Assessment of Rock Mass Strength and Slope Stability at Bandar Mahkota Cheras, Malaysia Using RMR and SMR
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64862/Keywords:
RMR, SMR, Slope stability, Rock mass strengthAbstract
The rock mechanical parameters are essential for slope stability studies. In Malaysia, limited research has conducted on classifying and evaluating rock mass quality using the Rock Mass Rating (RMR) and Slope Mass Rating (SMR) systems. This study aimed to determine the strength of rock materials and rock masses and to assess rock mass quality using RMR and SMR. Two slopes, labeled BMC-1 and BMC-2, were studied and all rocks were classified as fresh to slightly weathered. Based on Schmidt hammer tests, the estimated Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) ranged from 44 MPa to 125 MPa, while corrected UCS values were between 69.3 MPa and 103.9 MPa. The average bulk and dry densities were 2.517 g/cm³ and 2.511 g/cm³ respectively, with an average porosity of 1.2%. Tensile strength, determined using Brazilian tests, ranged from 2.0 MPa to 4.0 MPa and point load strength varied from 1.3 MPa to 6.0 MPa, corresponding to derived UCS values between 31.3 MPa and 155.5 MPa. P-wave velocities (Vp) ranged from 3,692 m/s to 5,085 m/s, confirming the rocks as fresh to slightly weathered in nature. The rocks were classified as strong to very strong. Stereographic analysis indicated wedge failure potential at slope BMC-1, while BMC-2 remained stable. The basic RMR values were 75 and 77 for BMC-1 and BMC-2, respectively, corresponding to Class II (good-quality rock mass). SMR values were 67 (BMC-1) and 77 (BMC-2), both Class II, with a low failure probability (0.2), indicating stable conditions. The estimated rock mass strength ranged from 15.5–34.5 MPa (BMC-1) and 13.3–31.7 MPa (BMC-2), while the total induced stress (~0.1 MPa) was much lower than rock mass strength. Therefore, the water tank is considered safe. This study contributes valuable data for future research on foundation bearing capacity and applications in engineering geology and rock mechanics.
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The research data are directly collected during my MS research project.
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