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Author: Admin | 2025-04-27
And properties of the discontinuities. Additionally, the physical properties of discontinuities such as friction, compressive strength, weathering and the presence of infilling materials (clay) affect the mechanical behavior of the rock mass. This is more reason why the joint network and other geological structures reduce the strength of the rock mass and increase the deformability of the rock. Therefore, it is important to investigate the properties of joints to be able to accurately determine the stability factor of slopes. Moreover, knowing the joints network will enable a safe and economic design of the slope and stability analysis [96]. The nature of the jointing, such as their orientations, length, the distance between joints and joint spacing, also influence the stability of slopes.During site investigation, discontinuities are classified according to how they are formed. In most cases, discontinuities with the same category usually have the same properties in terms of their shear strength property, which can be used to predict the stability conditions of the excavation. Evaluation of joints network and the strength properties can serve as the guide for designing a stable slope and other rock engineering applications. It is assumed strength properties of jointed rock masses depend on the properties of the intact rock pieces and the freedom of the pieces of the slide and rotate under different stress conditions. Ryan [97] stated that the strength of jointed rock masses depends on the strength of the joints, the strength of the intact rock locks between the joints and the degree of interlocking between the rock blocks. For instance, in jointed rock masses, it is expected that the water pressure in the joints will continue to increase and dissipate faster than the pore pressure of the intact rocks, most especially in rocks where the porosity and permeability are low.In slope stability analysis, the joints are too many to be taken into account individually; thus, an approximate property is usually considered. Other influences of discontinuities are represented by the shape, the block size and the strength of the rock mass. Likewise, the importance of taking into account joint conditions in the rock
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