ISSN:
0363-9061
Keywords:
Engineering
;
Engineering General
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Architecture, Civil Engineering, Surveying
,
Geosciences
Notes:
Hydraulic and mechanical properties of rock masses are largely dependent upon the distribution and variation of fracture areas. Consequently, it is essential to develop good models for analysing the spatial geometric characteristics of fracture fields. The latter, however, may be ascertained only by measuring open cuts or boreholes. The most important factor from the analysis of areas is to be able to determine spatial networks. Without an exhaustive and expensive inventory, the classical methods involving measurements of dip and strike do not provide either a correct estimation of fracture orientations in space, or a good estimation of their distribution.At present, automatic analysis of linear traces on large plane areas is used by several authors1,2 and the field strike and dip measurements are applied only for verification purposes. This method of computing spatial networks is especially suitable because of the nature of data so obtained, since it permits various simulations on computed networks. It is based upon classical methods of vector geometry that involve a measurements data matrix and provide a means of solving a double system of equations. Results are the directional spatial fracture densities. The object of this paper is to define the geometric parameters of this problem and the computation method, to present an example and, finally, to conclude with critical comments supported by certain proposals for a variety of applications.
Additional Material:
12 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/nag.1610110406
Permalink
