HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

MSc - Tutorial 2 (2018/2019) Advanced Rock Engineering

Topic 2

1 (a) Plot a line. The plunge of the line is N210/30. Plot another line. The plunge
of the line is N100/70. Determine the angle between the two lines and the
orientation of a plane determined by these two lines.
(b) Plot two planes using the great circle method. The dip direction and dip angle
of the two planes are N070/60 and N350/55. Determine the orientation and
angle of the intersection of the two planes, and the orientation of a plan normal
to these two planes.
(c) Plot two planes using the polar method. The dip direction and dip angle of the
two planes are N150/45 and N220/60. Determine the orientation and angle
of the intersection of the two planes.

2 Use the counting net to determine the joint sets of the Fig. 1.

3 The friction angle of the joints sets of Q2 are 40˚. The slope orientation is of the Q2
is N310˚/80.
(a) Use the polar method to analysis the slope. Does plane, wedge or toppling
failure will occur?
(b) To prevent instability problems from arising, what orientation or angle of
slope would recommend.

4 The following data were mapped on slope. Use the polar net to plot the joints. Use the
contour net to analysis the overall orientation of joint sets.

Dip Direction Dip Angle No. of joints

N090 88 13
N105 80 14
N185 38 6
N160 40 7

5 The slope orientation is N150˚/80. The friction angle of the joints of Q3 are 35˚.
Use the great circle method to analysis the slope. Does plane, wedge or toppling
failure will occur?

6 The slope orientation is N275˚/80. Three joint sets of N300˚/60˚, N175˚/20˚ and
N090˚/85˚ are found on the slope face. The friction angle of the joints are 35˚.
(a) Use the great circle method to analysis the slope. Does plane, wedge or
toppling failure will occur?
(b) To prevent instability problems from arising, what orientation or angle of
slope would recommend.

Fig. 1