Site Investigation for Soft Rock Mass

Conventional rock sampling method such as diamond drilling may fail because of the disaggregation or expansion of rock cores of soft rock. Two new sampling systems have been developed for field sampling, processing and transportation. One system is developed by the State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering of China University of Mining and Technology in Beijing and the other by the Zhongshan University in Guangzhou. The system invented by the SKL-GDUE includes the on-site sampling technology which has been applied successfully in the different bedding angels of soft rocks. This chapter introduces these two systems and illustrates the details of field testing.