{"title":"Application of rock mass classification to evaluate rock properties, NW Himalayas, Pakistan","authors":"M. Basharat","doi":"10.13168/agg.2020.0033","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"The rock units of the NW Himalayan region are fragile, heavily fractured and highly deformed due to active tectonics and complex geological setup. Fast urbanization, road constructions along hill slopes and other infrastructural development activities also increased the slopes instability problems. The present study emphasizes the application of rock mass classification to estimate the rock mass properties along the Yadgar section Muzaffarabad, NW Himalayas, Pakistan. For this purpose, Rock Mass Rating (RMR) and Geological Strength Index (GSI) were used to characterize and classify the rock masses. In the present study, twenty-five sites have been investigated to evaluate rock properties along the Muzaffarabad-Neelum road, Sub-Himalayas, Pakistan. Result of the study shows that the Abbottabad Formation of Cambrian age is vulnerable in the Yadgar section with extremely poor RQD (Rock Quality Designation), lowest UCS (Unconfined Compression Strength) values and closely spaced discontinuities. RMR values of the Abbottabad Formation ranges from 40-54 and classified as Poor to Fair having low GSI (20±3-35±3), blocky, disintegrated structure. The Paleocene Hangu Formation has lowest GSI (28±3-29±3; Blocky, Disturbed/ Seamy in nature) having RMR (40-45) and Eocene Kuldana Formation has GSI (30±345±3; Blocky) having RMR (34-67), are categorized as heavily broken, disintegrated and poorly interlocked rock masses. RMR values of rock units of the Paleocene Lockhart Formation (52-60), the Miocene Murree Formation (38-63), and the Eocene Margala Hill Limestone (38-61) are relatively higher values of GSI ranges from (35±3-45±3; 35±3-50±3; 30±3-40±3) respectively. RMR and GSI values in Yadgar section, ranges between 34-67 and 20±3-50±3 respectively. Analysis shows positive correlation between GSI and RMR values. This approach to evaluate the rock mass classification through RMR and GSI will give the better estimation of rock mass properties along Muzaffarabad-Neelum road to identify the vulnerable slopes and design effective geotechnical measures. ARTICLE INFO","PeriodicalId":50899,"journal":{"name":"Acta Geodynamica et Geomaterialia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.9000,"publicationDate":"2020-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"2","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Acta Geodynamica et Geomaterialia","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.13168/agg.2020.0033","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"GEOCHEMISTRY & GEOPHYSICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 2
Abstract
The rock units of the NW Himalayan region are fragile, heavily fractured and highly deformed due to active tectonics and complex geological setup. Fast urbanization, road constructions along hill slopes and other infrastructural development activities also increased the slopes instability problems. The present study emphasizes the application of rock mass classification to estimate the rock mass properties along the Yadgar section Muzaffarabad, NW Himalayas, Pakistan. For this purpose, Rock Mass Rating (RMR) and Geological Strength Index (GSI) were used to characterize and classify the rock masses. In the present study, twenty-five sites have been investigated to evaluate rock properties along the Muzaffarabad-Neelum road, Sub-Himalayas, Pakistan. Result of the study shows that the Abbottabad Formation of Cambrian age is vulnerable in the Yadgar section with extremely poor RQD (Rock Quality Designation), lowest UCS (Unconfined Compression Strength) values and closely spaced discontinuities. RMR values of the Abbottabad Formation ranges from 40-54 and classified as Poor to Fair having low GSI (20±3-35±3), blocky, disintegrated structure. The Paleocene Hangu Formation has lowest GSI (28±3-29±3; Blocky, Disturbed/ Seamy in nature) having RMR (40-45) and Eocene Kuldana Formation has GSI (30±345±3; Blocky) having RMR (34-67), are categorized as heavily broken, disintegrated and poorly interlocked rock masses. RMR values of rock units of the Paleocene Lockhart Formation (52-60), the Miocene Murree Formation (38-63), and the Eocene Margala Hill Limestone (38-61) are relatively higher values of GSI ranges from (35±3-45±3; 35±3-50±3; 30±3-40±3) respectively. RMR and GSI values in Yadgar section, ranges between 34-67 and 20±3-50±3 respectively. Analysis shows positive correlation between GSI and RMR values. This approach to evaluate the rock mass classification through RMR and GSI will give the better estimation of rock mass properties along Muzaffarabad-Neelum road to identify the vulnerable slopes and design effective geotechnical measures. ARTICLE INFO
期刊介绍:
Acta geodynamica et geomaterialia (AGG) has been published by the Institute of Rock Structures and Mechanics, Czech Academy of Sciences since 2004, formerly known as Acta Montana published from the beginning of sixties till 2003. Approximately 40 articles per year in four issues are published, covering observations related to central Europe and new theoretical developments and interpretations in these disciplines. It is possible to publish occasionally research articles from other regions of the world, only if they present substantial advance in methodological or theoretical development with worldwide impact. The Board of Editors is international in representation.