VARIATIONS IN MECHANICAL PARAMETERS OF ROCK MASS AFFECTING SHAFT LINING

The paper presents geomechanical properties of rock mass occurring in the initial section of shaft lining during its execution. The shaft being sunk is surrounded with cohesive soils, mainly clays with sand layers and silts. Such lithology causes that in various levels some parts of strata are saturated with water. This results in a considerable changeability of soil properties in time. With high water content, the soil is washed away leading to local loss of contact between shaft lining and surrounding soils. This, in turn, results in lack of proper support for curbs and shaft lining fracture in some sections. Engineering activity in such a case should embrace sealing injections in selected parts of the shaft in order to resume proper reinforcement in the lining-rock mass system. The studies of the soils surrounding shaft lining were supposed to help design curbs with increased bearing capacity. The tests of soils indicated that the angle of internal friction and cohesion do change not only at different depths but also at the same depth in different points of perimeter. It was also observed during the study that the mechanical parameters of the analyzed soils improve as the distance from the shaft lining increases, which clearly indicates change of soil properties in the direct neighborhood of the shaft. Considerable number of tests carried out in the study allowed to determine the relationship between water content and angle of internal friction or soil cohesion. The determined relationships can help to estimate change of soil properties under the influence of water with considerable precision. The reinforcement of curbs executed with the use of ground anchors allowed for further shaft sinking. The tests of concrete used in the shaft carried out in the analyzed section produced results similar to the values assumed in the project.