Application of the box-counting method in evaluating statistical homogeneity in rock masses

Abstract

This thesis discusses the suitability of the box-counting method as a tool describing complex geometrical phenomena in nature by estimating their fractal dimensions, D. The study evaluated the influence of the parameters of the box counting method on the estimated fractal dimension using Koch curves of known fractal properties. It became clear that the employed size range of the applied box networks has the strongest influence on the obtained fractal dimension. A successful application of the box-counting method to generated 2-D joint patterns proved the ability of the fractal dimension to capture the influence of joint size and density on the statistical homogeneity of rock masses. Joint data from a tunnel of the Three Gorges Dam site in China was examined for potential statistical homogeneity. It was possible to find five different statistically homogeneous regions by combining the estimated fractal dimension and a visual geological evaluation of the joint maps.