Rock mass block quality designation for marble production

Discontinuity spacing measurements are generally carried out along scan lines and/or along the rock mass exposures, quarry benches and/or bore cores for assessing the rock mass quality. Rock mass block quality designation ratio (BQD) has been defined for assessment of the block production capacity of rock mass as BQD% = Sigma S->= 1m/L Where, Sigma S->= 1m cumulative of the discontinuity spacing equal and/or greater 1.0m. L, Scan line length(m). Assessment of the discontinuity spacing measurements made along 2198 m long the scan lines in 6 working and five abandoned limestone quarries in Karaburun area in Western Turkey, have shown that while the working quarries had BQD ratios > 50% and the abandoned quarries had BQD ratios < 50%. Thus, based on our findings the BQD ratio has been proposed to be used for rock mass assessment for the block production in limestone and/or similar quarries (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.