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Rock Mechanics.pdf - Mining and Blasting

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Figure 3.18 Strip chart record of a<br />

short instrumented diamond drilling<br />

run (after Barr <strong>and</strong> Brown, 1983).<br />

COLLECTING STRUCTURAL DATA<br />

of the rock mass. However, they cannot yet substitute for sampling the rock by<br />

coring.<br />

The aim of geotechnical drilling is to obtain a continuous, correctly oriented sample<br />

of the rock mass in as nearly undisturbed a form as possible. Therefore, the st<strong>and</strong>ard<br />

of the drilling must be considerably higher than that required for normal exploration<br />

drilling. In geotechnical drilling, it is necessary to aim for 100% core recovery. Any<br />

weak materials such as weathered rock, fault gouge, clay seams or partings in bedding<br />

planes, should be recovered, because a knowledge of their presence <strong>and</strong> properties<br />

is essential in predicting the likely behaviour of the rock mass during <strong>and</strong> following<br />

excavation. In normal exploration drilling, these materials are seen to be of little<br />

importance <strong>and</strong> no effort is made to recover them.<br />

Diamond core drilling is expensive, <strong>and</strong> it is important that the operation be adequately<br />

controlled if full value is to be gained from the expenditure. Several factors<br />

can influence the quality of the results obtained.<br />

Drilling machine. A hydraulic feed drilling machine is essential to ensure high core<br />

recovery. The independent control of thrust permits the bit to adjust its penetration<br />

rate to the properties of the rock being drilled <strong>and</strong>, in particular, to move rapidly<br />

through weathered rock <strong>and</strong> fault zones before they are eroded away by the drilling<br />

fluid.<br />

There is a range of hydraulic feed machines that are suitable for geotechnical<br />

drilling from surface <strong>and</strong> underground locations. The use of lightweight (aluminium)<br />

drill rods <strong>and</strong> hydraulic chucks permits rapid coupling <strong>and</strong> uncoupling of rods in<br />

a one-man operation. Figure 3.18 shows some results obtained with one of these<br />

machines, a Craelius Diamec 250, in drilling a horizontal 56 mm diameter hole in an<br />

underground limestone quarry. Electronic transducers were used to monitor thrust,<br />

rotary speed, penetration, torque <strong>and</strong> delivery <strong>and</strong> return water pressures <strong>and</strong> flows as<br />

drilling proceeded. Changes in rock strength were reflected by changes in penetration<br />

rate. Open fractures were typified by local steps in the penetration trace <strong>and</strong> by spikes<br />

in the rotary speed <strong>and</strong> torque traces. Clay- or gouge-filled features also produced<br />

irregular torque <strong>and</strong> rotary speed traces. In the case shown in Figure 3.18, a 12 cm<br />

wide clay-filled fissure encountered at a hole depth of 17.61 m, caused the bit to block<br />

<strong>and</strong> the drill to stall.<br />

65

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