Four major criteria to be considered and tested in relation to constructability:
EXCAVATABILITY
How much work will have to be done to remove the soil or rock material?
How much force will have to be applied to the rock by a mechanical bit, cutter or tool to break it?
How much explosive energy per cubic metre will be needed to break the rock?
ABRASIVITY
How much damage will the loosening of soils or the breaking or cutting of rock cause to excavating bits, tools, or cutters?
How much damage or wear will the transport of loosened or broken soil and rock cause to transportation equipment such as trucks, conveyors and pipelines?
STABILITY DURING AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER CONSTRUCTION
Will the rock fail before or during removal due to the magnitude of the natural stress field, relative to the rock’s strength properties?
Will the soil or rock material remaining in place be strong enough to support the slope tunnel, or excavated cavern, or will it have to be artificially strengthened, reinforced or supported?
LONG-TERM STABILITY AFTER CONSTRUCTION
What is the strength or yield stress of the rock under slow or sustained loading, by comparison with design values derived from quick laboratory tests?
How much non-elastic (viscous or plastic) creep deformation will the rock surrounding a tunnel or excavated cavern develop during the life of the project?
What additional loads will these irresistible deformations cause to the artificial support structures?
How much swelling pressure will the rock surrounding a tunnel or excavated cavern impose on the artificial support structures during the life of the project?
INDEPENDENT GEOTECHNICAL LABORATORY
Advance, Accredited Geotechnical Rock Laboratory Testing
We are pleased to announce that we have moved into our new premises at 20 Williams Road, Coburg North. We are now open for all your rock testing needs. Please drop in if you are passing by to say Hi, we look forward to seeing......
BRTS will soon be accredited for this test and can help your rock mechanics and geotechnical evaluation. Whether you’re optimizing blast design, evaluating material for construction, or estimating crushing and grinding efficiency, one factor remains central: understanding the hardness and breakability of rock. That’s where......
Just letting you know that we have found a new home! We will be moving to Coburg North in the near future and look forward to welcoming you there. No dates have been set for the move as yet, as we are waiting on Council......
06 May, 2025
Strongly Altered Core vs 390kN
Our Services
ROCK AND SOIL STRENGTH TESTING
ROCK AND SOIL ABRASIVENESS MEASUREMENT
ROCK CUTTABILITY, DRILLABILITY & EXCAVATABILITY
TBM AND ROADHEADER PERFORMANCE PREDICTION
RIPPABILITY AND BLASTABILITY FORECASTING
MICROTUNNELLING AND HDD MACHINE DESIGN
SLOPE STABILITY AND LANDSLIDE RISK ASSESSMENT
Many of the tests we do are NATA accredited – ask us or click on the NATA logo above.
