Geostatistical approach to the study of induced damage around underground rock excavations

Abstract

The problem of nuclear waste disposal has emphasized the need for research on blast-induced damage around underground excavations. This paper shows how geostatistical methods might be used to delineate zones of damage when the systematic rock testing approach is used. Some basic concepts of the theory of regionalized variables are presented and then illustrated by a typical application. The conclusions drawn from the latter using the theory of regionalized variables are quite different from those drawn from a previously published study based on the same data but using conventional statistical methods. Key words: rock mechanics, regionalized variable, induced damage, geostatistics, dilatometer.