Cataclastic rocks and fault gouge present highly variable properties, from those of soil-like materials to those of competent rock mass. In most cases, the entire rock mass, or internal major shear zones, can be represented as a block-in-matrix rock (bimrock), i.e., rock fragments of different shape and size, embedded in a finer matrix. In this paper, a tectonized metamorphic rock mass at the site of a planned gravity dam is investigated. The dam foundation is crossed by numerous major discontinuities, often grouped to form wider shear zones and characterized by high persistency, waviness, and abundant cataclastic filling. Systematic measurements of local orientation and filling thickness along the discontinuity traces made a detailed morphological analysis possible. The most frequent type of filling is a lightly cemented matrix-supported gouge. Undisturbed sampling of filling materials was successful only in some special cases. Laboratory tests, as well as in-situ mechanical tests, were therefore difficult and not exhaustive. Micromechanical distinct-element method (DEM) modeling was instrumental in obtaining a more comprehensive framework of deformation and failure mechanisms of cataclastic materials. The mechanical properties of the particulate model were first analyzed by numerical simulation of biaxial and direct shear tests. The relationship between the overall constitutive parameters and micromechanical properties, such as interparticle friction, contact stiffness, cement bond strength, volumetric block proportion, and block shape, was determined. The complex interplay between the geometric features of a major discontinuity (joint-wall roughness and waviness) and the properties of the infilling bimrock was then investigated, and finally, the overall strength of the infilled discontinuity was analyzed. (C) 2012 American Society of Civil Engineer
Koysha Dam, located in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region of Ethiopia, is the fourth plant of the Gibe-Omo cascade comprising Gilgel Gibe (IP=200 MW), Gibe II (IP=420 MW) and Gibe III (1’870 MW) all in operation. The plant includes a 200 m high RCC gravity dam, a gated spillway on the left bank and an open-air powerhouse housing 6 Francis turbines fed by 2 steel penstocks crossing the dam body. The right abutment of the dam is partly founded on conglomerate, composed by a variable proportion of cobble and gravel sized basalt and rhyolite-trachyte sub-rounded elements surrounded by a weak matrix of fine sand and silt particles. The geotechnical characterization of such a complex material resulted in a very challenging task due to the substantial impracticality of collecting high quality, undisturbed and representative samples. Therefore, the mechanical behaviour of the conglomerate has been assessed by means of in-situ large scale shear tests carried out into a 70 m long inspection tunnel. The test results show that in the range of selected confinement pressures (0.3 to 1.0 MPa) the conglomerate exhibits a softening behaviour. Peak friction angle and cohesion are coherent with data and empirical models presented in the literature which indicate a strong correlation between volumetric block proportion and mechanical properties of the Block-In-Matrix (BIM) rock.
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