JRMGE / Vol 14 / Issue 4
A novel image-based approach for interactive characterization of rock fracture spacing in a tunnel face
Jiayao Chen, Yifeng Chen, Anthony G. Cohn, Hongwei Huang, Jianhong Man, Lijun Wei
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a Key Laboratory of Geotechnical and Underground Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai,
200092, China
b School of Computing, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
c Department of Computer Science and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 211985, China
d School of Civil Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, China
e Luzhong Institute of Safety, Environmental Protection Engineering and Materials, and School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Qingdao University of
Science and Technology, Qingdao, 255000, China
2022, 14(4): 1077-1088. doi:10.1016/j.jrmge.2021.10.012
Received: 2021-08-29 / Revised: 2021-10-04 / Accepted: 2021-10-18 / Available online: 2022-01-02
2022, 14(4): 1077-1088.
doi:10.1016/j.jrmge.2021.10.012
Received: 2021-08-29
Revised: 2021-10-04
Accepted: 2021-10-18
Available online: 2022-01-02
This paper presents a novel integrated method for interactive characterization of fracture spacing in rock tunnel sections. The main procedure includes four steps: (1) Automatic extraction of fracture traces, (2) digitization of trace maps, (3) disconnection and grouping of traces, and (4) interactive measurement of fracture set spacing, total spacing, and surface rock quality designation (S-RQD) value. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, sample images were obtained by employing a photogrammetry-based scheme in tunnel faces. Experiments were then conducted to determine the optimal parameter values (i.e. distance threshold, angle threshold, and number of fracture trace grouping) for characterizing rock fracture spacing. By applying the identified optimal parameters involved in the model, the proposed method could lead to excellent qualitative results to a new tunnel face. To perform a quantitative analysis, three methods (i.e. field, straightening, and the proposed method) were employed in the same study and comparisons were made. The proposed method agrees well with the field measurement in terms of the maximum and average values of measured spacing distribution. Overall, the proposed method has reasonably good accuracy and interactive advantage for estimating the ultimate fracture spacing and S-RQD. It can be a possible extension of existing methods for fracture spacing characterization for two-dimensional (2D) rock tunnel faces.
Keywords: Fracture spacing, Rock tunnel, Image processing, Fracture set grouping
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Jiayao Chen, Yifeng Chen, Anthony G. Cohn, Hongwei Huang, Jianhong Man, Lijun Wei, 2022. A novel image-based approach for interactive characterization of rock fracture spacing in a tunnel face. J. Rock Mech. Geotech. Eng. 14 (4), 1077-1088.
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Author(s) Information
Jiayao Chen
Jiayao Chen obtained his BSc and MSc degrees in underground engineering and rock mechanics from Central South University, China, in 2014 and 2017, respectively. He is now a PhD candidate majoring in Civil Engineering in Tongji University, China. He is also a visiting research fellow majoring in Computer Science in University of Leeds, UK. His current research interests include: computer vision-based risk/stability analysis for underground space, three-dimensional geological modeling using artificial intelligent algorithms, and multiple sourced data-based decision support system.