Table 1.
Description and ratings for the input parameters of the Q-system (simplified from Grimstad and Barton, 1993).
RQD (Rock Quality Designation) Jn (joint set number)
Very poor RQD = 0 - 25% Massive, no or few joints Jn = 0.5 - 1
Poor 25 - 50 One joint set 2
Fair 50 - 75 One joint set plus random joints 3
Good 75 - 90 Two joint sets 4
Excellent 90 - 100 Two joint sets plus random joints 6
Notes: Three joint sets 9
(i) Where RQD is reported or measured as < 10 (including 0), a Three joint sets plus random joints 12
nominal value of 10 is used to evaluate Q Four or more joint sets, heavily jointed, "sugar-cube", etc. 15
(ii) RQD intervals of 5, i.e. 100, 95, 90, etc. are sufficiently Crushed rock, earthlike 20
accurate Notes: (i) For tunnel intersections, use (3.0 x Jn); (ii) For portals, use (2.0 x Jn)
Jr (joint roughness number)
a) Rock-wall contact,
b) rock-wall contact before 10 cm shear c) No rock-wall contact when sheared
Discontinuous joints Jr = 4 Zone containing clay minerals thick enough to prevent rockwall Jr = 1.0
Rough or irregular, undulating 3 contact
Smooth, undulating 2 Sandy, gravelly or crushed zone thick enough to prevent rockwall 1.0
Slickensided, undulating 1.5 contact
Rough or irregular, planar 1.5 Notes:
Smooth, planar 1.0 i) Add 1.0 if the mean spacing of the relevant joint set is greater than 3 m
ii) Jr = 0.5 can be used for planar, slickensided joints having lineations,
Slickensided, planar 0.5
provided the lineations are oriented for minimum strength
Note: i) Descriptions refer to small scale features,
and intermediate scale features, in that order
Ja (joint alteration number)
JOINT WALL CHARACTER Condition Wall contact
Healed or welded joints: filling of quartz, epidote, etc. Ja = 0.75
CLEAN JOINTS Fresh joint walls: no coating or filling, except from staining (rust) 1
Slightly altered joint walls: non-softening mineral coatings, clay-free particles, etc. 2
COATING OR THIN Friction materials: sand, silt, calcite, etc. (non-softening) 3
FILLING
Cohesive materials: clay, chlorite, talc, etc. (softening) 4
Some wall contact No wall contact
FILLING OF: Type Thin filling (< 5 mm) Thick filling
Friction materials sand, silt calcite, etc. (non-softening) Ja = 4 Ja = 8
Hard cohesive materials compacted filling of clay, chlorite, talc, etc. 6 5 - 10
Soft cohesive materials medium to low overconsolidated clay, chlorite, talc, 8 12
Swelling clay materials filling material exhibits swelling properties 8 - 12 13 - 20
Jw (joint water reduction factor)
Dry excavations or minor inflow, i.e. < 5 l/min locally pw < 1 kg/cm2 Jw = 1
Medium inflow or pressure, occasional outwash of joint fillings 1 - 2.5 0.66
Large inflow or high pressure in competent rock with unfilled joints 2.5 - 10 0.5
Large inflow or high pressure, considerable outwash of joint fillings 2.5 - 10 0.3
Exceptionally high inflow or water pressure at blasting, decaying with time > 10 0.2 - 0.1
Exceptionally high inflow or water pressure continuing without noticeable decay > 10 0.1 - 0.05
Note: (i) The last four factors are crude estimates. Increase Jw if drainage measures are installed
(ii) Special problems caused by ice formation are not considered
SRF (Stress Reduction Factor)
Multiple weakness zones with clay or chemically disintegrated rock, very loose surrounding rock (any depth) SRF = 10
Single weakness zones containing clay or chemically disintegrated rock (depth of excavation < 50 m) 5
Single weakness zones containing clay or chemically disintegrated rock (depth of excavation > 50 m) 2.5
Multiple shear zones in competent rock (clay-free), loose surrounding rock (any depth) 7.5
Single shear zones in competent rock (clay-free), loose surrounding rock (depth of excavation < 50 m) 5
Single shear zones in competent rock (clay-free), loose surrounding rock (depth of excavation > 50 m) 2.5
Loose, open joints, heavily jointed or "sugar-cube", etc. (any depth) 5
Note: (i) Reduce these SRF values by 25 - 50% if the relevant shear zones only influence, but do not intersect the excavation.
σc / σ1 σθ / σc SRF
Low stress, near surface, open joints > 200 < 0.01 2.5
Medium stress, favourable stress condition 200 - 10 0.01 - 0.3 1
High stress, very tight structure. Usually favourable to stability, may be except for walls 10 - 5 0.3 - 0.4 0.5 - 2
Moderate slabbing after > 1 hour in massive rock 5-3 0.5 - 0.65 5 - 50
Slabbing and rock burst after a few minutes in massive rock 3-2 0.65 - 1 50 - 200
Heavy rock burst (strain burst) and immediate dynamic deformation in massive rock <2 >1 200 - 400
Notes: (ii) For strongly anisotropic stress field (if measured): when 5 < σ1/σ3 <10, reduce σc to 0.75 σc. When σ1/σ3 > 10, reduce σc to 0.5 σc.
(iii) Few case records available where depth of crown below surface is less than span width. Suggest SRF increase from 2.5 to 5 for low stress cases
σθ / σc SRF
Squeezing Plastic flow of incompetent rock under the Mild squeezing rock pressure 1-5 5 - 10
rock influence of high pressure Heavy squeezing rock pressure >5 10 - 20
Swelling Chemical swelling activity depending on Mild swelling rock pressure 5 - 10
rock presence of water Heavy swelling rock pressure 10 - 15
