Assessment of Rock Mass Quality and Support Estimation along Headrace Tunnel of a Small Hydropower in District Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan — Oak Academic Publishing
Research ArticleOpen AccessGoogle Scholar indexed
Assessment of Rock Mass Quality and Support Estimation along Headrace Tunnel of a Small Hydropower in District Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
,
Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
,
Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
,
Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
1 Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
2 Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
3 Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
4 Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
The main purpose of this study is to classify the rock mass quality by using rock mass quality (Q) and Rock Mass Rating (RMR) systems along headrace tunnel of small hydropower in Mansehra District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Geological field work was carried out to determine the orientation, spacing, aperture, roughness and alteration of discontinuities of rock mass. The quality of rock mass along the tunnel route is classified as good to very poor quality by Q system, while very good to very poor by RMR classification system. The relatively good rock conditions are acquired via RMR values that are attributed to ground water conditions, joint spacing, RQD and favorable orientation of discontinuities with respect to the tunnel drive. The petrographic studies revealed that study area is mainly comprised of five major geological rock units namely quartz mica schist (QMS), garnet mica schist (GMS), garnet bearing quartz mica schist (G-QMS), calcareous schist (CS), marble (M). The collected samples of quartz mica schist, marble and garnet bearing quartz mica schist are fine to medium grained, compact and are cross cut by few discontinuities having greater spacing. Therefore, these rocks have greater average RQD, Q values, RMR ratings as compared to garnet mica schist and calcareous schist.
KeywordsTunnelPetrographyRock Mass Rating (RMR)Tunneling Quality Index (Q System)Support Estimation
Bell, F.G. (1995) The Significance of Engineering Geology to Construction. Geological Society, London, Engineering Geology Special Publications, 10, 3-29. https://doi.org/10.1144/GSL.ENG.1995.010.01.01
Bieniawski, Z.T. (1973) Engineering Classification of Jointed Rock Masses. Transaction of the South African Institution of Civil Engineers, 15, 335-344.
Deere, D.U. and Miller, D.W. (1967) The Rock Quality Designation (RQD) Index in Practice, Classification Systems for Engineering Purposes. ASTM STP, American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, PA, 91-101. https://doi.org/10.1520/STP48465S
Wickham, G.E., Tiedemann, H.R. and Skinner, E.H. (1972) Support Determination Based on Geologic Predictions. In: Lane, K.S.A.G., Ed., North American Rapid Excavation and Tunneling Conference, Society of Mining Engineers of the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, Chicago, IL, New York, 43-64.
Bieniawski, Z.T. (1989) Engineering Rock Mass Classifications. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 251.
Cosar, S. (2004) Application of Rock Mass Classification Systems for Future Support Design of the DM Tunnel Near Alanya. Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, 217.
Abu-Zeid, N. and Vuillermin, F. (1997) Geochemical Characterisation of the Outcropping Rock Masses of the Immediate Vicinity of Wadi El-Kaffrein Dam Site (Jordan). Bulletin of the International Association of Engineering Geology, 55, 3-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02635404
El-Naqa, A. (2001) Application of RMR Q Geomechanical Classification Systems along the Proposed Mujib Tunnel Route, Central Jordan. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 60, 257-269. https://doi.org/10.1007/s100640100112
Barton, N. (2002) Some New Q-Value Correlations to Assist in Site Characterization and Tunnel Design. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 39, 185-216. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1365-1609(02)00011-4
Choi, S.Y. and Park, H.D. (2002) Comparison among Different Criteria of RMR and Q-System for Rock Mass Classification for Tunneling in Korea. Tunneling and Underground Space Technology, 17, 391-401. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0886-7798(02)00063-9
Ramamurthy, T. (2004) A Geo-Engineering Classification for Rocks and Rock Masses. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 41, 89-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1365-1609(03)00078-9
Hoek, E. and Diederichs, M.S. (2006) Empirical Estimation of Rock Mass Modulus. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 43, 203-215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2005.06.005
Naithani, A.K., Bhatt, A.K. and Murthy, K.S.K. (2009) Geological and Geotechnical Investigations of Loharinag-Pala Hydroelectric Project, Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 73, 821-836. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-009-0066-0
Ozsan, A., Hakan, B., Serdar, Y. and Ozkan, C. (2009) Engineering Geological Evaluation and Preliminary Support Design for the Metro Extension Tunnel, Ankara, Turkey. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 68, 397-408. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-009-0192-3
Gupta, M.C., Singh, B.K. and Singh, K.N. (2011) Engineering Geological Rock Mass Classification of Punasa Tunnel Site, Khandwa District, Madhya Pradesh. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 77, 269-272. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-011-0034-3
Gurocak, Z. (2011) Analyses of Stability and Support Design for a Diversion Tunnel at the Kapikaya Dam Site, Turkey. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 70, 41-52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-009-0258-2
Mondal, M.E.A., Siddique, T., Alam, M., and Alam, M.M. (2016) Rock Mass Rating and Kinematic Analysis for Slope Stability Investigation of Utari Dam, Lalitpur District, Uttar Pradesh. Journal Geological Society of India, 87, 463-468. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-016-0414-9
Akram, M.S., Mirza, K., Zeeshan, M. and Jabbar, M.A. (2018) Assessment of Rock Mass Quality and Deformation Modulus by Empirical Methods along Kandiah River, KPK, Pakistan. Open Journal of Geology, 8, 947-964. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojg.2018.810057
Akram, M.S. and Zeeshan, M. (2018) Rock Mass Characterization and Support Assessment along Power Tunnel of Hydropower in Kohistan Area, KPK, Pakistan. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 91, 221-226. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-018-0839-4
Akram, M. S., Zeeshan, M., Mirza K., Noor, A. and Ahmed, L. (2019) Slope Stability Analyses Using Classification Systems and Numerical Methods: Case Study from Lower Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Himalayan Geology, 40, 67-77.
Akram, M.S., Mirza K., Zeeshan, M., Ali, M. and Ahmed, L. (2018) Geotechnical Investigation and Prediction of Rock Burst, Squeezing with Remediation Design by Numerical Analyses along Headrace Tunnel in Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Open Journal of Geology, 8, 965-986. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojg.2018.810058
Calkins, J.A., Offield, T.W., Abdullah, S.K.M. and Tayyab, A.S. (1975) Geology of the Southern Himalaya in Hazara, Pakistan and Adjacent Areas. U.S Geological Survey Professional Paper 716C, 29. https://doi.org/10.3133/pp716C
Treloar, P.J., Broughten, R.D., Coward, M.P., Williams, M.P. and Windley, B.F. (1989) Deformation, Metamorphism and Imbrication of the Indian Plate South of MMT, North Pakistan. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 7, 111-127. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1314.1989.tb00578.x
Le Fort, P., Debon, F. and Sonet, J. (1980) The “Lesser Himalayan” Cordierite Granite Belt, Typology and Age of the Pluton of Mansehra, Pakistan. Geological Bulletin, 13, 51-62.
Latif, M.A. (1970) Explanatory Notes on the Geology of Southern Hazara to Accompany the Revised Geological Map. Wein Jahrbuch der Geologischen Bundesanstalt, 15, 5-20.
Barton, N., Lien, R. and Lunde, J. (1974) Engineering Classification of Rock Masses for the Design of Rock Support. Rock Mechanics, 6, 189-236. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01239496
Palmstrom, A. (1996) RMi—A System for Characterizing Rock Mass Strength for Use in Rock Engineering. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Tunneling Technology, 1, 69-108.
Hoek, E. and Brown, E.T. (1997) Practical Estimates of Rock Mass Strength. International Journal of Rock Mechanics & Mining Sciences, 34, 1165-1186. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1365-1609(97)80069-X
Palmstrom, A. (2001) Measurement and Characterization of Rock Mass Jointing. In: Sharma, V.M. and Saxena, K.R., Eds., In-Situ Characterization of Rocks, A.A. Balkema Publishers, London, 97.
International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) (1990) Basic Geotechnical Description of Rock Masses. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences and Geomechanics Abstract, 18, 85-110.