Applicability Of The Rock Mass Rating (RMR) System For The Trusmadi Formation At Sabah, Malaysia

Rock Mass Classification Systems (RMCS) can be of considerable use in the initial stage of a project when little or no detailed information is available. There is a large number of RMCS developed for general purposes but also for specific applications such as Rock Quality Designation (RQD), Rock Mass Rating (RMR), Rock Structure Rating (RSR), Geological Strength Index (GSI), Slope Mass Rating (SMR), etc. In this paper, we present the results of the applicability of the Rock Mass Rating (RMR) System for the Trusmadi Formation in Sabah, Malaysia. The RMR system is a RMCS incorporated with five (5) parameters: Strength of intact rock material, Rock Quality Designation (RQD), Spacing of joints, Condition of joints, and Groundwater conditions. A total of ten (10) locations were selected on the basis of exposures of the lithology and slope condition of the Trusmadi Formation. Trusmadi Formation is Paleocene to Eocene in aged. The Trusmadi Formation generally shows two major structural orientations NW-SE and NE-SW. Trusmadi Formation is characterized by the present of dark colour argillaceous rocks, siltstone and thin-bedded turbidite in well-stratified sequence. Some of the Trusmadi Formation rocks have been metamorphosed to low grade of the greenish-schist facies; the sediment has become slate, phyllite and metarenite. Cataclastic rocks are widespread and occur as black phyllonite enclosing arenitic and lutitic boudins with diameter up to a meter or demarcating thin to thicker fault zones or as flaser zones with hardly any finer grain matrix or as zones of closely spaced fractures. Quartz and calcite veins are quite widespread within the crack deformed on sandstone beds. The shale is dark grey when fresh but changes light grey to brownish when weathered. The RMR system for 10 outcrops ranges from 33.0 to 50.0 and its classified as “Fair” (Class III) to “Poor” (Class IV) rocks. The Fair Rock (Class III) recommended that the excavation should be top heading and bench 1.5 m – 3 m advance in the top heading. Support should be commencing after each blast and complete support 10 m from face. Rock bolts should be systematic with 4 m long spaced 1.5 m – 2 m in crown and walls with wire mesh in crown. Shotcrete should be 50 mm – 100 mm in crown and 30 mm in sides. While for the Poor Rock (Class IV), the excavation should be top heading and bench 1.0 m – 1.5 m advance in top heading. Support should be installed concurrently with excavation, 10 m from face. Rock bolt should be systematic with 4 m – 5 m long, spaced 1.5 m – 1.5 m in crown and walls with wire mesh. Shotcrete of 100 m – 150 mm in crown and 100 mm in sides. The steel sets should be light to medium ribs spaced 1.5 m only when required.