Thesis (M.P.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-141).

Thesis (M.Eng.) -- Memorial University of Newfoundland. / Typescript. Bibliography : leaves 233-240. Also available online.

Thesis (M.P.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-141). Also available in print.

Thesis (M.S.) -- Central Connecticut State University, 2006. / Thesis advisor: David Truly. "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Geography." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 82-87). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Stress can have a significant effect on the stability of pillars. To get an accurate picture of pillar stability, information is needed not only on the initial stress magnitude and distribution but also on all subsequent stress changes. Sonic methods have the potential to be among the fastest, most economical and least destructive means of stress measurement. Wave propagation velocity has long been applied to the investigation of the upper mantle and crust stress. Recently, it has also been applied to rock burst prediction and mine site investigations. Another parameter for investigating stress in rocks is the attenuation coefficient. Attenuation has been observed to be more sensitive to stress changes than wave velocity; however, the measurement of attenuation is more difficult than that of wave velocity. In this study, the mechanism of sonic attenuation in rock is reviewed. Both the velocity and the attenuation of sound waves in five different rock types under various stress levels were examined in the laboratory. It was found that the relationship between the velocity ratio and stress and that between the attenuation ratio and stress, for a specific rock type, can be expressed by simplified second order polynomial equations. / Master of Science

Thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, School of Mining Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2017 / Boring of shafts and tunnels in hard rock mines is more prevalent in recent years in South Africa. This normally takes place under substantial stress conditions, where fracturing of rock occurs around the boundaries and ahead of advancing faces of excavations. Fracturing can have a significant impact on boring activities, in some instances causing sidewall spalling which can be extensive, with machine grippers unable to reach the sidewalls. In brittle rock, these fractures are commonly extensional in nature. This research has been undertaken to predict the initiation of extension fractures and their orientations ahead of machine driven tunnels. Furthermore, it will help to assess the stability of the excavations, by evaluating the potential for slab/plate failures. This was based on the typical in situ stress fields for underground deep level mines. The numerical analyses involved the generation of different plots:  Principal stress contour plots, depicting stress distributions around and ahead of tunnel excavation, using cutting planes;  Isosurfaces, showing zones of extension or potential extents of fracturing, applying the extension strain criterion; and  Trajectory ribbons, to demonstrate the orientations of fractures. Based on the results of the stress analyses, potential slab or plate formation was determined. It was noted that the fracture zone is a function of a tunnel size. For instance, a four-metre diameter tunnel is less likely to give boring problems than an eight-metre diameter tunnel. The failure of the tunnels was predicted by employing slab analysis methods. An eight-metre diameter tunnel had slenderness ratio as low as 22.3 as compared with a four-metre diameter tunnel with a slenderness ratio of 27. Looking at buckling stress versus slenderness ratio, this translates to buckling stress values of above 100 MPa for an eight-metre tunnel and to values just below 50 MPa for a four-metre tunnel. The outcome of the research gives a clear indication that boring activities could be undertaken under severe conditions. This could be detrimental to the cutter head, since large slabs and blocks could be encountered during boring. The results of this research can be beneficial in the evaluation of boring conditions prior to and during boring activities. / MT2018

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Excavation activities like open cutting and tunneling work may cause ground movements. Many of these activities are performed in urban areas where many structures and facilities already exist. These activities are close enough to affect adjacent structures. It is therefore important to understand how the ground movements due to excavations influence nearby structures. The goal of the proposed research is to investigate and develop analytical methods for addressing uncertainty during observation-based, adaptive design of deep excavation and tunneling projects. Computational procedures based on a Bayesian probabilistic framework are developed for comparative analysis between observed and predicted soil and structure response during construction phases. This analysis couples the adaptive design capabilities of the observational method with updated reliability indices, to be used in risk-based design decisions. A probabilistic framework is developed to predict three-dimensional deformation profiles due to supported excavations using a semi-empirical approach. The key advantage of this approach for practicing engineers is that an already common semi-empirical chart can be used together with a few additional simple calculations to better evaluate three-dimensional displacement profiles. A reliability analysis framework is also developed to assess the fragility of excavation-induced infrastructure system damage for multiple serviceability limit states. Finally, a reliability analysis of a shallow circular tunnel driven by a pressurized shield in a frictional and cohesive soil is developed to consider the inherent uncertainty in the input parameters and the proposed model. The ultimate limit state for the face stability is considered in the analysis. The probability of failure that exceeding a specified applied pressure at the tunnel face is estimated. Sensitivity and importance measures are computed to identify the key parameters and random variables in the model.