Rock mass classification

Table 4: Rock Mass Rating System (After Bieniawski 1989).

A. CLASSIFICATION PARAMETERS AND THEIR RATINGS
Parameter Range of values
Strength Point-load >10 MPa 4 - 10 MPa 2 - 4 MPa 1 - 2 MPa For this low range - uniaxial
of strength index compressive test is
preferred
intact rock
1 material Uniaxial comp. >250 MPa 100 - 250 MPa 50 - 100 MPa 25 - 50 MPa 5 - 25 1-5 <1
strength MPa MPa MPa
Rating 15 12 7 4 2 1 0
Drill core Quality RQD 90% - 100% 75% - 90% 50% - 75% 25% - 50% < 25%
2 Rating 20 17 13 8 3
Spacing of discontinuities >2m 0.6 - 2 . m 200 - 600 mm 60 - 200 mm < 60 mm
3 Rating 20 15 10 8 5
Very rough surfaces Slightly rough surfaces Slightly rough surfaces Slickensided surfaces Soft gouge >5 mm thick
Condition of discontinuities Not continuous Separation < 1 mm Separation < 1 mm or Gouge < 5 mm thick or Separation > 5 mm
(See E) No separation Slightly weathered walls Highly weathered walls or Separation 1-5 mm Continuous
4 Unweathered wall rock Continuous
Rating 30 25 20 10 0
Inflow per 10 m None < 10 10 - 25 25 - 125 > 125
tunnel length (l/m)
Groundwa (Joint water press)/ < 0.1 0.1, - 0.2 0.2 - 0.5 > 0.5
0
5 ter (Major principal )
General conditions Completely dry Damp Wet Dripping Flowing
Rating 15 10 7 4 0
B. RATING ADJUSTMENT FOR DISCONTINUITY ORIENTATIONS (See F)
Strike and dip orientations Very favourable Favourable Fair Unfavourable Very Unfavourable
Tunnels & mines 0 -2 -5 -10 -12
Ratings Foundations 0 -2 -7 -15 -25
Slopes 0 -5 -25 -50
C. ROCK MASS CLASSES DETERMINED FROM TOTAL RATINGS
Rating 100 81 80 61 60 41 40 21 < 21

Class number I II III IV V

Description Very good rock Good rock Fair rock Poor rock Very poor rock
D. MEANING OF ROCK CLASSES
Class number I II III IV V
Average stand-up time 20 yrs for 15 m span 1 year for 10 m span 1 week for 5 m span 10 hrs for 2.5 m span 30 min for 1 m span
Cohesion of rock mass (kPa) > 400 300 - 400 200 - 300 100 - 200 < 100
Friction angle of rock mass (deg) > 45 35 - 45 25 - 35 15 - 25 < 15
E. GUIDELINES FOR CLASSIFICATION OF DISCONTINUITY conditions
Discontinuity length (persistence) <1m 1-3m 3 - 10 m 10 - 20 m > 20 m
Rating 6 4 2 1 0
Separation (aperture) None < 0.1 mm 0.1 - 1.0 mm 1 - 5 mm > 5 mm
Rating 6 5 4 1 0
Roughness Very rough Rough Slightly rough Smooth Slickensided
Rating 6 5 3 1 0
Infilling (gouge) None Hard filling < 5 mm Hard filling > 5 mm Soft filling < 5 mm Soft filling > 5 mm
Rating 6 4 2 2 0
Weathering Unweathered Slightly weathered Moderately weathered Highly weathered Decomposed
Ratings 6 5 3 1 0
F. EFFECT OF DISCONTINUITY STRIKE AND DIP ORIENTATION IN TUNNELLING**
Strike perpendicular to tunnel axis Strike parallel to tunnel axis
Drive with dip - Dip 45 - 90 Drive with dip - Dip 20 - 45 Dip 45 - 90 Dip 20 - 45
Very favourable Favourable Very unfavourable Fair
Drive against dip - Dip 45-90 Drive against dip - Dip 20-45 Dip 0-20 - Irrespective of strike
Fair Unfavourable Fair
* Some conditions are mutually exclusive . For example, if infilling is present, the roughness of the surface will be overshadowed by the influence of the gouge. In such cases use A.4 directl y.
** Modified after Wickham et al (1972).

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