Tutorial 03 - Combinations Analysis in SWedge

07/01/2020 Tutorial 03 - Combinations Analysis in SWedge
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Tutorial 03 - Combinations Analysis in SWedge

In Tutorial 02 - Probabilistic Analysis in SWedge you learned how to perform a Probabilistic
analysis. In this tutorial, you will learn how to run a Combinations analysis.
It is inherent in the SWedge analysis when Block Shape = Wedge (the default) that tetrahedral
wedges can be formed only by the intersection of two joint orientations with an optional tension
crack. For tetrahedral wedges, SWedge does NOT consider more than two joint planes
simultaneously in the analysis.
However, if your analysis input data includes more than two possible joint orientations, running a
Combinations analysis allows you to analyze all possible combinations of two joints. The joint
orientation data can be entered manually or imported from a Dips file using the Combinations
Input Data dialog. You can define a single set of orientation data or two sets. If you define two
sets, they can have different strength properties, and all possible combinations (using one joint
from each set) are analyzed.
Topics Covered in This Tutorial:
Project Settings
Combination Analysis Type
Importing Joints from Dips
Limiting Wedge Size
Barton-Bandis Strength
Scatter Plot
Persistence Scaling
Stereonet
Bolts
Finished Product:
The finished product of this tutorial can be found in the Tutorial 3 Combination Analysis.swd7 file,
located in the Examples > Tutorials folder in your SWedge installation folder.
1.0 Introduction
https://www.rocscience.com/help/swedge/tutorials/03_Combination_Analysis_Tutorial.htm 1/20
In this tutorial, we’ll look at the analysis of a dataset containing 356 joint orientations obtained from
a Dips data file. With these 356 measurements of joint orientation, we'll look at how to determine
all the possible combinations that can be formed by the 356 joints. We'll look at the practical
issues in determining the wedge with the minimum Factor of Safety as well as persistence
information to get a better idea of the distribution of wedge sizes and Factors of Safety. Finally,
we'll determine the bolt force required to guarantee a minimum Factor of Safety for all
combinations.
2.0 Creating a New File
If you have not already done so, run the SWedge program by double-clicking the SWedge icon in
your installation folder or by selecting Programs > Rocscience > SWedge > SWedge in the
Windows Start menu.
When the program starts, a default model is automatically created. If you do NOT see a model on
your screen:
Select: File > New
Whenever a new file is created, the default input data forms valid slope geometry, as shown in the
image below.
If the SWedge application window is not already maximized, maximize it now so that the full
screen is available for viewing the model.
Notice the four-pane, split screen format of the display, which shows Top, Front, Side and
Perspective views of the model. This view is referred to as the Wedge View. The Top, Front and
Side views are orthogonal with respect to each other (i.e., viewing angles differ by 90 degrees.)
3.0 Model
3.1 Project Settings
Let's start by specifying a Combinations analysis in the Project Settings dialog.
Select: Analysis > Project Settings
1. In the General tab, select Combinations as the Analysis Type.
2. Select Metric, stress as MPa for Units.
3. Press the OK button to close the dialog.
3.2 Input Data
Now let’s define the slope and joint properties in the Input Data dialog.
Select: Analysis > Input Data
1. Select the Slope tab and set Dip = 65, Dip Direction = 180, and Height = 20 for the Slope.
2. Set Dip = 0 and Dip Direction = 180 for the Upper Face.
Since the Dip Direction is the same as for the Slope, you could also check the Use Slope
Dip Direction check box.
3. Select the Joints tab.
4. Click the Import From Dips button. Go to the Examples > Tutorials folder in your SWedge
installation folder and open the Tutorial 03 Combinations.dips6 file.
5. In the Dips Data Import Options dialog, keep the defaults and press the OK button.
Dips is an industry standard Rocscience program for plotting joint orientation data on a
stereonet. You can also copy and paste orientation data directly from Microsoft Excel or any
other spreadsheet program, if you do not have Dips. You can also manually define the joint
sets by typing the data into the Joint Planes grid in the Joints tab.
6. In the Joints tab under Joint Strength, change the Shear Strength Model to Barton
Bandis. Set JRC = 7, JCS [MPa] = 50, and Phir [deg] = 25
7. Click the OK button to save your changes, compute the combinations, and close the Input
Data dialog.
4.0 Analysis Results
After the analysis is complete, computation of all the possible combinations of the 356 joint planes
will occur, as shown in the figure below. Note that the Factor of Safety for the minimum Factor of
Safety wedge is 0.6562.
Some other results you should make note of are:
The results of the Combination analysis are displayed in the Wedge Information Panel in
the Sidebar, showing data for the wedge with the minimum Factor of Safety (Min FS Wedge
Data).
The total Number of Combinations is 63190. The total number of combinations when
running one joint set are n(n-1)/2, where n is the total number of joints (356 in this case).
Since not all combinations produce a wedge, the number of valid combinations is also
displayed (Number of Valid Wedges).
Of these valid wedges, the number of combinations that produce a wedge that is
unstable/failed (Factor of Safety < 1.0) and the number of combinations that produce a
stable wedge (Factor of Safety >= to 1.0) are also displayed.
The wedge combination with the minimum Factor of Safety of 0.656 is the wedge formed by
joints with Dip/Dip Directions of 55/204 and 60/178. The Weight for this wedge is 16.76
MN.
4.1 Scatter Plots
Now let’s plot the distribution of Factor of Safety vs. Wedge Weight for all the combinations by
opening the Scatter Plot Parameters dialog.
Select: Statistics > Plot Scatter
1. Make sure the X Axis Dataset is set to Safety Factor and the Y Axis Dataset is set to
Wedge Weight.
2. Click OK.
The following figure shows the distribution of Factor of Safety vs. Wedge Weight.
It’s obvious from the above figure that some of the combinations produce huge wedges.
1. To see the wedge corresponding to any of the data points in the graph, double-click the data
point in the graph.
2. Double-click the data point furthest in the upper right. This is the point with a Factor of Safety
of 100 and a Wedge Weight of around 344000 MN.
3. To switch to the Wedge View, select Wedge View on the Analysis menu or select the
Wedge View tab at the bottom of the application window.
Note the following:
The wedge with the maximum weight has a persistence and maximum trace length of over
15 kilometers. Clearly, there is no chance a wedge could exist with a joint plane continuity of
this magnitude.
A wedge of this size with a weight of over 344000 MN is clearly not possible so some
mechanism should exist for limiting the size of wedges that are formed.
5.0 Limiting Wedge Size
In our analysis we've seen that wedges produced by certain combinations can have an unrealistic
size and extension. SWedge therefore provides a number of methods for limiting the size of
wedges that are formed in an analysis. To learn about this feature, re-open the Input Data dialog.
Select: Analysis > Input Data
1. In the Slope tab, select the Slope Length (m) check box and enter 30.
Slope Length is in the same direction as the strike of the slope. Defining Slope Length is
just one method of limiting the size of the wedges that are formed.
2. Under Upper Face, select the Bench Width check box and set Width (m) = 10.
The Bench Width or Upper Face Width is the extent of the upper face measured
perpendicular to the slope crest. This distance is measured in the horizontal plane and NOT
in the plane of the upper face if it is dipping at an angle greater than 0.
3. Select the Minimum Wedge Size check box and set Weight (MN) = 0.001.
This option is useful for filtering out very small insignificant sliver-shaped wedges that may
be formed.
4. Click the OK button to save your changes, compute the combinations, and close the Input
Data dialog.
When the SWedge uses options such as Slope Length and Bench Width to limit the wedge size,
wedges that exceed these limits are scaled down so that they fit the slope dimensions. Note that
the wedges are NOT removed from the analysis and set as invalid. They are simply re-sized so
that they fit the dimensions of the slope. In this way, the program always tries to determine a
wedge for a given set of joint orientations.
After computation, notice that the Factor of Safety of the minimum Factor of Safety wedge has
changed to 0.723, as seen in the figure below.
Note the following:
The minimum Factor of Safety wedge is completely different. If you look at the maximum
Trace Length of the unlimited minimum Factor of Safety wedge in the previous section,
you’ll see that it exceeds 70m. This is considerably larger than the Slope Length of 30m
and Bench Width of 10m used to limit the wedge size. As a result, the unlimited wedge is
scaled down in size, which has the effect of lowering its Weight and increasing its Factor of
Safety.
The number of Valid, Invalid, and Failed Wedges has also changed, but not by much. Even
with the scaling that exceed the slope dimensions, some wedges cannot be scaled to fit
inside the slope.
5.2 Scatter Plots
Now we'll go back to the scatter plot we created earlier in the tutorial.
Click the Scatter Plot tab at the bottom of the application window.
Notice that there are no longer the huge wedges that existed in Section 4.1.
6.0 Limiting Wedge Size Using Joint Persistence
In addition to slope dimensions, you can use joint persistence (the maximum length of a joint in-
plane) or trace length information to limit the size of the wedges, using the Scale Wedge dialog.
1. Select Scale Wedge on the Analysis menu.
2. Under Maximum Persistence, select both the Joint 1 and Joint 2 check boxes and enter
Scaling Values of 10 m for both.
3. Press OK to run the analysis and close the Scale Wedge dialog.
Tile the wedge view and the scatter plot using the Window > Tile Horizontally menu option.
Double-click in the Perspective view of the wedge to expand it. Notice that using persistence has
the following effect:
The Factor of Safety has once again increased to 0.801.
The weight of the wedges has decreased considerably.
The size of the minimum Factor of Safety wedge is no longer the maximum size wedge that
can fit in the slope. It does not extend the full height, length, or width of the slope and has
been scaled down to meet the persistence condition.
The maximum Persistence in the Wedge Information Panel is 10 m, the value you set in
the Scale Wedge dialog.
Try double-clicking on a few data points in the scatter plot. Notice that the persistence value for
each of these wedges does not exceed the 10 m you defined as the Maximum Persistence in the
Scale Wedge dialog.
Select View > Show Min FS Wedge again show the wedge with the minimum Factor of Safety.
6.2 Plot Histogram
To get an idea of the relative distribution of failed to stable combinations, we can plot a histogram
of Factor of Safety again using the Scatter Plot Parameters dialog.
Select: Statistics > Plot Histogram
1. Leave the Data Type as Safety Factor.
2. Click OK.
A Safety Factor histogram is displayed.
Notice the red bar on the left side of the plot, which represents the unstable wedges with a Factor
of Safety less than 1.0. Also notice the bar at the far right side of the plot. This bar represents all
the wedges with a Factor of Safety greater than or equal to 100. SWedge truncates the Factor of
Safety at 100, so that all wedges with a Factor of Safety greater than 100 are given a Factor of
Safety of 100.
Now lets change the chart properties to look at a distribution of Factor of Safety between 0 and 20.
1. Right-click inside the histogram.
2. In the popup menu, select Chart Properties to open the Chart Properties dialog.
3. In the Axes section, set the Horizontal Minimum to 0 and the Horizontal Maximum to 20.
The histogram is updated as you make each change.
4. Click Close to close the Chart Properties dialog.
SWedge
NOTE: - 3D surface
Double-clicking wedge sta…
the histogram picks the wedge with theClick here to Factor
corresponding see this page in
of Safety. full context
6.3 Stereonet
Another tool for visualizing the results of the Combinations analysis is the Stereonet View. In the
Stereonet View, you can plot all the poles of the 356 joint planes. You can also plot all the valid
lines of intersections (23448 in this tutorial). You also have the option of highlighting the poles and
lines of intersection that represent unstable wedges. To open the Stereonet View:
Select: Analysis > Stereonet
By default, all the 356 poles are drawn along with the great circles representing the slope, upper
face, and the currently set Joint 1 and Joint 2 that are used to plot the 3D wedge view (the
minimum Factor of Safety wedge).
Now lets plot the line of intersections and the failed wedges.
1. Right-click in the view and notice that the Show Intersections and Show Planes options
are selected in the popup by default.
2. Turn off the Show Planes option by selecting it. These options are also available in the View
> Stereonet menu.
7.0 Support
Another aspect of a Combinations analysis is the addition of support to guarantee that all possible
wedge combinations will have a Factor of Safety above a certain value. For example, let's look at
what bolt force is required to ensure that no wedge has a Factor of Safety less than 1.2. We’ll
assume that the bolt is horizontal and trending to the north (directly into the slope face). To do that,
let's go back to the Wedge View.
Select: Analysis > Wedge View
7.1 Bolt Properties

We first need to set up bolt properties using the Bolt Properties dialog.
Select: Support > Bolt Properties
1. Select Bolt Property 1.
2. Set Type = Simple Bolt Force.
3. Set Bolt Model = Active.
4. Set Force = 0.05.
5. Click OK.
7.2 Adding Bolts
Next, we'll add a bolt using the Add Spot Bolt dialog.
Select: Support > Add Spot Bolt
1. Mouse over the Wedge View so the cursor is over the wedge on the slope face.
2. When the cursor changes from to , click the left mouse button to open the Add Spot
Bolt dialog.
3. Keep Orientation = Trend / Plunge.
4. Set Plunge = 0.
5. Click OK.
A computation of all the wedge combinations occurs. Each wedge includes a bolt of Bolt Property
1 with a Trend/Plunge of 0/0. After computation, notice that the minimum Factor of Safety wedge
has once again changed and that the minimum Factor of Safety is 1.80.
If we want a Factor of Safety that is no lower than 1.2, we can lower the bolt Force in the Bolt
Properties dialog.
1. Select Support > Bolt Properties to re-open the dialog.
2. Set Force = 0.03.
3. Click OK.
The Factor of Safety changes to 1.342.
4. Re-open the dialog and set Force = 0.02.
5. Click OK.
The Factor of Safety changes to 1.147.
6. Open the dialog again and set Force = 0.025.

The Factor of Safety changes to 1.243
Note that the changes are linear. We can assume that with Force = 0.023, we can get a minimum
Factor of Safety of 1.2.
After computation of all the combinations, the minimum Factor of Safety wedge has a Factor of
Safety of 1.203. Thus a bolt with Force = 0.023 and Trend / Plunge = 0/0, ensures that all wedge
combinations have a Factor of Safety of at least 1.2. You can verify this by looking at the scatter
plot.
Note that you may have to adjust bolt properties a number of times before you reach a point
where the minimum Factor of Safety is your design Factor of Safety. This is because different bolt
forces can change the minimum Factor of Safety wedge.
This concludes the tutorial. You are now ready for the next tutorial, Tutorial 04 - Support in
SWedge.

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07/01/2020 Tutorial 03 - Combinations Analysis in SWedge

Tutorial 03 - Combinations Analysis in SWedge

Topics Covered in This Tutorial:

Combination Analysis Type

Importing Joints from Dips

Limiting Wedge Size

2.0 Creating a New File

Select: File > New

3.1 Project Settings

Let's start by specifying a Combinations analysis in the Project Settings dialog.

Select: Analysis > Project Settings

1. In the General tab, select Combinations as the Analysis Type.

2. Select Metric, stress as MPa for Units.

3. Press the OK button to close the dialog.

3.2 Input Data

Select: Analysis > Input Data

3. Select the Joints tab.

4.0 Analysis Results

Some other results you should make note of are:

4.1 Scatter Plots

Select: Statistics > Plot Scatter

Note the following:

5.0 Limiting Wedge Size

Select: Analysis > Input Data

5.1 Analysis Results

Note the following:

5.2 Scatter Plots

6.0 Limiting Wedge Size Using Joint Persistence

1. Select Scale Wedge on the Analysis menu.

6.1 Analysis Results

The Factor of Safety has once again increased to 0.801.

The weight of the wedges has decreased considerably.

6.2 Plot Histogram

Select: Statistics > Plot Histogram

1. Leave the Data Type as Safety Factor.

1. Right-click inside the histogram.

4. Click Close to close the Chart Properties dialog.

Select: Analysis > Stereonet

Select: Analysis > Wedge View

7.1 Bolt Properties

Select: Support > Bolt Properties

1. Select Bolt Property 1.

2. Set Type = Simple Bolt Force.

3. Set Bolt Model = Active.

4. Set Force = 0.05.

7.2 Adding Bolts

Select: Support > Add Spot Bolt

3. Keep Orientation = Trend / Plunge.

1. Select Support > Bolt Properties to re-open the dialog.

2. Set Force = 0.03.

4. Re-open the dialog and set Force = 0.02.

6. Open the dialog again and set Force = 0.025.

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