Point Load Index Test For The Indication of The Directional Strength Behaviour of Soft Sedimentary Rocks

Point Load Index Test for the Indication of the Directional Strength
Behaviour of Soft Sedimentary Rocks
Ronald Haselsteiner, Christoph Hartmann, Alexander Schmitt, Burkhard Reingen
Björnsen Consulting Engineers, Koblenz
Experimental Preparation /Rig is(50)
The point load index test is a simple test for The point load index is often related to a load
estimation of rock parameters. A specimen of point distance of 50 mm (equation 3).
rock is fixed between two platen pointed and ,
∙ (3)
pressure is until break. The peak applied load
is recorded and used to calculate the Point
Load Index. The experiment can be used Broch (1983) is reporting that the point load
directly on site to determine the point load index is a reliable tool for investigating the
strength of drilling cores. A sketch of the test rig directional strength behaviour of also soft to
is shown in figure 1. medium rocks. The strength reduction is
strongest for load direction angles α = 30 - 60°
referring to the foliation/stratification. Parallel to Diagram 1. Results of the point load tests with different angle of
the foliation/stratification the obtained values load evaluated for siltstone and shale and both (BCE 2014)
are weaker (α = 90°).
Example: Rhine Slate

Two types of rocks were tested, siltstone and
shale. For each rock type six classes of the load
direction were defined in table 2.
Table 2. Classification according to the load angle (BCE 2014))
Figure 1. Picture of a point load test rig device (Avantech

Engineering Consortium Pvt, 2015)
Diagram 2. Results of the point load test evaluated for the
Point Load Index iS [kN/m²] different load angles. (BCE 2014)
The Point Load Index iS is defined as the 106 tests with different load angles were carried
quotient of the breaking force FB [kN] and the out of which only 94 results have shown a clear
corresponding area of the specimen A [m²] and comprehensible break behaviour. The
(equation 1) (Thuro, 2010). The corresponding specimen were one and a half years old, so the
area is depending on the type of failure and is test could not reflect the in-site conditions
to be determined after the failure according to (water content). The strongest value was
the failure/breaking mode. measured at an angle of α = 0° and the weakest
(1) value was measured at an angle of α = 50° -
70° (Table 3).
The uniaxial compressive strength UCS* Table 3. Test results of rock samples (siltstone and shale) of the
Rhine slate. (BCE 2014)
(= σ*u) [kN/m²] Diagram 3. Point load index for all results and separate for
siltstone and shale in the comparison for different classes of
load angles. (BCE 2014)
The dimensionless factor c describes the
correlation between the Point Load Index and References
Akram, M.; Bakar, M. Z. A. 2007. Correlation between uniaxial Compressive
Uniform Compressive Strength in form of a Strength and Point Load Index for Salt-Range Rocks. Pak. J. Eng. & Appl.
linear curve (equation 2). The empirical Sci, Vol. 1.
correlation factor c is depending on Avantech Engineering Consortium Pvt 2015. Ltd. Digital Point Load Testing
geotechnical conditions (e.g. the rock type). System(PLT-100) URL:
http://www.avantech.in/library/images/products/5c86159c-cb15-4ade-8c2e-
Table 1 shows different values for the factor c. ad849c3fb78a.jpg
BCE 2014. Point load test on the Rhine shale – report. Björnsen Consulting
∗ ∗
σ c∙ (2) Engineers, Koblenz, Germany (unpublished)
Table 1. Factor c values (Broch & Franklin 1972) The test results document a distinct load angle Broch, E.; Franklin, J. A. 1972. The point load strength test. International
Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Science & Geomechanics Abstract,
dependent point load index. Relative strong 9, pp. 669-697.
values were obtained perpendicular and parallel Broch, E. 1983. Estimation of Strength Anisotropy Using the Point-Load Test.
to the foliation/stratification, lowest values Int. J. Rock Mech Min Sci. & Geomech. Abstr., Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 181-187.
resulted at load angles of α = 30 – 60°. Mark C, Molinda GM. 1996. Rating Coal Mine Roof Strength from
Corresponding to the roughness of the shear Exploratory Drill Core. In the Proceeding of the 15th International
Conference on Ground Control in Mining, Golden CO, 1996, pp. 415-428.
surface the weakest shear strength is not
Rusnak, J,; Mark, C. 2000. Using the point load test to determine the uniaxial
obtained for loads parallel to the foliation but compressive strength of coal measure rock. 19th Ground Control
parallel to the roughness pattern (see diagram 1 Conference in Mining, West Virginia University, Proceedings, pp. 362-371.
to 3) . Thuro, K. 2010. Empfehlung Nr. 5 „Punktlastversuche an Gesteinsproben“
des Arbeitskreises 3.3 „Versuchstechnik Fels“ der Deutschen Gesellschaft
für Geotechnik. Bautechnik 87 (2010), Heft 6, S. 322-330

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Point Load Index Test for the Indication of the Directional Strength

Behaviour of Soft Sedimentary Rocks

Ronald Haselsteiner, Christoph Hartmann, Alexander Schmitt, Burkhard Reingen

Björnsen Consulting Engineers, Koblenz

Experimental Preparation /Rig is(50)

Example: Rhine Slate

Figure 1. Picture of a point load test rig device (Avantech

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