Hoek-Brown parameters for predicting the depth of brittle failure around tunnels

A review of underground openings, excavated in varying rock masstypes and conditions, indicates that the initiation of brittlefailure occurs when the damage index, D_i, expressed as theratio of the maximum tangential boundary stress to the laboratoryunconfined compressive strength exceeds approx0.4. When thedamage index exceeds this value, the depth of brittle failure around a tunnel can be estimated by using a strengthenvelope based solely on cohesion, which in terms of theHoek-Brown parameters implies that m = 0. It is proposed that inthe brittle failure process peak cohesion and friction are notmobilized together, and that around underground openings thebrittle failure process is dominated by a loss of the intrinsiccohesion of the rock mass such that the frictional strengthcomponent can be ignored for estimating the depth of brittlefailure, an essential component in designing support for theopening. Case histories were analyzed using the Hoek-Brownfailure criterion, with traditional frictional parameters, and withthe proposed brittle rock mass parameters: m = 0 and s = 0.11. Theanalyses show that use of a rock mass failure criteria withfrictional parameters (m > 0) significantly underpredicts thedepth of brittle failure while use of the brittle parametersprovides good agreement with field observations. Analyses usingthe brittle parameters also show that in intermediate stressenvironments, where stress-induced brittle failure is localized, atunnel with a flat roof is more stable than a tunnel with anarched roof. This is consistent with field observations. Hence,the Hoek-Brown brittle parameters can be used to estimate thedepth of brittle failure around tunnels, the support demand-loadscaused by stress-induced failure, and the optimum geometry of theopening.Key words: spalling, depth of failure, rock mass strength, brittle failure criterion, cohesion loss, Hoek-Brown brittle parameters