Mechanics and response of a surface rock block subjected to pressure fluctuations: A plucking model and its application

•Plucking is often the dominant scour mechanism in heavily jointed rock masses.•This work explores the response of a block subjected to fluctuated pressure.•A theoretical framework is proposed to model the plucking of a rock block.•It is applied to estimate the scour hole development due to plucking.•An example demonstrates the applicability of the proposed approach.

Plucking (removal of rock blocks) is often the dominant mechanism for producing a scour hole on riverbeds comprised of heavily jointed rock masses being subjected to pressure fluctuations from a jet flow. This paper explores the mechanics and response of a surface block subjected to pressure fluctuations. First a particle-flow simulation was conducted to demonstrate how repeated pressure fluctuations are able to gradually remove rock bridges in discontinuities surrounding a rock block, if a pressure fluctuation's intensity is substantial. As a consequence, these weak planes may become fully persistent. The block's uplift speed then depends on the pressure differences on the opposite (horizontal) faces, and the frictional resistance of the lateral discontinuities. This paper proposes a theoretical framework to model the mechanics and response of a rock block subjected to a sinusoidal pressure fluctuation. This model can be applied to estimate the development of a scour hole, through plucking, during a specific flood event. An example demonstrates the applicability of the proposed approach in predicting the potential depth of the scour hole.