Documentation and Theory Overview

RocTunnel3 is a 3D limit equilibrium program for evaluating the safety factor of structurally-controlled block failures in underground rock excavations. Blocks are formed by the intersection of planar joint surfaces which are defined by an orientation, location, size, and assigned a shear strength. Water pressure, support, and loading can be included in the analysis.

Getting Started

If you are a new user of RocTunnel3, you should begin by completing the RocTunnel3 Quick Start Tutorial to help familiarize yourself with the software’s main functions.

How to Use this Guide

Documentation

The Documentation tab helps you to get familiar with program features and provides details on specific tools/functions of the software. This section includes topics like terminology, general features, input data, analysis methods, viewing and display options, and more.

Begin with the RocTunnel3 Program Overview section for an overview of the program and analysis assumptions.

Tutorials

The Tutorials tab provides easy to follow, step-by-step instructions demonstrating how to use various features of the program and provide guidance for more specific analysis features of RocTunnel3. It is recommended that you go through as many of the tutorials as possible to get acquainted with the many different capabilities of the software.

Begin with the Quick Start Tutorial for an introduction to the basic modelling and data interpretation features of RocTunnel3.

Verification and Theory

The Theory and Verification tab contains a collection of theory and verification manuals for the software. The Verification Examples represent an extensive set of models, from many different sources, which have been used to verify the accuracy of the solutions computed by the program (specifically the block engine and kinematic engine). The Theory Manuals describes the equations used to calculate the factor of safety, including the computations of block geometry, block forces, sliding direction, joint normal forces, and joint shear strength.