Association of GeoTechnical & GeoEnvironmental Specialists (Hong Kong)

Technical Seminar 19th March 2011 Hong Kong University By: Pawel Barmuta
Senior Associate

Fault Zones & Their Influence on Construction Detecting Faults Ahead of the Tunnel Face During Construction

Marine Clay

CDG

Granite

Marine Clay

CDG

Granite

Characteristic of fault zones in Hong Kong

Single or multiple shear plane Fault gauge along shear plane Intense fracturing in the vicinity of shear plane High permeability Faults are often followed by pervasive weathering Abrupt, distinctive boundaries

Examples of minor faults in Sandy Bay and Cyberport shafts of HATS2 project Even a narrow band of cohesion-less material may become a difficulty when with presence of water under pressure

Sub-vertical fault zone contoured by the Geologist on 10m diameter shaft face in Sandy Bay Shaft of HATS2 C/2007/24 project

Methods of Detecting the Weakness Zone:

Vertical coring from surface Directional drilling from surface Horizontal (directional) coring from tunnel face Logged percussion drilling from tunnel face Percussion drilling from tunnel face with tele-viewing Seismic refraction from surface Seismic refraction from tunnel face

Visual Logging of Percussion Probing:

Penetration Rate by use of e.g. 1m marks on the drill rods and measuring the drill time with a stop watch Colour of flush Content of fines (silt and clay fraction) Lithology of chippings collected on sieve Water flow rate

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Extremely Hazardous Environment:

Extreme noise from percussion drifters Working between moving booms and close to rotating tools Poor ventilation High temperature Confined space

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Sources of Uncertainties
Time lag between encountered geological feature and flush appearance difficulty to locate the feature and to determine its span Effect of drilling pressures on Penetration Rate can not be separated Human factor in the observations and records due to extremely hard working condition

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Seam of CDG factual position

Content of fines

Peak on fines content log corresponding to seam of CDG

Probe depth

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 On SSDS project tunnels AB and C the whole alignment of 10.1 km was covered by probe drilling The probe hole length was typically 50 m of probes were Totally around drilled in 2 years and logged by Geologist Reports from every probe drillings were timely prepared and distributed by Geological Team

57 km

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Lesson learned from HATS1 tunnels AB & C Visual logging of percussion drilling is very effective and reliable tool to identify the weakness zones ahead of the tunnel. It is recommended for single cases in particular.

Never do it again!
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AUTOMATED RECORDING OF DRILLING PARAMETERS

often can be found as MWD Measuring When Drilling

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Parameters Logged Automatically on Drilling Machine Hammer Pressure - PH Torque Pressure - PTq Thrust Pressure (Feed Pressure) - PTh Instant Penetration Rate PR Collar co-ordinates Depth Orientation (Vertical and Horizontal angle to tunnel axis) Water pressure Current and Voltage
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Advantages of Analysis of Automatic Logs of Percussion Drilling No disruption to production cycle the analysis is carried out on logs of regular production drill holes (grout holes) No problems with safety hazards There are no personnel present at the tunnel face when drilling

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Methods of Analysis: Single parameter response or Various parameters response

that can be analyzed by: Heuristic methods Statistical methods

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Statistical Methods of Analysis: Pattern recognition

Each rock type leaves a statistically detectable specific pattern of recorded pressures and penetration rate

Normalization of the data

Eliminating from Penetration Rate the trends related to other than rock properties factors detected statistically in the records (Presented first comprehensively by H. Schunnesson) Results from both methods have to be calibrated against the factual rock properties on site
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PR and PTq are the indicators of rock resistance Systematic dependences between PTq, PTh, PTH, steel length and PR which are not related to rock properties have to be detected and filtered out from PR and PTq record.
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Regression analysis
Detecting systematic dependence Th, Tq, PR vs. depth

Records of Th Tq H PR from the project

Detecting systematic dependence Tq, PR vs. Th and H

Normalization & scaling

Detecting systematic dependence Tq vs. PR

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Normalized PR and PTq parameters after after scaling are dimensionless and need to be calibrated against factual rock condition e.g. represented by Q- value or by rock grade of decomposition
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Example of normalization and scaling process

First step:
filtering out from the records all excessive reading related to stoppages, collaring, changing drill bit and adding drill rods

Pressure [bar]

depth [m]

PR [m/min]

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depth [m]

Tq vs L (raw data from population)

Tq [bar]

depth [m]
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PR vs PH
4 PR [m/min] 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 30 50 70 90 110 130 150 PH [bar] 170 190

y = 0.0175x - 0.5552 2 R = 0.8169

PR vs PTh
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PR [m/min]
3.5

y = 0.0004x2 - 0.0254x + 1.2851 R2 = 0.7693

2.5

1.5

0.5

PTh [bar]
0 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110

Tq vs Th
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120

PTq [bar]

100

80

60

40

20

y = -0.0007x + 0.1125x - 4.5571x + 99.652 R2 = 0.5157

20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

PTh [bar]
100 110

Geotechnical interpretation: Higher torque pressure is required when the tool penetrates deeper into the rock due to higher thrust pressure
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PTh vs depth
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PTh [bar]

No relation between PTh and drill hole depth due to computer control of PTh

100

80

60

40

20

depth [m]
0 0 5 10 15 20

PR vs Tq
4.5

PR [m/min]
4 3.5

2.5

1.5

0.5

PTq [bar]
0 20 40 60 80 100 120

The equation of regression line PR vs. PTh and PR vs. PH are used to compensate each raw PR measurement in a sample towards average value of the population.

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PR filtered of PH and PTh effect

3.5 PR [m/min] 3

PTh and PH corrected

2.5

PTh corrected

1.5

Raw data

0.5 Depth [m] 0 0 5 10 15 20

Scaling against MIN - MAX range

Scaled parameter range is 0-1

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Moving average of normalized & scaled PR

1 0.9

PRi = (PRi - PRmin)/(PRmax - PRmin)

0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

Depth [m]
0 5 10 15 20

In tunnel applications the statistical analysis has to be first carried out on a large sample covering all rock condition expected along the tunnel i.e. provide appropriate MIN, MAX and regression lines The trends of interdependence between PTq, PTh, PR, L & PH can be assumed machinery specific hence used across projects

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Calibration of Probing Parameter

(Normalized and scaled PR) vs. mapped Q value
5 m buffer PR3 PR1 PR2

Q1

Q2

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For tunneling purposes normalization and scaling should be based on initial large sample covering all kinds of rock condition expected along the tunnel
Initial Sample Parameters for normalization & scaling Application on single probe hole

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Computers and software allow:

Processing almost instantly large number of data from numerous drill-holes Provide unlimited options of presentation of the results on 2D and 3D diagrams

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Rock module by Bever Control used on HATS2 DC/2007/24 Cylindrical plane of logged grout holes ahead of the tunnel unfolded Red color represents weak rock. Potential fault zone can be contoured by the Geologist

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Rock mass resistance reflects two distinguished lithological types of rock: Syenite - (Hard) Shist - (Weak)

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Intensity of Jointing & Fracturing

Well represented by normalized Torque Pressure PTq changes measured as Root Mean Square - RMS

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Rock Module by Bever Control used on HATS2 DC/2007/24 Cylindrical plane of logged grout holes unfolded Fracturing intensity is represented by RMS of normalized PTq
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Other Method of Analysis of Percussion Drilling Data

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Specific Energy Concept

By R. Taele (Destruction Energy)

Definition: Specific Energy is the energy needed to

disintegrate a unit volume of rock by drilling.

Specific Energy parameter reflects properties of particular rock and drilling method
i.e. Is specific for rock and method.
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A drill hole face area L drilled length (typically 100 mm)

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Espent = EH + ETq + ETh spent H Tq Th

EH energy spent due to hammer action ETq energy spent due to torque action ETh energy spent due to thrust action
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Energy spent to drill a section of drill hole can be calculated from discrete records of pressures PTh, PTq and PH as well as from records of electric current and voltage when drilling.

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Specific Energy (SE)

Parameter may also require corrections for: Drill hole depth (string weight, wear of drill bit, friction along string) systematic effect on SE PTh, PTq and PR systematic effects on SE not related to variations of rock condition

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Specific Energy (SE)

Contrary to normalized Penetration Rate and Torque Pressure, has physical meaning and reportedly has good correlation to: TBM performance Powder factor

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Summary
1 Visual logging of percussion probes is an efficient tool for detecting bad ground condition ahead of tunnel face 2 Automated logging eliminates safety hazards related to presence of staff at the tunnel face 3 Automated logging largely eliminates disruption to production cycle 4 Automated probing combined with data statistical interpretation provide reliable contouring of weakness zones ahead of tunnel face
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Marine Clay

CDG Granite

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Thank You.

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