THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

M.SC.(ENG.) EXAMINATION

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

(ROCK ENGINEERING)
DATE: December 16, 2008

(CIVL 6078)
TIME: 6:30pm to 8:30pm

(2 hours)

Answer ALL questions

Question 1 (25 marks)
Question 2 (25 marks)
Question 3 (25 marks)
Question 4 (25 marks)

MATERIAL PROVIDED (GRAPH PAPERS)

Use of Electronic Calculators:

Candidates may use any calculator which fulfils the following criteria:
(a)
it should be self-contained, silent, battery-operated and pocket-sized; and
(b)
it should have numeral-display facilities only and should be used only for the purpose
of calculation.

It is the candidate's responsibility to ensure that the calculator operates satisfactorily and the
candidate must record the name and type of the calculator on the front page of the
examination scripts. Lists of permitted/prohibited calculators will not be made available to
candidates for reference, and the onus will be on the candidate to ensure that the calculator
used will not be in violation of the criteria listed above.

page 1 of 7

Question 1 (25 marks)

The state of stress at a point with respect to x-y axes is unknown (Figure la). However, the
principal stresses at that point are known as shown in Figure 1b.
Determine the state of stress with respect to x- and y-axes, which are at 15 with principal
aXlS.

Also determine the maximum shearing stress and the normal stress on the plane of maximum
shearing stress.
Use the following equation if necessary.

2r

tan20 p=
where

xy

axx-ayy

is the angle of the plane inclined with the y- axes

when the normal stress to this plane is maximum

CTpl

CTxx

~CTYY +

(CTx.r

;CTYY)2 +rx/

where a pJ is the maximum principal stress

where

aP 2

is the minimum principal stress

Y.

cr.,~
..

--i

T:\:v

t
I

...._

.. ern:

1--

,,
.. X
0

Figure la)

Figure lb)
(Total25 marks)

page 2 of 7

Question 2 (25 marks)

Shear Strength of Discontinuities

An investigation is being carried out to study the stability of a rock slope where a persistent
rock joint of 10 m long has daylighted the slope at a depth of 10 m below the crest of the
slope. Direct shear tests were carried out on rock joint surfaces, which can be described as
rough, undulating, and iron stained. Figures 2.1 and 2.2 show the direct shear test results on
50 mm x 50 mm samples on natural joint surfaces and on saw-cut samples respectively.
A) Determine the basic frictional angle and angle of first order roughness based on the direct
shear test results.
(5 marks)
B) The Barton/Bandis's equation for shear strength of rock joint is given below:

The uniaxial compressive strength of the rock material adjacent to the rock joint (JCS) is
found to be 50 MPa.
Describe what kind of tests or measurements should be carried out in the field in order to
obtain JRC.
(5 marks)
C) By normalizing a plot t/JCS vs crn/JCS, determine the most probable value of JRC based
on the basic frictional angle and the roughness angle obtained in A) above. Discuss the stress
range where this approach is applicable.
(10 marks)
D) The unit weight of the rock can be taken as 28 k:N/m3 . Determine the frictional angle for
use in the design if the slope is considered dry and if the slope is completely submerged.
(5 marks)

(Total25 marks)

page 3 of 7

Figure 2.1 Peak Value Direct Shear Test

R2 =0.7142
Ci
D.
::.
0
0

!
....
tn

...CG
CD

.c
tn

350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

Peak
-Linear (Peak)

50

150

100

200

Normal Stress (kPa)

Figure 2.2 Residual Value Direct Shear Test

Ci
~

tn
tn

....f

tn

...
CG
CD

.s::.

en

BOO
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0

=0.921B

Residual
-Linear (Residual)

200

400

600

BOO

1000

Normal Stress (kPa)

page 4 of 7

Question 3 (25 marks)

A thick steel cylinder with an inside diameter of 200 mm and an outside diameter of
300 mm is subjected to an internal pressure of70 MPa.
Determine:
1)

The maximum tensile stress in the cylinder

2)

The radial and tangential stresses at a point midway the cylinder wall.

You may consider using the following equations:

A

ar = -2 +2C
r

ae

=--2 +2C

(25 marks)

page 5 of 7

Question 4 (25 marks)

The concept of ground convergence-support reaction curve can be obtained from analytical
solution for a circular tunnel in an elasto-plastic rock mass under a hydrostatic stress field.
The main assumptions in this analysis method are as follows:

tunnel is circular
in-situ stress field is hydrostatic (ie. equal stress in all directions)
rock mass is isotropic and homogeneous. Failure is not controlled by major structural
discontinuities.
support response is elastic-perfectly plastic
support is modeled as an equivalent uniform internal
pressure around the entire circumference of the circular tunnel (support is uniform
around the entire circumference of the tunnel).

A typical tunnel with the following rock parameters are used to generate the ground
convergence-support reaction curve as shown in Figure 4a:
Tunnel Radius ro : 6 m
In-Situ Stress Po : 1.62 MPa, estimated from depth and unit weight of rock
Tunnel Depth : 60 m
3
Unit Weight of Rock Mass r : 0.027 MN/m
Young's Modulus E : 470 MPa, estimated using Hoek-Brown criterion
Compressive Strength of Rock Mass acm : 0.43 MPa, estimated using
Hoek-Brown criterion
Friction Angle rp : 22.64
Poisson Ratio v : 0.3
Geological Strength Index : 20
Compressive Strength of Intact Rock aci 7 MPa
Disturbance Factor : 0
Rock Mass Constant m, : 10

Based on these parameters, the ground convergence curve has been constructed and 4 types of
supports have been assessed and their FOS and Extent of Plastic Zones are given in the
following table. These parameters are for reference only and they are not needed in your
assessment.
SupJ?Ort
17 mm rockbolt
34 mm rockbolt
100 mm thick shotcrete
Steel Set (lOOmm flange, 100mm depth)

FOS
0.57
1.41
2.16
1.08

Plastic Zone Extent

13.4
10.6
10.0
11.4

Annotate in the figure, to the best of your judgment, which support reaction curve belongs to
which support. The definition of FOS is given in Figure 4b.
For a permanent underground tunnel where FOS requirement
corresponding mobilized support pressure and tunnel convergence?

IS

1.4, what 1s the

page 6 of 7

Ground Reaction Curve

1.80

!i-ns

1.40

1.20

fn
fn

1.00

e:::s

1.60

0.80
~ 0.60

...

sc

0.40
0.20
0.00
0.00

''

...

''

~~~.
-~

~~

1.00

0.50

.....

'WO'

....

2.00

1.50

2.50

Tunnel Convergence(%)
Figure 4a

Q.'.

!!!

FOS

t\

!:.Jm_

P~q

~
15

!!

Peq

p~o1ectio1

'

e!
Q..

'"" _}]]_ .

\\

11)

------- Pun

FOS

of elastiC

support cu"ve

-e0

a.

8:
:::1

0..

::)

(/)

p'eq

Peer

p~,.,.

Inward radtal displacement

Inward radial displacement u1

Defini1ion of Factor of Saiet > 1.

Ui

Oef.mtion of Factor of Safety < 1

Figure 4b

(25 marks)

-END OF PAPER-

page 7 of 7