TABLE B-2 EM1110-1-2908

Rock mass classification

Table 4: Rock Mass Rating System (After Bieniawski 1989).

A. CLASSIFICATION PARAMETERS AND THEIR RATINGS
Parameter Range of values
Strength Point-load >10 MPa 4 - 10 MPa 2 - 4 MPa 1 - 2 MPa For this low range - uniaxial
of strength index compressive test is preferred
1 intact rock Uniaxial comp. >250 MPa 100 - 250 MPa 50 - 100 MPa 25 - 50 MPa 5 - 25 1-5 <1
material strength MPa MPa MPa
Rating 15 12 7 4 2 1 0
Drill core Quality RQD 90% - 100% 75% - 90% 50% - 75% 2% - 50% < 25%
2 Rating 20 17 13 8 3
Spacing of >2m 0.6 - 2 . m 200 - 600 mm 60 - 200 mm 4" < 60 mm
3 Rating 20 15 10 8 5
Very rough surfaces Slightly rough surfaces Slightly rough surfaces Slickensidd surfaces Soft gouge >5 mm thick
Condition of discontinuities Not continuous Separation < 1 mm Separation < 1 mm or Gouge 5 mm thick or Separation > 5 mm
(See E) No separation Slightly weathered walls Highly weathered walls or Separaton 1 -5 mm Continuous
4 Unweathered wall rock Continuou
Rating 30 25 20 10 0
Inflow per 10 m None < 10 10 - 25 25 - 125 > 125
tunnel length (l/m)
Groundwa (Joint water press)/ < 0.1 0.1, - 0.2 0.2 - 0.5 > 0.5
0
5 ter (Major principal )
General conditions Completely dry Damp Wet Dripping Flowing
Rating 15 10 7 4 0
B. RATING ADJUSTMENT FOR DISCONTINUITY ORIENTATIONS (See F)
Strike and dip orientations Very favourable Favourable Fair Unfavourable Very Unfavourable
Tunnels & mines 0 -2 -5 -10 -12
Ratings Foundations 0 -2 -7 -15 -25
Slopes 0 -5 -25 -50
C. ROCK MASS CLASSES DETERMINED FROM TOTAL RATINGS
Rating 100 81 80 61 60 41 40 21 < 21

Class number I II III IV V

Description Very good rock Good rock Fair rock Poor rock Very poor rock
D. MEANING OF ROCK CLASSES
Class number I II III IV V
Average stand-up time 20 yrs for 15 m span 1 year for 10 m span 1 week for 5 m span 10 hrs for 2.5 m span 30 min for 1 m span
Cohesion of rock mass (kPa) > 400 300 - 400 200 - 300 100 - 200 < 100
Friction angle of rock mass (deg) > 45 35 - 45 25 - 35 15 - 25 < 15
E. GUIDELINES FOR CLASSIFICATION OF DISCONTINUITY conditions
Discontinuity length (persistence) <1m 1-3m 3 - 10 m 10 - 20 m > 20 m
Rating 6 4 2 1 0
Separation (aperture) None < 0.1 mm 0.1 - 1.0 mm 1 - 5 mm > 5 mm
Rating 6 5 4 1 0
Roughness Very rough Rough Slightly rough Smooth Slickensided
Rating 6 5 3 1 0
Infilling (gouge) None Hard filling < 5 mm Hard filling > 5 mm Soft filling < 5 mm Soft filling > 5 mm
Rating 6 4 2 2 0
Weathering Unweathered Slightly weathered Moderately weathered Highly weathered Decomposed
Ratings 6 5 3 1 0
F. EFFECT OF DISCONTINUITY STRIKE AND DIP ORIENTATION IN TUNNELLING**
Strike perpendicular to tunnel axis Strike parallel to tunnel axis
Drive with dip - Dip 45 - 90 Drive with dip - Dip 20 - 45 Dip 45 - 90 Dip 20 - 45
Very favourable Favourable Very unfavourable Fair
Drive against dip - Dip 45-90 Drive against dip - Dip 20-45 Dip 0-20 - Irrespective of strike
Fair Unfavourable Fair
* Some conditions are mutually exclusive . For example, if infilling is present, the roughness of the surface will be overshadowed by the influence of the gouge. In such cases use A.4 directly.
** Modified after Wickham et al (1972).

RMD= 3+8+25+10-2=45
Rock Qu= 30tsf*0.45=13.5tsf(27ksf) 9
Fracture per feet 3.3,3,4,3,3,2 use 3 hence 4" spacing

Although borings state hard, the RQD is too

low hence use very soft
 use 30 tsf

25,21,25,28,70 use 25
 Boring describes rock as very poor to fair, (3
borings have poor description

use 30

Slightly
weathered and
hard
 Project

5.75 ft use 6ft

PI >20
dolomite