FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT : GEOTECHNICAL &

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
LABORATORY : ENGINEERING GEOLOGY &
GEOPHYSIC LABORATORY
TOPIC : PLOTTING POLES AND CONTOURING OF
STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY DATA ( LAB 4a )

NO. OF PAGES:
EDITION:
NO. OF CHECKING:

1/5
LAB 4a

EFECTIVE DATE :

8/1/2007

AMENDMENT DATE:

8/1/2007

1.0 OBJECTIVE
To plot poles and carry out contouring of the structural geology data.

2.0 LEARNING OUTCOMES

a)
b)
c)
d)

Students should able to use the geological compass.

Students should able to measures the dip and dip direction of any planes.
Students should able to plot poles of the structural geology data.
Students should able to plot contour from the structural geology data.

3.0 THEORY
Analysis of the orientation of structural geology data involves;

Plotting poles representing the dip and dip direction of each discontinuity. This plot will help to identify discontinuity sets,
for which both the average orientation and the scatter (dispersion) can be calculated.

The second step in the analysis is to plot great circles representing the average orientation of each set, major
discontinuities such as faults, and the dip and dip direction of the cut face.

4.0 EQUIMENT AND MATERIALS

Equal-area for plotting poles and great circles (Appendix C)

Equal-area polar net (Appendix D)
Kalsbeek counting net (Appendix E)
Tracing paper
Pencil

5.0 PROCEDURE

Poles can be plotted on the polar stereonet on which the dip direction is indicated on the periphery of the circle, and the
dip is measured along radial lines with zero degrees at the center.

The procedure for plotting poles is to lay a sheet of tracing paper on the printed polar net and mark the north direction
and each quadrant position around the edge of the outer circle. A mark is then made to show the pole that represents
the orientation of each discontinuity as defined by its dip and dip direction. Poles for shallow dipping discontinuities lie
close to the center of the circle, and poles of steeply dipping discontinuities lie close to the periphery of the circle.

Concentrations of pole orientations can be identified using Kalsbeek counting net. The Kalsbeek net is made up of
mutually overlapping hexagons, each with an area of 1/100 of the full area of the stereonet.

Contouring is performed by overlaying the counting net on the pole and counting the number of poles in each hexagon;
this number is marked on the net. These numbers of poles are converted into percentages by dividing each by the total
number of poles and multiplying by 100. Once a percentage is written in each hexagon, contours can be developed by
interpolation.

Prepared by

Lecturer

Name

Aziman Bin Madun / Mohd Hazreek Bin Zainal Abidin

Signature

Date

8 January 2007

FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT : GEOTECHNICAL &
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
LABORATORY : ENGINEERING GEOLOGY &
GEOPHYSIC LABORATORY
TOPIC : PLOTTING POLES AND CONTOURING OF
STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY DATA (LAB 4a)

NO. OF PAGES:
EDITION:
NO. OF CHECKING:

2/5
LAB 4a

EFECTIVE DATE :

8/1/2007

AMENDMENT DATE:

8/1/2007

6.0 RESULT AND ANALYSIS

Discontinuities pattern.

Equal-area equatorial net for plotting poles and great circles.

7.0 QUESTION AND DISCUSSION

(1) Give two (2) methods to draw the structural geology data and discuss based on what situation we choose that method
(each method).
(2) Explain the type of geological structure plotted in the stereonet with the aid of diagram.
(3) Explain the methodology to determine the discontinuities survey data.

8.0 CONCLUSION

FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT : GEOTECHNICAL &
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
LABORATORY : ENGINEERING GEOLOGY &
GEOPHYSIC LABORATORY
TOPIC : PLOTTING POLES AND CONTOURING OF
STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY DATA (LAB 4a)
TABLE 1

No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50

Distance
m
0.0
0.5
1.5
1.9
3.0
3.5
3.8
4.1
0.3
6.7
7.0
8.2
9.0
9.5
9.9
10.3
10.8
11.9
12.4
12.8
13.9
14.2
15.5
15.8
16.0
16.9
17.7
18.5
19.8
20.6
21.0
22.5
22.7
23.1
23.8
24.3
24.8
25.0
26.0
27.6
28.0
28.7
29.2
30.0
31.6
32.0
32.7
33.7
34.0
35.2

NO. OF PAGES:
EDITION:
NO. OF CHECKING:

3/5
LAB 4a

EFECTIVE DATE :

8/1/2007

AMENDMENT DATE:

8/1/2007

ORIENTATION AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF DISCONTINUITIES

Type
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
3
1
4
4
1
3
1
3
1
1
1
4
3
1
3
1
1
1
4
1
3
1
1
3
1
3
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1

Dip Direction
Dip
Persistence
Aperture Infilling
degree
degree
m
212
70
20
1
2
160
85
20
1
2
138
86
20
1
2
147
85
20
1
2
105
46
20
1
2
150
78
20
1
4
260
65
20
1
4
200
64
20
1
4
262
65
20
1
4
205
75
20
1
2
262
52
20
1
2
145
75
20
2
2
128
75
20
2
2
70
40
20
1
3
320
74
20
1
3
215
74
20
1
3
95
38
20
1
3
168
85
20
1
3
310
35
20
2
4
190
40
20
3
2
352
64
20
1
2
88
62
20
1
2
213
60
20
1
2
80
48
20
1
2
200
58
20
1
2
205
60
20
1
2
165
88
20
1
2
206
54
20
2
2
85
42
20
1
2
205
55
20
1
2
90
42
20
1
2
235
60
20
1
2
310
36
20
1
2
200
58
20
1
2
350
60
20
1
6
212
76
20
1
2
98
50
20
1
2
310
50
20
1
2
205
62
20
1
2
98
48
20
1
2
354
86
20
1
2
94
50
20
1
2
194
75
20
1
2
275
44
20
1
2
95
46
20
1
2
210
75
20
1
2
303
25
20
1
2
355
80
20
1
2
207
75
20
1
2
260
50
20
1
2

Roughness

water

5
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
5
3
5
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
5
3
5
3
3
3
3
3
3

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT : GEOTECHNICAL &
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
LABORATORY : ENGINEERING GEOLOGY &
GEOPHYSIC LABORATORY
TOPIC : PLOTTING POLES AND CONTOURING OF
STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY DATA (LAB 4a)

NO. OF PAGES:
EDITION:
NO. OF CHECKING:

4/5
LAB 4a

EFECTIVE DATE :

8/1/2007

AMENDMENT DATE:

8/1/2007

CONTD:-

51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100

36.0
37.1
37.4
38.1
38.9
39.0
40.2
40.5
41.2
42.0
43.0
43.5
44.1
44.5
44.9
50.6
50.9
51.6
51.9
53.0
54.2
55.0
55.8
56.2
57.0
58.0
58.9
59.5
60.0
60.2
60.9
61.3
61.9
62.4
62.9
63.8
64.0
65.2
66.0
66.7
68.0
69.8
70.0
71.9
72.0
73.1
73.9
74.3
75.0
76.2

3
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
3
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1

95
185
94
353
260
192
193
288
200
215
295
206
308
330
204
214
90
205
306
210
298
100
204
307
210
214
290
212
215
100
255
205
90
342
210
265
100
172
262
10
206
100
208
190
320
210
95
220
300
348

42
80
38
80
60
55
74
52
62
80
56
60
50
70
60
60
45
55
30
68
24
58
65
30
60
65
60
62
62
56
50
62
50
85
55
45
52
88
48
88
75
55
56
80
88
60
52
58
45
88

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
6
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
5
5
3
5
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
5
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
5
3
3
3

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
3
2
3
2
2
2
3
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT : GEOTECHNICAL &
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
LABORATORY : ENGINEERING GEOLOGY &
GEOPHYSIC LABORATORY
TOPIC : PLOTTING POLES AND CONTOURING OF
STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY DATA (LAB 4a)

NO. OF PAGES:
EDITION:
NO. OF CHECKING:

5/5
LAB 4a

EFECTIVE DATE :

8/1/2007

AMENDMENT DATE:

8/1/2007

CONTD:-

101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120

77.3
78.0
79.0
80.6
82.0
84.0
85.8
86.0
87.0
89.5
90.0
90.8
91.3
92.0
92.9
94.0
95.5
97.0
98.6
100.0

1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
3
1
3
1
1
3
1
1
1
3
1
1

210
348
336
93
180
320
205
312
102
205
90
314
210
95
216
320
207
95
204
298

60
84
78
38
80
36
62
39
44
60
45
36
62
46
82
38
70
48
60
42

20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

4
4
4
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
3
4
4
3
3
3
4
4
5
3
3
3

1
1
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
2
2
2
1
1

Type

Aperture

Infilling Materials

Roughness

Water

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

1) Dry
2) Wet
3) Flow

Joint
Bedding
Foliation
Fault
Others

Very narrow ( <2mm)

Narrow (2-6mm)
Moderately narrow (6-20mm)
Moderately wide (20-60mm)
Wide (60-200mm)
Very wide ( >200mm)

Clean
Surface staining
Cemented
Cohesive
Noncohesive
Chlorite + talc
Calsite
Others

Polish
Slikensisded
Smooth
Rough
Define ridges
Very rough

FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT : GEOTECHNICAL &
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
LABORATORY : ENGINEERING GEOLOGY &
GEOPHYSIC LABORATORY
TOPIC : DETERMINE THE DISCONTINUITIES SETS
AND MODES OF FAILURES OF STRUCTURAL
GEOLOGY DATA DUE TO SLOPE (LAB 4b)

NO. OF PAGES:
EDITION:
NO. OF CHECKING:

1/3
LAB 4b

EFECTIVE DATE :

8/1/2007

AMENDMENT DATE:

8/1/2007

1.0 OBJECTIVE
To identify the major and minor discontinuities set, plot the great circle of discontinuities and analyze the failure modes.

2.0 LEARNING OUTCOMES

a)
b)

Students should able to plot the great circles.

Students should able to analyze the potential failures modes.

3.1 THEORY
Mode of rock slope failures.

Prepared by

Lecturer

Name

Aziman Bin Madun / Mohd Hazreek Bin Zainal Abidin

Signature

Date

8 January 2007

FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT : GEOTECHNICAL &
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
LABORATORY : ENGINEERING GEOLOGY &
GEOPHYSIC LABORATORY
TOPIC : DETERMINE THE DISCONTINUITIES SETS
AND MODES OF FAILURES OF STRUCTURAL
GEOLOGY DATA DUE TO SLOPE (LAB 4b)

NO. OF PAGES:
EDITION:
NO. OF CHECKING:

2/3
LAB 4b

EFECTIVE DATE :

8/1/2007

AMENDMENT DATE:

8/1/2007

3.2 THEORY
Mode of slope failures based on discontinuities sets plot.

Modes of failure

Criteria

Circular

i. Very weak material, highly jointed or fractured or weak soil

ii. Homogenous soil

Planar

i. Dip direction lie within 20 from the design slope dip direction.
ii. f > p > j (slope angle>plane angle>friction angle)
iii. Release surfaces must be present to define the lateral boundaries of the slide.

Wedge

i. f > i > j (slope angle>intersection of 2 plane angle>friction angle)

ii. driving force due to the weight of wedge must exceed the frictional resistance of
the planes.

Toppling

i. The discontinuities dip direction must lie between 10 of slope

dip direction (opposite direction).
ii.

(900 f ) j p

4.0 EQUIMENT AND MATERIALS

Equal-area equatorial net (Appendix C)

Tracing paper

Prepared by

Lecturer

Name

Aziman Bin Madun / Mohd Hazreek Bin Zainal Abidin

Signature

Date

8 January 2007

FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT : GEOTECHNICAL &
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
LABORATORY : ENGINEERING GEOLOGY &
GEOPHYSIC LABORATORY
TOPIC : DETERMINE THE DISCONTINUITIES SETS
AND MODES OF FAILURES OF STRUCTURAL
GEOLOGY DATA DUE TO SLOPE (LAB 4b)

NO. OF PAGES:
EDITION:
NO. OF CHECKING:

3/3
LAB 4b

EFECTIVE DATE :

8/1/2007

AMENDMENT DATE:

8/1/2007

5.0 PROCEDURE

Plotting great circles:-

Great circles are plotted on the equatorial net, but they cannot be plotted directly on this net because the true dip can only
be scaled off the horizontal axis. The plotting procedure for great circles consists of the following steps:

1. Lay a piece of tracing paper on the net with a thumbtack through the center point so that the tracing paper can be
rotated on the net.

2. Mark the north direction of the net on the tracing paper.

3. Locate the dip direction of the plane on the scale around the circumference of the net and mark this point on the tracing
paper. Note that the dip direction scale on the equatorial net for plotting great circles starts at the north point at the top
of the circle and increases in a clockwise direction.

4. Rotate the tracing paper until the dip direction mark coincides with one of the horizontal axes of the net, that is, the 90

or 180 points of the dip direction scale.

5. Locate the arc on the net corresponding to the dip of the plane and trace this arc into the paper. Note that a horizontal
plane has a great circle at the circumference of the net, and a vertical plane is represented by a straight line passing
through the center of the net.

6. Rotate the tracing paper so that the two north points coincide and the great circle is oriented correctly.

The slope data was given as 90 (dip direction) and 60 (dip angle)

6.0 RESULT AND ANALYSIS

Major and minor discontinuities sets marks as J1,J2..Jn

Potential modes of failures

7.0 QUESTION AND DISCUSSION

(1) Explain the mode of failure for rock slope for each type.
(2) Identify which discontinuities sets that have some potential to fail and what are their failure modes.
(3) What are the others criteria that must be met in order to promote the slope failure?

8.0 CONCLUSION

FACULTY : CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT : GEOTECHNICAL &
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING
LABORATORY : ENGINEERING GEOLOGY &
GEOPHYSIC LABORATORY
TOPIC : PLANE AND WEDGE FACTOR OF SAFTEY
(LAB 4c)

NO. OF PAGES:
EDITION:
NO. OF CHECKING:

1/1
LAB 4c

EFECTIVE DATE :

8/1/2007

AMENDMENT DATE:

8/1/2007

1.0 OBJECTIVE
To identify which discontinuities are potential to fail and calculate the factor of safety.

2.0 LEARNING OUTCOMES

a)
b)

Students should able to calculate the safety factor for plane failure.
Students should able to calculate the safety factor for wedge failure.

3.0 THEORY
To obtain the factor of safety for planar is much simple rather than wedge. For plane, consideration on one discontinuity,
besides wedge two discontinuities (sets). Two (2) conditions need to exam, wet and dry conditions.

4.0 EQUIMENT AND MATERIALS

Equal-area equatorial net (Appendix C)

Tracing paper

5.0 PROCEDURE

Determine the mode of failures

Used appropriate formula of planar or wedge given in APPENDIX A and B
The other information/properties from the site study and laboratory works are given as following:3
i.
Rock unit weight, r = 25 kN/m
ii.
Rock friction angle,a =b = 30
3
iii.
Water unit weight, w = 9.81 kN/m
iv.
Cohesion of discontinuities, Ca = Cb = 50 kPa
v.
Height of slope = Height of wedge = Height of plane, H = 50 m
vi.
Tension crack depth, Z = Tension crack height, Zw = 1 meter
vii.
Upper slope data = 100 (dip direction) and 20 (dip angle)
viii.
Inclined angle of anchor () = (T) = 20
ix.
Bars for Y25 = 10 ton = 100 kN

6.0 RESULT AND ANALYSIS

Factor of safety of plane failure in wet and dry condition

No of bars required to reinforced the plane failure
Factor of safety of wedge failure in wet and dry condition

7.0 QUESTION AND DISCUSSION

(1) For some cases, give the recommended value of safety factors for the rock slope in civil engineering / construction
industry with some justifications.
(2) Describe and explain the rock slope stabilization method.
(3) Explain the main differences about the assessment of the Rock Slope and Soil Slope.

8.0 CONCLUSION

Prepared by

Lecturer

Name

Aziman Bin Madun / Mohd Hazreek Bin Zainal Abidin

Signature

Date

8 January 2007

APPENDIX A
SEMESTER/SESSION :
SUBJECT
:

GEOLOGI KEJURUTERAAN

COURSE
CODE

:
:

3BFC
BFC 3013

Zw

Given:

FOS = cA + (W cos - U - V sin + T sin (+)) tan

W sin + V cos - T cos (+)
= friction angle
U = vertical water pressure
V = horizontal water pressure
= slope angle
Z = tensional cracks
= inclined angle of anchor
w = unit weight of water

A = failure plane area

c = cohesion
W = weight of failure block
= failure plane angle
H = height of plane
T = tension of anchor
r = unit weight of rock
A = (H-Z).cosec
W = r. H [(1-(Z/H) )cot cot ]
U = w.Zw .(H-Z).cosec
V = w.Zw
cosec = 1/sin

sec=1/cos

cot=1/tan

APPENDIX B
SEMESTER/SESSION :
SUBJECT
:

GEOLOGI KEJURUTERAAN

Given:

Fos

(Ca. X Cb.Y ) ( A
t

Ca = Cohesion
Ht = height of wedge
b = dip angle for plane b
= unit weight of rock

COURSE
CODE

:
:

3BFC
BFC 3013

. X )Tana ( B
.Y )Tanb
2
2
w

b = Friction angle
a = dip angle for plane a
5= dip angle for wedge intersection
w = unit weight of water

X, Y, A, B is factor which depend upon the geometry of wedge

Sin 24
Sin 13
Y
Sin 45Cos 2.na
Sin 35Cos 1.nb
Cosb CosaCosna.nb
B
Sin 5.Sin 2na.nb
X

Cosa CosbCosna.nb
Sin 5. Sin 2na.nb

APPENDIX C
SEMESTER/SESSION :
SUBJECT
:

GEOLOGI KEJURUTERAAN

COURSE
CODE

:
:

3BFC
BFC 3013

Equal-area equatorial net for plotting poles and great circles

(DO NOT CHANGE THE SIZE)

APPENDIX D
SEMESTER/SESSION :
SUBJECT
:

GEOLOGI KEJURUTERAAN

COURSE
CODE

:
:

Equal-area polar net for plotting poles

(DO NOT CHANGE THE SIZE)

3BFC
BFC 3013

APPENDIX E
SEMESTER/SESSION :
SUBJECT
:

GEOLOGI KEJURUTERAAN

COURSE
CODE

:
:

3BFC
BFC 3013

Kalsbeek counting net for contouring pole concentrations

(DO NOT CHANGE THE SIZE)