Abstract

In designing a tunnel, RMR has been widely used to classify rock mass and to decide the support pattern according to the class of rock mass. However, this RMS system can't help relying on the empirical judgment of engineers who use variables which can be obtained only through consideration of the site conditions. In actuality, it is impossible to consider all the rating factors of RMS when using RMR system at the stage of designing. Therefore, in order to confirm possibility of RMR by use of only the quantitative factors for designing, this paper has done discriminant analysis. Rock strength or RQD has high coefficient of correlation with RMR value, and in consideration of the existing standards for rock mass classification, rock intensity and RQD are important factors for classification of rock mass. Through rock mass classification by the existing RMR system and rock mass classification by the discriminant analysis which has considered two variables only, the discriminant analysis using the rock intensity as an independent variable has shown 74.8% accuracy while the discriminant analysis using RQD as an independent variable has shown 74.3% accuracy. In case of the discriminant analysis which has considered both rock intensity and RQD, it has shown 82.5% accuracy. The existing cases have shown 40.3% accuracy at the stage of designing in which all the RMR factors are considered. It means that at the stage of designing, RMR system can work only with the rock intensity and RQD.