DISTINCT ELEMENT MODELLING OF A FOUNDATION IN JOINTED ROCK MASS

Abstract

Assessment of the bearing capacity of foundation in jointed rock masses has recently attracted the attention of researchers and designers working in the field of rock engineering. So far the methods available to assess the bearing capacity of soil are in vogue without considering the peculiar characteristics of the rock mass. In case of rock mass the discontinuities especially the joints play an important role and highly affect the strength of the rock mass. Due to this joints rock mass becomes incompetent and behaves anisotropically. Though the rock may be a very good foundation material, the joints may make the same highly unfavorable for large structures. The theoretical approaches mainly developed for soils have been observed to be inadequate and subsequently various empirical approaches were developed. In the present work a software UDEC is used to analyze the bearing capacity problem of the rock mass. UDEC is based upon the discrete element modelling. UDEC models were created in step by step manner starting from simple problems of strength assessment so that the results obtained from UDEC could be validated with the available methods. Finally the validated model is applied to a complex problem for the field and to help assess the allowable bearing pressure of the foundation.