential components of seeweght of upperbiock, calculated) y= Tier ‘T, = | top tappled by meuns of bydralic jack) A= Li? fare of test surlace) area ag ‘Once the range of values of IRC have. boon setemined fom soverl such tess the required peak shear strength envelopes can be evaluated by subeiu: tion in equation (1) over the desred range of normal stress Figure lustates the peak shar strength of the shove two examples assuming a ange of normal stress Of -SMPa is interest The advantage of sich tests a8 sompared to profile analysis and independent” determination of JRC, ICS land @, is that errors in JCS and @, are automatically Compensated bythe physical alue of JRC back-ale lated REFERENCES 1 Te Crate DS Esening rn rng efi Fete Rene © Nesrenen: fg sale woh as Ee Pan pe fk et Nay Pe Bite Alto bee og an ji see