Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Improvement of the JRC Calculation Using Different Parameters Obtained Through a New Survey Method Applied to Rock Discontinuities

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper presents a new, fast and economical method for digitizing a rock surface profile to determine its joint roughness coefficient (JRC) value (Barton and Choubey, Rock Mech Rock Eng 10:1–54, 1977) using a set of existing parameters, the appropriateness of which has been tested. The new procedure was applied to four rock road cuts in the Alpujarra area of Granada province (Andalusia, Spain), supported by 117 digitized profiles. The method avoids any personal subjectivity bias. The usual subjectivity in the visualization and assessment of the JRC value is estimated here by a survey test answered by 90 trained users. The survey test consisted of a set of JRC visual comparisons of 12 roughness profiles, selected from the 117 profiles surveyed during the field research in the Alpujarra region, with the Barton typical profiles. The results of the survey clearly show systematic inaccuracies in the traditional procedure that are reduced if the advice presented in the conclusions of this paper is taken in account when performing the visual estimation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

B&W:

Black and white

C :

Roughness parameter characterizing the distribution of inclinations over a profile

D :

Fractal dimension

ICCP:

Civil engineering degree

JRC:

Joint roughness coefficient

JRC0 :

Value of JRC obtained by mechanical tests by Barton and Choubey (1977)

JRC1 :

Value of JRC obtained by applying an algorithm to a vector

JRC2 :

Value of JRC obtained by applying the new method to a mold built from a vector

L θ* :

Normalized length of the fraction of the profile with a higher inclination than a threshold value

.pbm:

Portable bitmap format

R P :

Roughness profile index

UGR:

University of Granada (Spain)

y :

Roughness profile vector

Z 2 :

First-derivative root-mean-square

Δs :

Spatial sampling interval

θ*:

Inclination of a fraction of the profile along the shear direction

θ*max :

Maximum inclination of the profile along the shear direction

References

  • Aldaya F, García Dueñas V, Navarro-Vilá F (1979) Los Mantos Alpujárrides del tercio central de las Cordilleras Beticas. Ensayo de correlación tectónica de los Alpujárrides. Acta Geológica Hispánica 14:154–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Asadollahi P, Tonon F (2010) Constitutive model for rock fractures: revisiting Barton’s empirical model. Eng Geol 113(1–4):11–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asadollahi P, Invernizzi MA, Addotto S, Tonon F (2010) Experimental validation of modified Barton’s model for rock fractures. Rock Mech Rock Eng 43(5):597–613

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barton N, Choubey V (1977) The shear strength of rock joints in theory and practice. Rock Mech Rock Eng 10:1–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beer AJ, Stead D, Coggan JS (2002) Technical note estimation of the joint roughness coefficient (JRC) by visual comparison. Rock Mech Rock Eng 35:65–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Du S, Hu Y, Hu X (2009) Measurement of joint roughness coefficient by using profilograph and roughness ruler. J Earth Sci 20(5):890–896

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grasselli G, Egger P (2003) Constitutive law for the shear strength of rock joints based on three-dimensional surface parameters. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 40(1):25–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison JP (2008) Contributions to Géotechnique 1948–2008: engineering geology rock mechanics and rock engineering. Géotechnique 58(5):449–555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hencher SR (2012) Discussion of Alejano, Gonzalez and Muralha (2012). Rock Mech Rock Eng 45(6):1137–1139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsiung SM, Ghosh A, Ahola MP, Chowdhury AH (1993) Assessment of conventional methodologies for joint roughness coefficient determination. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 30(7):825–829

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ISRM (1978) International society for rock mechanics commission on standardization of laboratory and field tests: suggested methods for the quantitative description of discontinuities in rock masses. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abst 15(6):319–368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee YH, Carr JR, Barr DJ, Hass CJ (1990) The fractal dimension as a measure of the roughness of rock discontinuity profiles. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abst 27(6):453–464

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maerz NH, Franklin JA, Bennett CP (1990) Joint roughness measurement using shadow profilometry. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 27(5):329–343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mandelbrot BB (1977) Fractals: form, chance and dimension. Freeman, San Francisco

  • Rafek AG, Goh TL (2012) Correlation of joint roughness coefficient (JRC) and peak friction angles of discontinuities of Malaysian schists. Earth Sci Res 1(1):57–63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ribeiro RP, Paraguassú AB, Rodrigues JE (2007) Sawing of blocks of siliceous dimension stone: influence of texture and mineralogy. Bull Eng Geol Environ 66(1):101–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ross-Brown DM, Walton G (1975) A portable shear box for testing rock joints. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 7(3):129–153

    Google Scholar 

  • Stimpson B (1982) A rapid field method for recording joint roughness profiles. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 19(6):345–346

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tatone BSA, Grasselli G (2009) A method to evaluate the 3D roughness of fracture surface in brittle geo-materials. Rev Sci Instrum 80(125):1–10. doi:10.1063/1.3266964

    Google Scholar 

  • Tatone BSA, Grasselli G (2010) A new 2D discontinuity roughness parameter and its correlation with JRC. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 47(8):1391–1400

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tatone BSA, Grasselli G (2012) Quantitative measurements of fracture aperture and directional roughness from rock cores. Rock Mech Rock Eng 45(4):619–629

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tse R, Cruden DM (1979) Estimating joint roughness coefficients. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 16(5):303–307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xia CC, Tang ZC, Xiao WM, Song YL (2013) New peak shear strength criterion of rock joints based on quantified surface description. Rock Mech Rock Eng. doi:10.1007/s00603-013-0395-6

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu X, Vayssade B (1991) Joint profiles and their roughness parameters. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 28(4):333–336

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by projects CGL2008-04854 funded by the Ministry of Science and Education of Spain. It was developed in the RNM-121 Research Group funded by the Andalusian (Spain) Research Plan.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

    Pedro Alameda-Hernández, Jorge Jiménez-Perálvarez, José A. Palenzuela, Rachid El Hamdouni, Clemente Irigaray & José Chacón

  2. Department of Applied Physics, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

    Miguel A. Cabrerizo

Authors
  1. Pedro Alameda-Hernández
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jorge Jiménez-Perálvarez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. José A. Palenzuela
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rachid El Hamdouni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Clemente Irigaray
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Miguel A. Cabrerizo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. José Chacón
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pedro Alameda-Hernández.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Alameda-Hernández, P., Jiménez-Perálvarez, J., Palenzuela, J.A. et al. Improvement of the JRC Calculation Using Different Parameters Obtained Through a New Survey Method Applied to Rock Discontinuities. Rock Mech Rock Eng 47, 2047–2060 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-013-0532-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-013-0532-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation