In the process of 2-D compressional wave propagation in a rock mass with multiple parallel joints along the radian direction normal to the joints, the maximum possible wave amplitude corresponding to the points between the two adjacent joints in the joint set is controlled by superposition of the multiple transmitted and the reflected waves, measured by the maximum rebound ratio. Parametric studies on the maximum rebound ratio along the radian direction normal to the joints were performed in universal distinct element code. The results show that the maximum rebound ratio is influenced by three factors, i.e., the normalized normal stiffness of joints, the ratio of joint spacing to wavelength and the joint from which the wave rebounds. The relationship between the maximum rebound ratio and the influence factors is generalized into five charts. Those charts can be used as the prediction model for estimating the maximum rebound ratio.
The proposed prediction model for estimating the maximum rebound ratio was applied to a field explosion test, Mandai test in Singapore. The estimated possible maximum peak particle velocities(PPVs) were compared with the field records. Three of the four available field-recorded PPVs lie exactly below the estimated possible maximum values as expected, while the fourth available field-recorded PPV lies close to and a bit higher than the estimated maximum possible PPV. The comparison results show that the predicted PPVs from the proposed prediction model for the maximum rebound ratio match the field-recorded PPVs better than those from two empirical formulae. The very good agreement between the estimated and field-recorded values validates the proposed prediction model for estimating PPV in a rock mass with a set of joints due to application of a two dimensional compressional wave at the boundary of a tunnel or a borehole.
