The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationships between results of index tests and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) in hydrothermally altered soft rocks of the Upper Miocene, which are typical of the soft rock found in northeastern Hokkaido, Japan. Index tests were performed using point load testing machine and needle penetrometer with irregular lump specimens under forced-dry, forced-wet, and natural-moist states. The relationships between irregular lump point load strength (IPLS) index and UCS, and needle penetration (NP) index and UCS were “UCS = approximately 19 IPLS index” and “UCS = 0.848 (NP index)0.619”, respectively, in soft rocks with a UCS below 25 MPa. These relationships could be applied to on-site tests of rocks with natural moisture content. The UCS could be calculated from IPLS and NP tests on soft rocks only when UCS was below 25 MPa, using the equations obtained as a result of this study.
References
[1]
D’Andrea, D.V., Fischer, R.L. and Fogelson, D.E. (1964) Prediction of Compressive Strength from Other Rock Properties. Colorado School of Mines Quarterly, 59, 623-640.
[2]
Broch, E. and Franklin, J.A. (1972) The Point-Load Strength Test. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 9, 669-697 https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(72)90030-7
[3]
Bieniawski, Z.T. (1974) Estimating the Strength of Rock Materials. Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 74, 312-320. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(74)91782-3
[4]
Bieniawski, Z.T. (1975) Point Load Test in Geotechnical Practice. Engineering Geology, 9, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-7952(75)90024-1
[5]
Brook, N. (1977) The Use of Irregular Specimens for Rock Strength Test. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences and Geomechanics Abstracts, 14, 193-202. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(77)90948-2
[6]
Brook, N. (1980) Size Correction for Point Load Testing. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences and Geomechanics, 17, 231-235. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(80)91090-6
[7]
Hassani, F.P., Scoble, M.J. and Whittaker, B.N. (1980) Application of the Point Load Index Test to Strength Determination of Rock and Proposals for a New Size-Correction Chart. In: Summers, D.A., Ed., Proceedings of the 21st US Symposium on Rock Mechanics, 543-564.
[8]
ISRM Commission on Testing Methods, Working Group on Revision of the Point Load Test Method (1985) Suggested Method for Determining Point Load Strength (Coordinator Franklin, J.A.). International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences and Geomechanics Abstracts, 22, 51-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(85)92327-7
[9]
Brook, N. (1985) The Equivalent Core Diameter Method of Size and Shape Correction in Point Load Testing. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences and Geomechanics Abstracts, 22, 61-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(85)92328-9
[10]
Hikita, S. and Kikuchi, M. (1988) A Consideration on the Utility of the Point Load Test. A Monthly Newsletter of Civil Engineering of Institute, 423, 30-41. (In Japanese)
[11]
Kahraman, S. (2001) Evaluation of Simple Methods for Assessing the Uniaxial Compressive Strength of Rock. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 38, 981-994. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(85)92328-9
[12]
Tsiambaos, G. and Sabatakakis, N. (2004) Considerations on Strength of Intact Sedimentary Rock. Engineering Geology, 72, 261-273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2003.10.001
[13]
Basu, A. and Aydin, A. (2006) Predicting Uniaxial Compressive Strength by Point Load Test: Significance of Cone Penetration. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 39, 483-490. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-006-0082-y
[14]
Agustawijaya D.S. ,et al. (2007)The Uniaxial Compressive Strength of Soft Rock Civil engineering Dimension 9, 9-14.
[15]
Kohno, M. and Maeda, H. (2012) Relationship between Point Load Strength Index and Uniaxial Compressive Strength of Hydrothermally Altered Soft Rocks. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 50, 147-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2012.01.011
[16]
Wong, R.H.C., Chau, K.T., Yin, J.-H., Lai, D.T.W. and Zhao, G.-S. (2017) Uniaxial Compressive Strength and Point Load Index of Volcanicirregular Lumps. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 93, 307-315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2017.02.010
[17]
Palk, Y.H., Obara, Y. and Kang, S.S. (2011) Estimation of Uniaxial Compressive Strength of Weak Rocks using Needle Penetrometer. In: Qian, Q. and Zhou, Y., Eds., Proceedings of the 12th ISRM International Congress on Rock Mechanics, 795-798.
[18]
Ngan-Tillard, D.J.M., Verwaal, W., Mulder, A., Engin, H.K. and Ulusay, R. (2011) Application of the Needle Penetration Test to a Calcarenite, Maastricht, the Netherlands. Engineering Geology, 123, 214-224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2011.08.004
[19]
Ngan-Tillard, D.J.M., Engin, H.K., Verwaal, W., Mulder, A., Ulusay, R. and Erguler, Z.A. (2012) Evaluation of Micro-Structural Damage Caused by Needle Penetration Testing. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 71, 487-498. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-012-0430-y
[20]
Ulusay, R. and Erguler, Z.A. (2012) Needle Penetration Test: Evaluation of Its Performance and Possible Uses in Predicting Strength of Weak and Soft Rocks. Engineering Geology, 149-150, 47-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2012.08.007
[21]
Azadan, P. and Ahangari, K. (2014) Evaluation of the New Dynamic Needle Penetrometer in Estimating Uniaxial Compressive Strength of Weak Rocks. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 7, 3205-3216. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-013-0921-6
[22]
Ulusay, R., Aydan, Ö.,Erguler, Z.A., Ngan-Tillard, D.J.M., Seiki, T., Verwaal, W., Sasaki, Y. and Sato, A. (2014) ISRM Suggested Method for the Needle Penetration Test. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 47, 1073-1085. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-013-0534-0
[23]
Kahraman, S., Aloglu, A.S., Aydin, B. and Saygin, E. (2017) The Needle Penetration Test for Predicting Coal Strength. Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 117, 587-591. https://doi.org/10.17159/2411-9717/2017/v117n6a9
[24]
Okada, S., Izumiya, Y., Iizuka, Y. and Horiuchi, S. (1985) The Estimation of Soft Rock Strength around a Tunnel by Needle Penetration Test. Journal of the Japanese Society of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, 33, 35-38. (In Japanese)
[25]
Kohno, M., Maeda, H., Kage, I., Kotake, J. and Nii, M. (2010) Method of Axial Point Load Strength Test for Smectite-Bearing Rocks. Japan Society of Civil Engineers Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 66, 859-868. (In Japanese)