Geological Factors in Rapid Excavation
Prepared by the Case Histories Committee for the Engineering Geology Division of the Geological Society of America, these histories are intended as reference material for the practicing geologist and for the college student. This volume, the ninth in the series, contains the following papers: Rapid excavation and the role of engineering geology; The engineering geologist’s role in hard rock tunnel machine selection; Some geological structural influences in quarrying limestone and dolomite; Geologic factors in rapid excavation with nuclear explosives; Theory of spacing of extension fracture; Experimental investigation of sliding friction in multilithologic specimens; Total systems approach to rapid excavation and its geological requirements; and more.
Geologic Factors in Rapid Excavation with Nuclear Explosives
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Published:January 01, 1972
Abstract
Many of the essential elements required to design safe nuclear excavation projects are geologic. Excavation dimensions depend on such rock properties as compressibility, porosity, water content, and strength. Estimates of ground motion at locations of natural or manmade structures depend on knowing the geology of the explosion site, the transmission path, and the structure site. The hydrologic environment must be understood in order to avoid unwanted effects. Although computational techniques have been developed to design nuclear excavations, the results of such calculations are greatly dependent on how well the geologic data provided represent the actual conditions. Better techniques to determine rock properties are required.