Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Stereographic Projection Techniques for Geologists and Civil Engineers
- 1 Geological structures of planar type
- 2 Measuring and recording the orientation of planar structures
- 3 Geological structures of linear type
- 4 Measuring and recording the orientation of lines
- 5 Why do we need projections?
- 6 Idea of stereographic projection
- 7 Approximate method of plotting lines and planes
- 8 Exercises 1
- 9 The stereographic net
- 10 Precise method for plotting planes. Great circles and poles
- 11 Precise methods for plotting lines 1. Where the plunge of the line is known
- 12 Precise methods for plotting lines 2. Where the line is known from its pitch
- 13 The intersection of two planes
- 14 Plane containing two lines
- 15 Apparent dip
- 16 The angle between two lines
- 17 The angle between two planes
- 18 The plane that bisects the angle between two planes
- 19 Projecting a line onto a plane
- 20 Stereographic and equal-area projections
- 21 The polar net
- 22 Analysing folds 1. Cylindricity and plunge of axis
- 23 Analysing folds 2. Inter-limb angle and axial surface
- 24 Analysing folds 3. Style of folding
- 25 Analysing folds 4. The orientation of folds
- 26 Folds and cleavage
- 27 Analysing folds with cleavage
- 28 Faults 1. Calculating net slip
- 29 Faults 2. Estimating stress directions
- 30 Cones/small circles
- 31 Plotting a cone
- 32 Rotations about a horizontal axis
- 33 Example of rotation about a horizontal axis. Restoration of tilt of beds
- 34 Example of rotation. Restoring palaeocurrents
- 35 Rotation about an inclined axis
- 36 Example of rotation about an inclined axis. Borehole data
- 37 Density contouring on stereograms
- 38 Superposed folding 1
- 39 Superposed folding 2. Sub-area concept
- 40 Example of analysis of folds. Bristol area
- 41 Geometrical analysis of folds. Examples from SW England
- 42 Example of analysis of jointing. Glamorgan coast
- 43 Geotechnical applications. Rock slope stability
- 44 Assessing plane failure. Frictional resistance
- 45 Assessing plane failure. Daylighting
- 46 Assessing wedge failure
- 47 Exercises 2
- 48 Solutions to exercises
- Appendix 1 Stereographic (Wulff) equatorial net
- Appendix 2 Equal-area (Lambert/Schmidt) equatorial net
- Appendix 3 Equal-area polar net
- Appendix 4 Kalsbeek counting net
- Appendix 5 Classification chart for fold orientations
- Appendix 6 Some useful formulae
- Appendix 7 Alternative method of plotting planes and lines
- Availability of computer programs for plotting stereograms
- Further reading
- Index
43 - Geotechnical applications. Rock slope stability
from Stereographic Projection Techniques for Geologists and Civil Engineers
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Stereographic Projection Techniques for Geologists and Civil Engineers
- 1 Geological structures of planar type
- 2 Measuring and recording the orientation of planar structures
- 3 Geological structures of linear type
- 4 Measuring and recording the orientation of lines
- 5 Why do we need projections?
- 6 Idea of stereographic projection
- 7 Approximate method of plotting lines and planes
- 8 Exercises 1
- 9 The stereographic net
- 10 Precise method for plotting planes. Great circles and poles
- 11 Precise methods for plotting lines 1. Where the plunge of the line is known
- 12 Precise methods for plotting lines 2. Where the line is known from its pitch
- 13 The intersection of two planes
- 14 Plane containing two lines
- 15 Apparent dip
- 16 The angle between two lines
- 17 The angle between two planes
- 18 The plane that bisects the angle between two planes
- 19 Projecting a line onto a plane
- 20 Stereographic and equal-area projections
- 21 The polar net
- 22 Analysing folds 1. Cylindricity and plunge of axis
- 23 Analysing folds 2. Inter-limb angle and axial surface
- 24 Analysing folds 3. Style of folding
- 25 Analysing folds 4. The orientation of folds
- 26 Folds and cleavage
- 27 Analysing folds with cleavage
- 28 Faults 1. Calculating net slip
- 29 Faults 2. Estimating stress directions
- 30 Cones/small circles
- 31 Plotting a cone
- 32 Rotations about a horizontal axis
- 33 Example of rotation about a horizontal axis. Restoration of tilt of beds
- 34 Example of rotation. Restoring palaeocurrents
- 35 Rotation about an inclined axis
- 36 Example of rotation about an inclined axis. Borehole data
- 37 Density contouring on stereograms
- 38 Superposed folding 1
- 39 Superposed folding 2. Sub-area concept
- 40 Example of analysis of folds. Bristol area
- 41 Geometrical analysis of folds. Examples from SW England
- 42 Example of analysis of jointing. Glamorgan coast
- 43 Geotechnical applications. Rock slope stability
- 44 Assessing plane failure. Frictional resistance
- 45 Assessing plane failure. Daylighting
- 46 Assessing wedge failure
- 47 Exercises 2
- 48 Solutions to exercises
- Appendix 1 Stereographic (Wulff) equatorial net
- Appendix 2 Equal-area (Lambert/Schmidt) equatorial net
- Appendix 3 Equal-area polar net
- Appendix 4 Kalsbeek counting net
- Appendix 5 Classification chart for fold orientations
- Appendix 6 Some useful formulae
- Appendix 7 Alternative method of plotting planes and lines
- Availability of computer programs for plotting stereograms
- Further reading
- Index
Summary
Discontinuity analysis
Discontinuities are planes of weakness in rock masses created by jointing, faulting, cleavage, etc. The presence of discontinuities can have a profound effect on the bulk strength of the rock mass and can be highly influential in terms of its stability.
In a typical site investigation for a proposed engineering structure (e.g. road cutting, tunnel, dam) attention will be paid to the frequency and continuity of such planes of weakness. In addition the orientation of the discontinuities will be measured at the site to assess the none of sets of discontinuities present and their directions. The orientation of planes of weakness can greatly affect the predictions of stability. For example, a set of joints oriented with their strikes perpendicular to the face of a proposed cutting may not influence stability of the excavation greatly (Fig. 43b), whilst those striking parallel to the line of the cutting may provide potential sliding surfaces (Fig. 43a, 43c). During the discontinuity analysis at a site, the stereographic projection provides:
1 A vital form of display of the collected data.
2 A convenient means of identifying the none of discontinuity sets present and, with the aid of density contours, their modal orientations.
3 A representation of the angular relationships which exist between dominant directions of the discontinuities and of the proposed engineering structure (discussed below).
Geometrical constructions
The stereographic projection provides a useful form of display of the orientation of rock slopes in relation to the sets of discontinuities present.
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- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2004