TITLE:
Selection of Influential Microfabric Properties of Anisotropic Amphibolite Rocks on Its Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS): A Comprehensive Statistical Study
AUTHORS:
Esamaldeen Ali, Guang Wu
KEYWORDS:
Anisotropic Rocks, Microfabric, UCS, Multiple Regressions, Banded Amphibolite
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics,
Vol.2 No.12,
November
25,
2014
ABSTRACT:
Occasionally, in
complex inherent characteristics of certain rocks, especially anisotropic rocks
it may be difficult to measure the uniaxial compressive strength UCS. However,
the use of empirical relationships to evaluate the UCS of rock can be more
practical and economical. Consequently, this study carried out to predict UCS
from microfabrics properties of banded amphibolite rocks using multiple
regression analysis. Based on statistical results, rock microfabric parameters,
which adequately represent the UCS of a given rock type have been selected. The
results show that grain size, shape factor and quartz content have high
significant correlation with UCS at 95% confidence level. From multiple
regression model, approximately 84% of the variance of the UCS can be estimated
by the linear combination of these three parameters. However, according to
model performance criteria: correlation coefficient (R = 0.919), variance account
for (VAF = 97%) and root mean square error (RMSE = 4.16) the study clearly
indicates that the developed model is reliable to predict the UCS. Finally,
this approach can be easily extended to the modeling of rock strength in the absence
of adequate geological information or abundant data.