Advances in three-dimensional block cutting analysis and its applications

Locating all spatial blocks cut by an arbitrary three-dimensional discrete fracture network (DFN) within a rock mass volume is a basic issue in many research fields related to fractured rock masses. In this paper, analysis procedures based on both the oriented rule and the closed rule are described, followed by a description of a proposed method for block progressive failure analysis. Lastly, two engineering cases in which the proposed method is implemented are presented. The results show that the identified blocks may be extremely complicated and may even be composed of thousands of loops (block faces consist of loops); block progressive failure analysis is extremely useful and efficient in determining block-reinforcement measures. Overall, the 3-d block cutting analysis is important progress in block theory and has a large potential for application in fractured rock masses.