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Drillability predictions in Aravalli and Himalayan rocks – a petro-physico-mechanical approach


Affiliations
1 Numerical Modelling Department, National Institute of Rock Mechanics, Bengaluru 560 070, India
2 Department of Mining Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad 826 004, India
 

Dolomite, siliceous dolomite, phyllite, schist, leucogranite, pegmatite and gneissic rocks from the Indian Aravalli Hills and Bhutan Himalayan mountains were studied to examine the influence of petrographic and physico-mechanical properties on rock drillability. From petrographic assessments, a measure of grain size distribution, i.e. ‘granularity index’ and a ‘modi­fied saturation index’ are proposed. Extensive rock mechanics and drilling experiments were also perfor­med to correlate physico-mechanical properties with intact rock drillability. Statistical analysis revealed that no single petrographic parameter could completely explain the variance in drill penetration rate (DPR). The proposed indices and the petro-physico-mechanical approach helped in the rapid assessment of DPR in hard rocks.

Keywords

Granularity index, hard rock drillability, modified saturation index, petrography, physico-mechanical approach.
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  • Drillability predictions in Aravalli and Himalayan rocks – a petro-physico-mechanical approach

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Authors

B. N. V. Siva Prasad
Numerical Modelling Department, National Institute of Rock Mechanics, Bengaluru 560 070, India
V. M. S. R. Murthy
Department of Mining Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad 826 004, India
Sripad R. Naik
Numerical Modelling Department, National Institute of Rock Mechanics, Bengaluru 560 070, India

Abstract


Dolomite, siliceous dolomite, phyllite, schist, leucogranite, pegmatite and gneissic rocks from the Indian Aravalli Hills and Bhutan Himalayan mountains were studied to examine the influence of petrographic and physico-mechanical properties on rock drillability. From petrographic assessments, a measure of grain size distribution, i.e. ‘granularity index’ and a ‘modi­fied saturation index’ are proposed. Extensive rock mechanics and drilling experiments were also perfor­med to correlate physico-mechanical properties with intact rock drillability. Statistical analysis revealed that no single petrographic parameter could completely explain the variance in drill penetration rate (DPR). The proposed indices and the petro-physico-mechanical approach helped in the rapid assessment of DPR in hard rocks.

Keywords


Granularity index, hard rock drillability, modified saturation index, petrography, physico-mechanical approach.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv122%2Fi8%2F907-917