Quick Start Tutorial 1-1

Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual

Quick Start Tutorial



Dips is a program designed for the interactive analysis of orientation based
geological data. This quick start tutorial will familiarize you with some of the basic
features of Dips.

If you have not already done so, run Dips by double-clicking on the Dips
icon in your installation folder. Or from the Start menu, select Programs
Rocscience Dips 6.0 Dips.

If the Dips application window is not already maximized, maximize it now, so that
the full screen is available for viewing the data.

Example.dip File

Dips 6.0 comes with several example files installed with the program. These example
files can be accessed by selecting File > Recent Folders > Examples Folder from the
Dips main menu. This tutorial will use the Example.dips6 file to demonstrate the
basic plotting features of Dips.

Select: File Recent Folders Examples Folder

Open the Example.dips6 file.

Since we will be using the Example.dips6 file in other tutorials, save this example
file with a new file name.

Select: File Save As

Enter the file name Quick Start Tutorial and save the file.
Quick Start Tutorial 1-2
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual




You should see the stereonet plot view shown in the following figure. (Note: if the
example file has been previously opened and saved, the screen may show a different
view or plot, since Dips saves the most recent view state when a file is saved).























Sidebar Control Panel
When you are viewing a stereonet plot, the control panel at the side of the screen
allows you to fully customize the data and display options for the stereonet. This
control panel is referred to as the Sidebar. By selecting the checkboxes and radio
buttons you can overlay different types of plots (e.g. poles, contours, planes) and
customize the display (e.g. colours, visibility).

The sidebar gives you the maximum flexibility in determining the plotting and
display options. We will explore some of these options in this tutorial. For now leave
the default selections in the sidebar.


Toolbar Shortcuts
Shortcuts to commonly used plot types are available in the toolbar:



Pole / Dip Vector Mode
Vector Plot
Symbolic Plot
Contour Plot
Major Planes Plot
Rosette Plot
Quick Start Tutorial 1-3
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual




Grid View

Before we discuss the stereonet view, lets have a look at the input data in the main
Dips spreadsheet. The Dips spreadsheet is also called the Grid View. Select the Grid
view tab at the bottom of the screen.





We wont worry about the details of this file yet, except to note that it contains 40
rows, and the following columns:

Two Orientation Columns
A Quantity Column
A Traverse Column
Three Extra Columns

In the next tutorial, we will discuss how to create the Example.dips6 file from
scratch.

Now switch back to the stereonet plot view by selecting the stereonet plot tab at the
bottom of the screen.
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Quick Start Tutorial 1-4
Pole Plot



The most basic representation of orientation data on a stereonet is the Pole Plot.
A shortcut to quickly generate a pole plot is to select the Vector Plot toolbar
button.

Select: View Vector Plot

You should see the following plot.























Each pole on a Pole Plot represents an orientation data pair in the first two columns
of a Dips file.

The Pole Plot can also display feature attribute information, based on the data in any
column of a Dips file, with the Symbolic Plot option. This is covered later in this
tutorial.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Quick Start Tutorial 1-5
Dip Vector Plot



Planes can be represented as either pole vectors or dip vectors on the stereonet.
A dip vector represents the maximum dip orientation of a plane and is
orthogonal to the pole vector of a plane.

To view dip vectors select the Dip Vector Mode from the toolbar or the View menu.

Select: View Pole / Dip Vector Mode Dip Vector

The plot should look as follows.























Dip vectors are sometimes preferred for certain types of analyses, in particular
kinematic analysis for planar sliding or toppling.

In general, pole vectors are more commonly used and have more applications. For
example, joint set orientations can only be determined from pole vector plots not
from dip vectors. Return to the pole vector plotting mode by selecting the Pole
Vector Mode toolbar button.

Select: View Pole / Dip Vector Mode Pole Vector
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Quick Start Tutorial 1-6
Show Grid Data Planes



To display the planes (great circles) for all of the planar data in your Dips file, select
the Planes > Grid Data Planes checkbox in the sidebar plot options.

You will see all great circles displayed for all planar entries in the main Dips
spreadsheet as shown below. Each great circle corresponds to a pole (or dip vector)
on the vector plot.























Turn off the display of Grid Data Planes by de-selecting the Planes > Grid Data
Planes checkbox in the sidebar plot options.
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Quick Start Tutorial 1-7
Stereonet Legend



Note that the Legend for the Pole Plot (and all stereonet plots in Dips) indicates
the:

Projection Type (Equal Angle)

Hemisphere (Lower Hemisphere)



These can be changed using Stereonet Options in the Sidebar control panel.
(Equal Area and Upper Hemisphere options are available). However, for this
tutorial, we will use the default projection options.

Note that the Legend also indicates Vector Count 61 (40 Entries)

The Example.dips6 file has 40 rows, hence 40 entries.
The Quantity Column in this file allows you to record multiple identical
data units in a single row of the file. Hence the 40 data entries actually
represent 61 features, hence the total vector count of 61 poles.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Quick Start Tutorial 1-8
Reporting Convention



As you move the cursor around the stereonet, notice that the cursor orientation
coordinates are displayed in the Status Bar.

The format of these orientation coordinates can be toggled with the
Reporting Convention option in the Edit menu.

If the Convention is Trend / Plunge, the coordinates will be in
Pole Vector format, and represent the cursor (pole) location
directly.

If the Convention is Dip/DipDirection or Strike/Dip (right or
left hand rule for strike) the coordinates will be in Plane Vector
format and represent the plane corresponding to the cursor (pole) location.

TIP: the quickest and most convenient way of toggling the Convention is to click
on the box in the Status Bar to the left of the coordinate display, with the LEFT
mouse button.

The Reporting Convention also affects the format of certain data listings in Dips
(e.g. the Major Planes legend, the Edit Planes and Edit Sets dialogs), and the format
of orientation data input for certain options (e.g. Add Plane and Add Set Window
dialogs).

NOTE: THE CONVENTION OPTION DOES NOT AFFECT THE PLOTTING OF
DATA, OR THE VALUES IN THE GRID IN ANY WAY !!
Poles are ALWAYS plotted using the Trend and Plunge of the pole vector with
respect to the reference sphere, regardless of the setting of the Convention option.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Quick Start Tutorial 1-9
Scatter Plot



While a Pole Plot illustrates orientation data, single pole symbols may actually
represent several unit measurements of similar orientation.

A Scatter Plot allows you to better view the numerical distribution of
measurements, since coincident pole and closely neighbouring pole measurements
are grouped together with quantities plotted symbolically. The Scatter Plot Legend
indicates the number of poles represented by each symbol. The size and colour of
symbol indicates the approximate pole density at that location.

Select the Scatter Plot option from the View menu or the sidebar plot options.

Select: View Scatter Plot




















A Scatter plot can be applied to Dip Vectors as well as poles. Choose Dip
Vector Mode from the toolbar and view the effect on the
Scatter Plot.

Now switch back to Pole Vector mode.

Lets move on to the Contour Plot, which is the main tool for analyzing pole
concentrations on a stereonet.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Quick Start Tutorial 1-10



Contour Plot

Select the Contour Plot option from the toolbar or the View menu, and a Contour Plot
will be generated.

Select: View Contour Plot























The Contour Plot clearly shows the data concentrations. It can be seen that there are
three data clusters in the Example.dips6 file, including one that wraps around to the
opposite side of the stereonet.

Since this file only contains 40 data entries, the data clustering in this case was
apparent even on the Pole Plot. However, in larger Dips files, which may contain
hundreds or even thousands of entries, cluster recognition will not necessarily be
visible on Pole Plots and Contour Plots are necessary to identify major data
concentrations.


Weighted Contour Plot
Since this file contains Traverse information (Traverses are discussed in the next
tutorial), a Terzaghi Weighting can be applied to Contour Plots, to correct for
sampling bias introduced by data collection along Traverses.

To apply the Terzaghi Weighting to the Contour Plot, select the Terzaghi Weighting
checkbox in the sidebar plot options or the View menu.

Select: View Terzaghi Weighting
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Quick Start Tutorial 1-11



Note the change in the Contour Plot. Applying the Terzaghi Weighting may reveal
important data concentrations which were not apparent on the unweighted Contour
Plot. The effect of applying the Terzaghi Weighting will of course be different for
each file, and will depend on the data collected, and the traverse orientations. In this
case the Terzaghi weighting does not significantly change the contour plot.























DO NOT USE WEIGHTED CONTOUR PLOTS FOR APPLICATIONS UNLESS
YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE LIMITATIONS. For a
discussion of sampling bias and the Terzaghi Weighting procedure, see the Dips
Help system.

To remove the Terzaghi Weighting and restore the unweighted Contour Plot,
simply de-select the Terzaghi Weighting checkbox in the sidebar or View menu
dialog.

Select: View Terzaghi Weighting



The minimum bias angle option allows you to set a minimum bias angle which
prevents the Terzaghi weighting factor from becoming very large. See the Dips
help system for details.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Quick Start Tutorial 1-12



Dip Vector Contours

As with pole and scatter plots, a Contour Plot can display either pole or dip vector
contours, according to the setting of the Pole / Dip Vector Mode option in the
toolbar. Select Dip Vector Mode to view the plot, then switch back to Pole Vector
mode.


Contour Options

Many Contour Options are available which allow you to customize the style, range
and number of contour intervals. We will not explore the Contour Options in this
tutorial; however, you are encouraged to experiment. Contour Options is available
in the View menu, or by right- clicking on a Contour Plot.




Stereonet Options
In the sidebar you will notice the stereonet display options. You may choose Equal
Angle or Equal Area projection; upper or lower hemisphere projection; and a variety
of other display options. Colour selections can be customized. Again you are
encouraged to experiment with these options after completing the tutorial.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Quick Start Tutorial 1-13



Symbolic Pole Plot

We will now demonstrate how feature attribute analysis can be carried out using the
Symbolic Plot and Chart options in Dips.

Select the Symbolic Plot option from the toolbar or the View menu.

Select: View Symbolic Plot

1. You will see the Symbolic Plot dialog.

2. In the Data Type drop-list select the data (column) you would like to plot.
For example, select TYPE.



3. The data in the TYPE column is Qualitative, which is the default selection
so we do not have to change this. If the data were Quantitative, i.e.
numeric, then we would have to select the Quantitative Data Type option.

4. Notice that a list of all entries in the TYPE column appears in the Allocated
list area.

5. Select OK, and a Symbolic Plot will be generated, displaying
symbols corresponding to the entries in the TYPE column as shown
in the following figure.
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Quick Start Tutorial 1-14

























TIP: once a Symbolic Plot has been generated, the most recently selected properties
will be remembered by the view. If you later switch plot types (e.g. Contour Plot,
Pole Plot) you can quickly recall the current Symbolic Plot by selecting the Symbolic
option in the sidebar vector display plot options. The Symbolic Plot dialog can be
accessed at any time by selecting the Symbolic Plot toolbar button or the small button
beside the
Symbolic option in the sidebar or in the right-click menu.


Symbolic Plot Legend
In the Symbolic Plot legend, you will notice the Quantity of each feature being
plotted. This refers to the total number of poles with that label (i.e. it accounts for
the Quantity Column values). If you add the Quantity numbers in the legend, you
will find that the total is equal to the Vector Count (number of Poles) listed at the
bottom of the legend, in this case, 61.


Symbolic Dip Vector Plot

As with pole, scatter and contour plots, the Symbolic Plot can display either
poles or dip vectors, according to the setting of the Pole / Dip Vector Mode
option in the toolbar. Select Dip Vector Mode to view the plot, then switch back
to Pole Vector mode.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Quick Start Tutorial 1-15




Creating a Chart from a Symbolic Plot

Now lets create a corresponding Histogram, based on our Symbolic Pole Plot.

1. Right-click on the Symbolic Plot. From the popup menu select
Symbolic > Create Corresponding Chart.

2. You will see a Chart dialog with Data = TYPE pre-selected.

3. Select OK and a new chart view will automatically be generated, using the
same data and settings selected for the Symbolic Plot.























The Chart can then be customized if desired using the various Chart Settings available
in the sidebar (e.g. the Histogram can be converted to a Pie Chart or a Line graph).
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Quick Start Tutorial 1-16





Charts can also be generated directly using the Chart option in the toolbar or the
Analysis menu. The above procedure is simply a shortcut for generating a chart from
an existing Symbolic Plot.

Switch back to the stereonet plot view using the tabs at the bottom of the screen.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Quick Start Tutorial 1-17



Plotting Intersections

The intersection of two planes forms a line in 3-dimensional space which can be
plotted as a point on the stereonet. Planar intersections are used in kinematic
stability analysis for wedge sliding and direct toppling modes.

Several options are available for plotting intersections. In the sidebar:

1. Select the Intersections checkbox. The default option is Grid Data Planes.
This will plot the intersections of all planes in your Dips file.

2. Turn off the display of pole vectors by de-selecting the Pole Vector Display
checkbox.

3. Intersection points can be contoured. Select the Contours >
Intersection option in the sidebar. Your screen should look as follows.























Note that the Legend indicates that Intersections are being plotted and the total
number of intersections.

Other intersection plotting options allow you to intersect specified joint sets, mean set
planes, user planes, etc. See the Dips help system for further information.
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Quick Start Tutorial 1-18



Rosette Plot

Another widely used technique for representing orientations is the Rosette Plot.

The conventional rosette plot begins with a horizontal plane (represented by the
equatorial (outer) circle of the plot). A radial histogram (with arc segments instead of
bars) is overlain on this circle, indicating the density of planes intersecting this
horizontal surface. The radial orientation limits (azimuth) of the arc segments
correspond to the range of STRIKE of the plane or group of planes being represented
by the segment. In other words, the rosette diagram is a radial histogram of strike
density or frequency.

To generate a Rosette Plot, select Rosette Plot from the toolbar or the View menu.

Select: View Rosette Plot






Although the default Rosette
Plot uses a horizontal base
plane, an arbitrary base plane
at any orientation can be
specified in the Rosette
Options dialog. For a non-
horizontal base plane, the
Rosette Plot represents the
APPARENT STRIKE of the
lines of intersection between
the base plane and the planes
in the Dips file.








If you right-click on the Rosette Plot you can access the Rosette Options dialog
from the popup menu. Experiment with the various Rosette Options. See the Dips
help system for information about the rosette plot options. Close the dialog when
you are finished.
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Quick Start Tutorial 1-19





Rosette Applications

The rosette conveys less information than a full stereonet since one dimension is
removed from the diagram. In cases where the planes being considered form
essentially two dimensional geometry (prismatic wedges, for example) the third
dimension may often overcomplicate the problem. A horizontal rosette diagram may,
for example, assist in blast hole design for a vertical bench where vertical joint sets
impact on fragmentation. A vertical rosette oriented perpendicular to the axis of a
long topsill or tunnel may simplify wedge support design where the structure
parallels the excavation. A vertical rosette which cuts a section through a slope
under investigation can be used to perform quick sliding or toppling analysis where
the structure strikes parallel to the slope face.

From a visualisation point of view and for conveying structural data to individuals
unfamiliar with stereographic projection, rosettes may be more appropriate when the
structural nature of the rock is simple enough to warrant 2D treatment.


Weighted Rosette Plot

The Terzaghi Weighting option can be applied to Rosette Plots as well as Contour
Plots, to account for sampling bias introduced by data collection along Traverses.

If the Terzaghi Weighting is NOT applied, the scale of the Rosette Plot
corresponds to the actual number of planes in each bin.

If the Terzaghi Weighting IS applied, the scale of the Rosette Plot
corresponds to the WEIGHTED number of planes in each bin.

Do not use weighted plots for applications unless you are familiar with the
limitations. See the Dips Help system for more information.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Quick Start Tutorial 1-20



Info Viewer

The Info Viewer presents a formatted summary of your Dips file input data and
analysis results.

Select: Analysis Info Viewer

Scroll down to view the information presented in the Info Viewer.



The sidebar allows you to customize the information shown in the Info Viewer as
well as the appearance (fonts, colours etc).

The Info Viewer information can be copied to the clipboard (Edit > Copy) or saved
to a file (right-click > Save As HTML) for including in reports.

When Sets are defined all Set statistics can be found listed in the Info Viewer. Sets
are covered in tutorial #3.
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Quick Start Tutorial 1-21
Working with Multiple Views



Now tile the views. If all views are still open your screen may look similar to the
following figure.

Select: Window Tile Vertically























Notice that as you click the mouse in each view the sidebar options are updated for
the applicable view.

New stereonet plot views can be generated at any time, by selecting the
New Pole Vector Plot option in the Window menu.

Select: Window New Pole Vector Plot

Display and visibility options can be customized independently for each open view.
This is left as an optional exercise to explore.

That concludes this quick start tutorial. See tutorial #2 and tutorial #3 for instructions
on how to create a Dips file, and how to create joint sets, added planes and queries.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Creating a Dips File 2-1



Creating a Dips File



In this tutorial we outline the steps necessary to create the Example.dips6 file, which
you will be familiar with if you completed the Quick Start Tutorial.

If you have not already done so, run Dips by double-clicking on the Dips
icon in your installation folder. Or from the Start menu, select Programs
Rocscience Dips 6.0 Dips.

If the Dips application window is not already maximized, maximize it now, so
that the full screen is available for viewing the data.

Example.dip File

Since we will be re-creating the Example.dips6 file, lets first examine this file.

Select: File Recent Folders Examples Folder

Open the Example.dips6 file.

You should see the stereonet plot view shown in the following figure. (Note: if the
example file has been previously opened and saved, the screen may show a different
view or plot, since Dips saves the most recent view state when a file is saved).
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Creating a Dips File 2-2

























Switch to the grid view by selecting the grid view tab at the bottom left of the view.



Notice that this file contains the following columns:

Two Orientation Columns
A Quantity Column
A Traverse Column
Three Extra Columns

When you have finished examining the Example.dips6 data, close the file, and we
will discuss how to re-create this file from scratch.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Creating a Dips File 2-3



New File

To begin creating a new Dips file, select New from the toolbar or the File menu.

Select: File New

You will see the following blank Dips spreadsheet, which contains:

Two Orientation Columns
100 rows



If you have not already, maximize the Grid View.

As you can see from the titles of the two Orientation Columns, the default Global
Orientation Format for a New file is DIP/DIPDIRECTION. For this example, we
need to change this to STRIKE/DIP (right hand rule). This is done through the
Project Settings option.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Creating a Dips File 2-4



Project Settings

When creating a new Dips file, you will generally need to use the Project Settings
option before proceeding to enter data.

Select: Analysis Project Settings



For this example, we need to configure the:

Global Orientation Format
Declination
Quantity Column


Global Orientation Format

The Global Orientation Format in the Project Settings dialog determines how Dips
will interpret the data in the two Orientation Columns.

For this example, most of our data is in STRIKE/DIP (right hand rule) format, so
change the Global Orientation Format to Strike (Right) / Dip.

NOTE: mixed orientation formats can be combined in the same Dips file by using
the optional Traverse Orientation Format, described later in this tutorial.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Creating a Dips File 2-5




Declination

Enter a Declination of 5.5.

The Declination is typically used to correct for magnetic declination, but can be
used to adjust to grid north.

Note that the declination is ADDED to all azimuth values, therefore a POSITIVE value
corrects for EAST declination, and a NEGATIVE value corrects for WEST declination
(which is the case in this example).


Quantity Column

A Quantity Column in a Dips file allows you to record single data entries which refer
to multiple identical features having the same orientation.

Select the Quantity Column checkbox in the Project Settings dialog and select
OK. Note the following changes to the spreadsheet:

The titles of the two Orientation Columns are now Strike (Right) and Dip.

A Quantity Column has been added to the spreadsheet. For convenience,
the Quantity Column values are initially set to 1 when the column is
created. The user can enter higher values as necessary (e.g. 2, 3, 4)


Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Creating a Dips File 2-6



Traverses

Traverses are used to group data units, and are also used by Dips to weight the data to
correct for measurement bias. To define Traverses:

Select: Analysis Traverses

You will see the Traverse Information dialog. The Example.dips6 file uses four
Traverses, so select the Add button and add 4 new rows.



Enter the following information for the four Traverses.

ID Format Type Or1 Or2 Or3 Comment
1 STRIKE/
DIPR
LINEAR 120 30 Traverse 1
2 STRIKE/
DIPR
PLANAR 100 10 Traverse 2
3 BORE
HOLE
20 145 120 Traverse 3
4 DIP/
DIPDIRECTION
PLANAR 10 190 Traverse 4
Traverse ID

The Traverse ID can be any integer value greater than 0. Each Traverse must have
its own unique ID. When you initially add traverses, they are automatically given
default ID numbers (in this case 1, 2, 3, 4).


Traverse Orientation Format

The Traverse Orientation Format is very important, because it allows you to combine
mixed orientation formats in the same Dips file.

Whenever the Traverse Orientation Format is different from the Global Orientation
Format, Dips will interpret the orientation data for the Traverse according to the
Traverse Orientation Format.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Creating a Dips File 2-7



In this example:

Traverses 1 and 2 have the same data format as the Global
Orientation Format (STRIKE/DIPR).

Traverse 3 is a BOREHOLE traverse. The Traverse Orientation Format is
not applicable, since data is measured in terms of alpha and beta angles on
the oriented core. See the Dips Help system for detailed discussion of
BOREHOLE traverses.

Traverse 4 uses a different orientation format from the Global
Orientation Format. In this case, the data on Traverse 4 is in
DIP/DIPDIRECTION format.


Traverse Type

Four Traverse Types are available in Dips:

LINEAR
PLANAR
BOREHOLE
CLINORULE


Traverse Orientation

The orientations required to define the Traverse Orientation depend on the Traverse
Type, and may also depend on the Traverse Orientation Format.

Traverse 1 is a LINEAR traverse. For a LINEAR traverse, the Orient 1
and Orient 2 values are always in TREND/PLUNGE format (i.e. Orient
1 = Trend, Orient 2 = Plunge for a LINEAR traverse).

Traverse 2 is a PLANAR traverse. For a PLANAR traverse, the Orient 1
and Orient 2 values correspond to the Traverse Orientation Format, in
this case STRIKE/DIPR (i.e. Orient 1 = Strike, Orient 2 = Dip).

Traverse 3 is a BOREHOLE traverse, which requires THREE
orientations to define. See the Dips Help system for details.

Traverse 4 is a PLANAR traverse. In this case, the Traverse Orientation
Format is DIP/DIPDIRECTION, therefore the Orient 1 and Orient 2 values
are in DIP/DIPDIRECTION format (i.e. Orient 1 = Dip, Orient 2 = Dip
Direction).
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Creating a Dips File 2-8



Traverse Comment

An optional Traverse Comment can be added for each Traverse, to further identify /
describe each traverse.

You may inspect the original Example.dips6 file to view the comments added for
these four traverses.


Traverse Column

When you are finished entering the Traverse Information, select OK, and you will see
that a Traverse Column has been added to the spreadsheet, after the Quantity Column.

The Traverse Column is for recording the Traverse ID of each data unit. In this case
the Traverse ID numbers are 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Also notice that the titles of the two Orientation Columns are now Orient 1 and
Orient 2, instead of Strike (Right) and Dip. Since there are mixed orientation formats
in this data file (remember that the Traverse Orientation Format for Traverse 4 is
DIP/DIPDIRECTION while the Global Orientation Format is STRIKE/DIPR), the
titles of the Orientation Columns are simply Orient 1 and Orient 2, to avoid
misinterpretation of the data.


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Creating a Dips File 2-9



Extra Columns

In Dips, any columns AFTER the two mandatory Orientation Columns, and the
optional Quantity and Traverse Columns (if present), are referred to as Extra
Columns.

Extra Columns can be used to store any other QUANTITATIVE or QUALITATIVE
data that you wish to record.

Recall that the Example.dips6 file used three Extra Columns:

SPACING
TYPE
SURFACE

Extra Columns are added to the Dips spreadsheet with the Add Column option in the
Edit menu.


Add Column

Since Extra Columns can only be added AFTER the Orientation, Quantity and
Traverse Columns, the current highlighted spreadsheet cell must be either:

IN AN EXISTING EXTRA COLUMN, or

IN THE LAST OF THE ORIENTATION, QUANTITY, OR
TRAVERSE COLUMNS, AS APPLICABLE,

in order for the Add Column option to be enabled.

In this case, since no Extra Columns currently exist, click the mouse in the
Traverse Column. The Add Column option will be enabled.

Select: Edit Add Column

You will see the Add Column dialog, allowing you to enter the column name. Enter
the name SPACING,M:



Select OK to add the Extra Column.

NOTE: the title of an Extra Column is always displayed in UPPERCASE.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Creating a Dips File 2-10



Now lets add the TYPE and SURFACE Extra Columns. An alternative way to add
an Extra Column, is to RIGHT-CLICK on the title of an existing Extra Column, or
the LAST of the Orientation, Quantity or Traverse columns, as applicable. For
example:

1. Right-click the mouse on the title of the SPACING,M column which
you just created.

2. Select Add Column from the right-click menu.

3. Enter the name TYPE in the Add Column dialog, and select OK, and the
TYPE Extra Column will be added to the spreadsheet.

4. Now right-click the mouse on the title of the TYPE column.

5. Select Add Column from the right-click menu.

6. Enter the name SURFACE in the Add Column dialog, and select OK, and
the SURFACE Extra Column will be added to the spreadsheet.

Congratulations! You have now re-created all of the columns of the Example.dips6 file
as shown below. You are now ready to start entering data.


Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Creating a Dips File 2-11



Entering Data

To conclude this tutorial, we will:

Open the Example.dips6 file and copy the data into our new file.

Generate contour plots for both files, and hopefully they will be
identical!

Select: File Recent Folders Examples Folder

Open the Example.dips6 file and switch to the grid view.

1. In the Example.dips6 spreadsheet, click on the ID button at the upper left
corner, to select the entire spreadsheet.

2. Right-click the mouse anywhere in the Example.dips6
spreadsheet and select Copy.

3. Use the tabs at the bottom of the view to switch to the grid view of the new
file. Click the mouse in the FIRST cell of the new spreadsheet (i.e. the Row
1 , Orient 1 cell). Right-click and select Paste.

4. The data from the Example.dips6 file should now be pasted into the new
file.

5. Lets verify that we have correctly re-created the Example.dips6
file.

6. Select the Contour Plot toolbar button. Compare this to the contour
plot of the original Example file. The plots should be identical (max
density = 23.29 percent, vector count 61/40 entries).

7. Now select the Terzaghi weighting checkbox in the sidebar for both
contour plots, to view the weighted contours. The maximum density should
be 26.83 percent for both files.

8. If the plots are not identical, examine the Project Settings and Traverse
dialogs of the new file, and make sure they are the same as the
Example.dips6 file. Also check that there are 40 rows of data in the new
file, since the Example.dips6 file contains forty rows.

Note that the Legend of the new file indicates Invalid data after row 40. This is
because the file still contains 100 rows, but only the first 40 have valid data. Select
rows 41 to 100 with the mouse, and use the Remove Rows option in the toolbar or
the Edit menu to delete these rows. The invalid data message should disappear
from the Legend.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Creating a Dips File 2-12



Save the file with a new name (e.g. Example New) and read it back in again just to
check that the file has been saved properly.


Borehole Traverse

You may have noticed that we defined a Borehole traverse (in the Traverse
Information dialog) but we did not actually enter any borehole data in the main Dips
spreadsheet (i.e. Traverse ID = 3 is not used in the traverse column, only ID
numbers 1, 2 and 4 are used).

Borehole (oriented core) data is discussed in more detail in Tutorial 5. That
concludes this tutorial on how to create a Dips file.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-1



Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial























This tutorial is a continuation of the Quick Start tutorial and
demonstrates additional important program features:

User-defined planes
Sets
Queries

If you have not already done so, run Dips by double-clicking on the Dips
icon in your installation folder. Or from the Start menu, select Programs
Rocscience Dips 6.0 Dips.

If the Dips application window is not already maximized, maximize it now, so that
the full screen is available for viewing the data.

Example.dip File

We will start with the Example.dips6 file. Select: File
Recent Folders Examples Folder Open the
Example.dips6 file.
Save this example file with a new file name so that we do not modify the original file.

Select: File Save As

Enter the file name Sets Planes Queries Tutorial and save the file.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-2



You should see the stereonet plot view shown in the following figure. If the example
file has been previously opened and saved, the screen may show a different view or
plot, since Dips saves the most recent view state when a file is saved. If you do not
see the plot below, then use the sidebar plot options to view pole vectors and
contours on the stereonet.

























Adding a Plane

Lets first add a plane to the stereonet. The Add Plane option allows you to
graphically add a pole / plane to a stereonet plot. Select Add Plane from the toolbar or
the Planes menu.

Select: Planes Add Plane

1. Move the cursor over the stereonet. When the cursor is INSIDE the
stereonet, an arc or great circle representing the plane corresponding to
the cursor location (pole) will appear. Move the cursor around the
stereonet, and observe the position of the corresponding plane.

2. Note that the cursor coordinates are visible in the status bar. The coordinate
display convention can be changed by clicking on the orientation
convention option in the Status Bar at the lower right corner of the screen,
i.e. Trend / Plunge (pole vector), Dip/DipDirection (plane vector),
Strike/Dip (plane vector).


Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-3

























If the graphically entered
orientation is not correct, then
simply enter the correct
values in the Add Plane
dialog.
3. When the plane / pole is at a desired orientation, click the left mouse button
inside the stereonet. The Add Plane dialog will appear, allowing you to
modify the graphically entered orientation (if necessary), and also provide
ID, labeling (optional) and visibility information.

For this example, enter ID = 1, Label = slope face, and leave the Visibility
checkboxes at their default selections. Select OK. The plane / pole will be displayed
on the plot, according to the visibility settings chosen, as shown in the figure below.



The visibility settings that you choose in the Add Plane dialog can be modified
at any later time in the Edit Planes dialog.























Planes created with the Add Plane option in Dips are referred to as User Planes or
Added Planes, to distinguish them from Mean Planes calculated from Sets. (Sets and
mean planes are discussed in the next section).
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-4



Creating Sets

A Set as defined in Dips is a grouping of poles created with one of the following
options in the Set menu:

Add Set Window
Add Set Freehand
Add Set Circular
Sets from Cluster Analysis

Sets are created for the purpose of obtaining mean plane orientations and set statistics
of data clusters.

We will first demonstrate the Add Set Window option. The Add Set Window option
allows you to draw windows around data clusters on the stereonet. The windows
created with Add Set Window are curvilinear four-sided windows, defined by two
trend values and two plunge values at opposite corners.

Lets create our first Set with the small data cluster at the right side of the
stereonet.

Select: Sets Add Set Window

1. Locate the cursor at approximately Trend/Plunge = 55 / 65, and click the left
mouse button. Remember that the cursor coordinates are displayed in the
Status Bar. If necessary, switch to Trend/Plunge format by clicking on the
format name on the status bar.

2. Move the mouse in a clockwise direction, and you will see a
curvilinear, four-sided Set Window opening up.

3. Move the cursor to approximately Trend/Plunge = 115 / 20, and click the
left mouse button. You will see the Add Set Window dialog.


Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-5



4. Dont worry if the window coordinates are not exactly those shown
above, as long as the window encloses the desired data. However, you
may edit the coordinates at this time, if you wish.

5. We will accept the default Set ID and Visibility settings, so just select
OK, and the Set will be created as shown below.























Mean Plane Display

When a Set is created, you will notice the following on the stereonet, as shown in the
above figure:

The Set Window is displayed.

The mean pole / plane is displayed according to the visibility settings
chosen in the Add Set Window dialog. In this case, we have displayed
the Unweighted mean pole vector and plane.

Unweighted mean poles / planes are identified by an m beside the Set
ID. Weighted mean poles / planes are identified by a w beside the Set
ID. The display of weighted or unweighted data is determined by the
selection of the Terzaghi weighting option in the sidebar or View menu.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-6




Data Tip Display

If you hover the mouse over a set window a popup data tip will display the
number of poles in the set. Note: make sure the Data Tips option in the status bar
is on Max Datatips:



For this example, the data tip for the set window should display: Set ID 1,
Entries 8, Poles 10.
The 8 entries refers to the number of rows of the grid within the Set. Since we have
a Quantity Column in this file, each row can represent multiple data units (poles). In
this case, the 8 rows actually represent 10 poles.


Set Column



A Set Column is automatically
added to the Grid when the
FIRST Set is created.
When the FIRST Set is created, a Set Column is automatically added to the Grid.
The Set Column records the Set ID of data belonging to Sets. Lets verify this.

Switch to the Grid View using the tabs at the lower left of the view.

Notice the Set Column, which appears AFTER the Traverse Column.

Notice the data in the Set Column which is flagged with the Set ID = 1.
These are the poles within the Set Window just created.

Notice that 8 rows have Set ID = 1. This corresponds to the 8 entries
listed in the data tip. The 10 poles is due to the fact that one pole (row 36)
has Quantity = 3 (all others in the set have Quantity = 1).

Now return to the stereonet view, and we will create another Set, this time with a
window which wraps around the perimeter of the stereonet.


Wrapped Set Windows

After you have selected the FIRST corner of a Set Window with the Add Set
Window option, you will notice that if the cursor moves beyond the stereonet
perimeter, the window will wrap around and re-appear on the opposite side of the
stereonet.

This allows data near the perimeter, on opposite sides of the stereonet, to be selected
as one Set, as illustrated in the next figure.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-7










A wrapped Set Window in
Dips automatically calculates
the correct mean vector for
Sets which cross the equator.




This useful feature of Dips automatically calculates the correct mean vector for Sets
with poles plotting on opposite sides of the equator, since A MEAN ORIENTATION
CALCULATED FROM THE LOWER HEMISPHERE ALONE WILL BE
INCORRECT!!

The poles within a wrapped Set window that plot on the opposite side of the
stereonet, are incorporated into the vector addition AS NEGATIVE poles (i.e.
plunge = plunge , trend = trend + 180), so that the mean will be correctly
calculated.

Lets create a second Set using a wrapped Set Window.

Select: Sets Add Set Window

1. Locate the cursor at approximately Trend/Plunge = 300 / 20, and click the
left mouse button. Remember that the cursor coordinates are displayed in the
Status Bar.

2. Move the cursor to the stereonet perimeter, and you will see that the Set
Window reappears on the opposite side of the stereonet.

3. Now move the cursor so that the wrapped set window encloses the poles on
the opposite side of the stereonet. Note: you may have to zoom out and/or
pan the view in order to achieve this. A wrapped Set Window may seem
awkward at first, but is simple once you get the hang of it. At worst, if you
are not happy with the starting point, right-click the mouse and select Cancel
(or press Escape) and start again!

4. Click the left mouse button to enter the second window corner.
You will see the Add Set Window dialog.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-8





5. Dont worry if the window coordinates are not exactly those shown
above, as long as the window encloses the desired data. However, you
may enter the above coordinates if you wish.

6. We will accept the default Set ID (2 in this case) and Visibility settings,
so just select OK, and the Set will be created.

7. If you zoomed or panned the view in step 3, press F2 to reset the view
which should look as follows.























The Set Window and (unweighted) mean pole / plane are displayed. If you hover the
mouse over Set 2 the data tip should indicate 22 poles and 15 entries (if you selected
all of the poles on both sides of the stereonet).

Finally, note that the Set Column in the Grid View is updated to record the data in
both Sets 1 and 2. Note that data which does NOT currently belong to any Set has
a BLANK entry in the Set Column.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-9



Now create a third Set Window around the remaining data concentration on the
Contour Plot. (A Set Window with corners at approximately Trend
/ Plunge = 190 / 40 and Trend / Plunge = 235 / 3 will do the job).























Set Information

Lets look at the Info Viewer option, which provides a summary of your Dips file
as well as a listing of all Added Planes (Add Plane option), all Set information and
other data.

Select: Analysis Info Viewer



As you scroll through the Info Viewer, you will see:

your Dips file setup information
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-10



Global mean orientation (i.e. the mean vector of all poles in the file) and
global best fit statistics

a list of Added (User) Planes, if any exist (you should see the single
plane which we added earlier).

If Sets have been created, you will then see:

1. A listing of Unweighted and Weighted MEAN plane orientations for each
Set, in the format corresponding to the current Reporting Convention i.e.
Pole Vector (Trend / Plunge) or Plane Vector format (Dip/DipDirection or
Strike/Dip).

2. A listing of Set Statistics (Fisher coefficient, and Confidence and
Variability Limits at one, two and three standard deviations).

The Info Viewer listing can be printed, copied to the clipboard, etc. The Info Viewer
behaves like any other view in Dips (i.e. it can be tiled, minimized, maximized, etc.),
and is automatically updated whenever new information is added to the current
document (e.g. when a new Set is created). When you are finished examining the
Info Viewer, close the view by selecting the button in the upper right corner.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-11



Major Planes Plot

The Major Planes Plot option in Dips allows you to view PLANES ONLY on a
clean stereonet, without poles or contours. In addition, a listing of plane orientations
is displayed in the legend, in the format governed by the current Convention (Trend
/ Plunge or Plane Vector).

Select: View Major Planes

The following planes are displayed on a Major Planes Plot:

All ADDED (User) planes created with the Add Plane option

All MEAN planes for Sets created with the Add Set Window option
or other set options























Only planes / poles toggled for Visibility in the Edit Planes and Edit Sets dialogs are
displayed on the Major Planes Plot.

In the above figure we have toggled off the display of Set Windows. This is done
with the Object Visibility > Sets checkbox in the sidebar plot options.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-12




Major Planes Legend

The Major Planes legend displays the orientations of planes in the format governed
by the Reporting Convention (Trend / Plunge or Plane Vector). Remember that the
Convention can be toggled at any time in the Status Bar, and will automatically
update the planes Legend. Note:

The letter m beside a plane ID indicates an UNWEIGHTED MEAN
PLANE for a Set
The letter w beside a plane ID indicates a WEIGHTED MEAN PLANE
for a Set
The Terzaghi Weighting option in the sidebar or View menu is used to
toggle between weighted and unweighted results
A Plane ID with NO letter indicates an ADDED plane (User Plane)
created with the Add Plane option.

For our current example, we have one ADDED plane (Added Planes are always
listed first in the legend), followed by the MEAN planes for the three Sets.


Plane Visibility

Regarding plane visibility it is worth noting:

In the sidebar plot options, the Planes > Major Planes option can be used to
show / hide all major planes (added and/or mean planes). This can be
customized per view, if you have multiple stereonet views open.

In the Edit Planes and Edit Sets dialogs, the visibility settings can be
customized for individual planes. These settings are global and apply to all
views in the current file, if you have multiple stereonet views open.


Plane Colours

The default colours used for planes in Dips are:
Green for all ADDED (User) planes
Red for all MEAN planes
You can customize ADDED plane colours in the Edit Planes dialog, and MEAN
plane colours in the Edit Sets dialog. This is left as an optional exercise. Note that
unlike most other display options in Dips, changes to the Plane Colours affect ALL
views for the current document, and are NOT customizable on a per view basis.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-13



Query Data

We will now demonstrate how to quickly and easily create subset files from a
Dips file using the Query Data option.

Select: Analysis Query Data

You will see the Query Data dialog.



Query Data allows you to create any sort of logical expression to query the
information in any column, or any combination of columns, of your Dips file.

Lets first create a simple query which searches for all JOINTS with a ROUGH
surface, i.e.:

TYPE == joint && SURFACE Includes rough


Query Example 1

The first step in creating a query, is to create an Expression. As you can see at the
top of the Query Data dialog, an Expression consists of Data, Operator and
Operand.

1. In the Query Data dialog, click in the Data box at the left of the
Expression area, and select TYPE from the drop-down list.

2. Click in the Operand box, and select joint from the drop-down list.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-14



3. The Expression area should now display TYPE == joint.

To create the query, use the buttons at the left of the Create Query area to enter the
desired expression(s) in the area to the right of the buttons.

4. Select the Expression button (or the Add button). This will enter the
expression TYPE == joint in the Create Query area.

5. Select the AND button to enter the logical && operator.

6. Now create the Expression SURFACE Includes rough.

7. Select the Expression button (or the Add button).

8. Select OK.

A new Dips file should immediately be generated, and a new Grid view will display
the selected data. This query should create a new file with 13 rows.

NOTE:

All entries in the TYPE column are joint.

All entries in the SURFACE column include the string rough
sl.rough, rough and v.rough.

This example also demonstrates the use of the Includes operator, which finds all
entries including the substring entered as Operand in the Expression.

The New File

The new file created after a query is also a Dips file, with all of the same Project
Settings and Traverse information as the original file.

You can immediately start working with this file. For example, select the Vector plot
pre-set button in the toolbar to generate a Pole Plot of the new subset. Any Dips option
can now be carried out on the new file, including another query.

If you want to preserve the new file, it is recommended that you save the file with an
appropriate name, before proceeding with further analysis.

What About the Set Column?

In this tutorial we created Sets with the Add Set Window option. When Sets are
created in Dips, a Set Column is automatically added to the Grid. You will notice in
the new file created after a Query, that the Set column is preserved.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-15



However, note that the Set Column in the new file merely preserves the Set ID
information. ALL OTHER SET INFORMATION (i.e. MEAN PLANES, WINDOW
LIMITS, SET STATISTICS etc.) IS NOT TRANSFERRED TO THE NEW FILE. SETS,
AS DEFINED IN Dips, DO NOT EXIST IN THE NEW FILE CREATED AFTER A
QUERY.


Query Example 2

If you followed through Query Example 1, then first click in any view of the original
example file, so that you can create another query using this file.

As a final step in this tutorial, we will demonstrate how to create a new file from a
Set, using Query Data.

Since the Set Column records the Set ID of data belonging to Sets, this is simply a
matter of querying the Set Column for the desired ID(s).

Select: Analysis Query Data

1. In the Query Data dialog, create the Expression Set == 1.

2. Select the Expression button.

3. Select OK.

You should now be looking at a new Grid view, containing only the data in Set 1.
Notice that all of the data in the SET Column of the new file = 1, as we would
expect.

This demonstrates how easily new files can be created from Sets in Dips
using Query Data.

Verify that the new Grid contains the Set 1 data, by creating a Pole Plot, and
comparing with the Sets you created in the original file. The poles in the new file
should correspond to the poles within the Set Window for Set 1.

More Query examples can be found in the Dips Help System. To conclude this
tutorial we will demonstrate the Add Set Freehand option and the Sets from Cluster
Analysis option.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-16



Add Set Freehand

Another option which can be used to create set windows is the Add Set Freehand
option. You may find this useful for irregularly shaped data sets which cannot be
easily enclosed by 4-sided set windows created with the Add Set Window option.

It is important to note that, for a given group of poles, the mean plane and set
statistics should be identical, regardless of which type of set window is created. We
will quickly discuss this option and compare results with the set windows created
earlier in this tutorial.

1. First return to the original file with the 3 set windows. Go to the Info
Viewer and record the mean plane orientations (shown below). Note that
the Info Viewer data can be copied or saved using various options in the
right-click menu.



2. Select Delete All Sets from the Sets menu to delete all 3 current sets.

3. Select Add Set Freehand from the toolbar or the Sets menu, and draw a
freehand set window around the data cluster at the right side of the
stereonet (i.e. the previous Set 1 data).

4. Now to recreate Set 2 (the wrapped data cluster) with the Add Set Freehand
option, you have to do the following:

a. Select Add Set Freehand and draw a window around the data
cluster at the upper left of the stereonet.

b. Select Add Set Freehand and draw a window around the 3 poles on
the opposite side at the lower right of the stereonet.

c. In the Add Set Window dialog, change the Set ID = 2, and make
sure the Wrapped data checkbox is selected, as shown below.
Select OK.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-17





d. This will ensure that the 2 freehand set windows which define
Set 2 are treated as a wrapped set, so that the mean plane and set
statistics are correctly calculated.

5. Select Add Set Freehand and re-create Set 3 by drawing a window around
the data cluster at the lower left of the stereonet.

6. The screen should look similar to the following figure.























7. Now look at the Info Viewer and check the mean plane orientations. They
should be exactly the same as the mean orientations determined from the
curvilinear 4-sided windows created earlier in this tutorial. If they are not,
check that you have selected all of the intended poles, particularly for Set
2 the wrapped data set.

The Add Set Freehand option is offered as an alternative method of creating set
windows. You may find it useful for selecting irregular data clusters. For a given
grouping of poles, you should get identical results using either the freehand or 4-
sided set windows.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-18



Sets from Cluster Analysis

Another option which can be used to create Sets is the Sets from Cluster Analysis
option. This option uses fuzzy cluster analysis to automatically determine sets which
have been pre-selected by the user. The following is just a quick demonstration, for
further information see the Dips help system.

1. Select Delete All Sets from the Sets menu to delete the freehand set
windows defined in the previous section.

2. Select Sets from Cluster Analysis from the toolbar or the Sets menu. In the
dialog enter a maximum cone angle = 25 degrees as shown below.



3. Choose the Select button in the dialog. Now use the mouse to click on the
approximate centers of the 3 main data clusters on the stereonet, using the
contours as a guide. You will notice a 25 degree cone is displayed as you
make your selection.

4. When you are finished selecting the 3 sets, right-click and select Done or
press Enter. Your screen should look as follows:
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Sets, Planes and Queries Tutorial 3-19



5. Check the Info Viewer. The mean plane orientations should be identical
to the freehand and 4-sided set window results.

Notice that Set 2 (the wrapped data set) is automatically determined by the cluster
analysis algorithm. The set is defined by 2 windows on opposite sides of the
stereonet and the mean plane is calculated assuming that the data is wrapped. This is
one convenient feature of using Sets from Cluster Analysis wrapped sets are
automatically accounted for and can be determined with a single mouse click.

In this case the set windows determined by the cluster analysis are all simple 4-
sided curvilinear windows. In general, the set windows from a cluster analysis may
be stepped in order to conform to the poles in the data set. You will notice this
for larger more complicated data clusters.

Finally we should note that the set windows created from the Add Set Freehand
option or the Sets from Cluster Analysis option CANNOT be graphically edited after
they have been created. Only windows created with the Add Set Window option can
be graphically edited after they are created. If you need to edit set windows from
freehand or cluster analysis, you will have to delete the set window and repeat the
selection process until the results are satisfactory.

That concludes this Sets and Planes tutorial.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-1



Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge
Sliding
This tutorial demonstrates how to perform stability analyses (toppling, planar
sliding, wedge sliding) using the Kinematic Analysis option in Dips.

The tutorial uses the example file Examppit.dips6. The data has been collected by a
geologist working on a single rock face above the first bench in a young open pit
mine.




Current floor position



Local bench
slopes


Overall pit slope
(45 degrees)









The rock face above the current floor of the existing pit has a dip of 45 degrees and
a dip direction of 135 degrees. The current plan is to extend the pit down at an
overall angle of 45 degrees. This will require a steepening of the local bench slopes,
as indicated in the figure above.

The local benches are to be separated by an up-dip distance of 16m. The bench
roadways are 4m wide.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-2



Examppit.dip File

Navigate to the Examples folder in your Dips installation folder.

Select: File Recent Folders Examples Folder

Open the Examppit.dips6 file. Save this example file with a new file name so
that we do not modify the original file.

Select: File Save As

Enter the file name Kinematic Analysis.dips6 and save the file.

You should see the stereonet plot view shown in the following figure. If this file has
been previously opened and saved, the screen may show a different view or plot,
since Dips saves the most recent view state when a file is saved. If you do not see
the plot below, then use the sidebar plot options to view pole vectors and contours
on the stereonet.























Switch to the grid view of the input data using the tabs at the lower left of the view.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-3





The Examppit.dips6 file contains 303 rows, and the following columns:

The two mandatory Orientation Columns
A Traverse Column
5 Extra Columns (spacing, length, type, shape, surface)

Lets examine the Project Settings information for this file.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-4




Project Settings

Select: Analysis Project Settings



Note the following:

the Global Orientation Format is DIP/DIPDIRECTION
The Declination is 7.5 degrees, indicating that 7.5 degrees will be added to
the dip direction of the data, to correct for magnetic declination
The Quantity Column is NOT used in this file, so each row of the file
represents an individual measurement.

Traverses

Lets inspect the Traverse Information. You can select the Traverses button in
the Project Settings dialog (the Traverses dialog is also available directly in the
Analysis menu).


Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-5



As you can see in the Traverse Information dialog, this file uses only a single
traverse:

The Traverse is a PLANAR traverse, with a Dip of 45 degrees and a Dip
Direction of 135 degrees (i.e. the face above the survey bench, as you can
read in the Traverse Comment).

Note that the Traverse Orientation Format is the same as the Global
Orientation Format (DIP/DIPDIRECTION), as we would expect for a file
with only a single traverse defined.

Select Cancel in the Traverse Information dialog. Select
Cancel in the Project Settings dialog.
Switch back to the stereonet plot view. Before we proceed with the kinematic
analysis, we will add the slope plane to the view, create a symbolic plot, define sets
for the main data clusters and estimate the friction angle from the joint surface
condition.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-6



Add Plane

Lets add the slope plane to the stereonet.

Select: Planes Add Plane

Click the mouse anywhere in the stereonet. In the Add Plane dialog enter the
coordinates 45 / 135 (dip/dipdirection) and the label Pit Slope. Note: if the
Orientation input format is not Dip / Dip Direction, click on the button at the
right of the orientation input boxes and change the convention to Dip/DipDirection.



Select OK. You should see the pit slope plane as shown below.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-7



Symbolic Pole Plot

Feature attribute analysis can be carried out on a Pole Plot with the Symbolic Plot
option. Lets create a Symbolic Pole Plot based on the discontinuity type (i.e. the
data in the TYPE column).

In the sidebar plot options, select Pole Vector Display > Symbolic and select the
small button which appears at the right.



You will see the Symbolic Plot dialog. Change the Data Type = TYPE. The data in
the TYPE column is Qualitative which is the default selection, so just select OK to
generate the Symbolic Plot.



Look closely at the data clustering and the data TYPE. Most of the features are
joints as indicated in the legend. Note the clustering of bedding features and the two
clusters of shear features. These may behave very differently from similarly
oriented joints or extension fractures, and should be considered separately.

Although the Shears are not numerous enough to be represented in the contours (the
number of mapped shears is small), they may have a dominating influence on stability
due to low friction angles and inherent persistence. It is always important to look
beyond mere orientations and densities when analyzing structural data.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-8











Observe the clustering of
joint, bedding and shear
features on a Symbolic Pole
Plot.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-9



Contour Plot

Lets examine the data contours. A useful rule of thumb is that any cluster with a
maximum concentration of greater than 6% is very significant. 4-6% represents a
marginally significant cluster. Less than 4% should be regarded with suspicion
unless the overall quantity of data is very high (several hundreds of poles). Rock
mechanics texts give more rigorous rules for statistical analysis of data.

Now apply the Terzaghi Weighting to the data, to account for bias correction due to
data collection on the (planar) traverse. Select the Terzaghi Weighting checkbox in
the sidebar plot options.



Observe the change in adjusted concentration for the set nearly parallel to the
mapping face (the bedding plane joint set).







Observe the effect of bias
correction on the bedding
plane joint set in particular.












Terzaghi Weighting applied to data contours

See the Dips Help system for more information about the Terzaghi Weighting
procedure used in Dips.

To restore the original unweighted plot turn off the Terzaghi Weighting checkbox in
the sidebar plot options.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-10
Creating Sets



Lets use the Sets from Cluster Analysis option to delineate the joint contours and
create four Sets from the four major data concentrations on the stereonet.

Select: Sets Sets from Cluster Analysis

(Note: see Tutorial 03 for instructions on how to create Sets. Also see the
Dips Help system for detailed information.)

1. In the Sets from Cluster Analysis dialog, enter 25 degrees as the maximum
cone angle.

2. Press the Select button, and use the mouse to click on the
approximate center of the four main data clusters on the stereonet.



3. Right-click and select Done. You should see the Set Windows shown
below.























Turn off the display of the mean joint set planes and the pit slope by clearing the
Planes > Major Planes checkbox in the sidebar plot options.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-11
Estimating Friction Angle



For stability analysis it will be necessary to assume a value for friction angle on the
joint surfaces.

For the purpose of estimating a friction angle, we will create a Chart of the data in
the SURFACE column of the Examppit.dip file.

Select: Analysis Chart

In the Chart dialog, select Data to Plot = SURFACE. Select OK, and the Chart will
be created.





From the chart, the surfaces are about 50 percent rough (considering both rough
and v.rough features) and 50 percent smooth, so we will assume an average friction
angle of 30 degrees for all features. Note: this process can be refined by using the Set
Filter (in the Chart dialog) and examining the joint roughness of individual sets. This
is left as an optional exercise. Close the Chart view and we will return to the
stereonet.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-12



Planar Sliding

We will now proceed with the analysis of 3 potential failure modes of interest
planar sliding, wedge sliding and toppling. Select the Kinematic Analysis
option from the Analysis menu.

Select: Analysis Kinematic Analysis

In the Kinematic Analysis dialog:

1. Select the Display Kinematic Analysis checkbox.
2. Select the Planar Sliding Failure Mode.
3. Turn off the Use Lateral Limits checkbox.
4. Enter the Slope Dip = 45 and Dip Direction = 135.
5. Enter Friction Angle = 30 degrees.
6. Select OK.



You should see the kinematic analysis overlay for planar sliding as shown below. The
key elements of planar sliding using pole vectors are:

1. Slope plane and daylight envelope

2. Pole friction cone (angle measured from center of stereonet)

3. Lateral limits (optional)

These are discussed below. Note: the text labels in the figure were manually added
using the Add Text option in the Tools menu.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-13










Slope Plane

The great circle of the slope plane is displayed and labeled Pit Slope on the above
figure with orientation 45/135 Dip/DipDirection. Note: the slope plane is
automatically displayed by the kinematic analysis. The slope plane that we added
earlier using the Add Plane option is now hidden.


Daylight Envelope

The Daylight Envelope corresponding to the slope plane is required for a planar
sliding kinematic analysis as shown in the above figure. A Daylight Envelope
allows us to test for kinematics (i.e. a rock slab must have somewhere to slide into
free space). Any pole falling within this envelope is kinematically free to slide if
frictionally unstable.


Friction Cone

A pole friction cone of 30 degrees is displayed. Any pole falling outside of this
cone represents a plane which could slide if kinematically possible.

NOTE: when considering pole vectors, the friction cone angle is measured from the
CENTER of the stereonet.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-14



Critical Zone for Planar Sliding

The crescent shaped zone formed by the Daylight Envelope and the pole friction
circle encloses the region of planar sliding. Any poles in this region represent planes
which can and will slide, i.e., the critical zone for planar failure is defined by poles
which are:

OUTSIDE of the pole friction circle and

INSIDE the daylight envelope

This region is automatically highlighted for planar sliding analysis as shown in the
above figure. The highlight colour and other display options can be customized in
the Kinematic Analysis dialog.


Legend

A summary of the planar sliding kinematic analysis results is displayed in the
Legend.



In this case only a single pole is contained within the critical planar sliding zone.
The Legend provides results as a percentage of all poles in the file (1/303), and as
a percentage of poles for individual sets (1/26 for Set number 1).

In either case, you can see that the probability of planar sliding is very low for
this combination of slope orientation and friction angle.


Lateral Limits

The planar sliding analysis described above considers the entire daylight envelope as a
kinematically valid sliding zone.

In practice it has been observed that planar sliding (and toppling) tends to occur
when the dip direction of planes is within a certain angular range of the slope dip
direction. Typically a range of plus/minus 20 or 30 degrees is considered, and poles
outside of this range represent a low risk.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-15



To add lateral limits to the kinematic analysis, return to the Kinematic Analysis
dialog and turn on the Use Lateral Limits checkbox. Or alternatively, select the
Planar Sliding option from the sidebar (instead of Planar Sliding (No Limits)).

Since the stereonet is getting a bit cluttered, turn off the display of Set Windows (select
Object Visibility > Sets from the sidebar plot options and turn off the checkbox). You
should see the following.



The lateral limits are simply two straight lines which define an angular range
measured from the dip direction of the slope. In this case we have used the default
value of plus/minus 20 degrees.

For this example, the addition of lateral limits does not change the results, since
only a single pole is in the critical planar sliding zone. However this depends on
your file, and the inclusion of lateral limits could significantly change results if
there are many poles inside the daylight envelope.


Planar Sliding Release Planes

An important assumption regarding pure planar sliding is that release planes are
assumed to exist (e.g. lateral joints, tension cracks or other mechanism) which allow
a planar sliding failure to occur.

Such release planes are not explicitly modeled in the planar sliding kinematic analysis
but you should be aware that some release mechanism must exist to allow a block
sliding on one plane to be removed from the slope. Planar sliding can be considered a
special case of wedge sliding where sliding takes place on only one plane, and other
planes act as release planes.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-16



Flexural Toppling

Now lets examine the Flexural Toppling failure mode.

1. Select the Flexural Toppling kinematic analysis option in the sidebar or
the Kinematic Analysis dialog.

2. Enter Lateral Limits = 30 degrees.



Also do the following:

1. If you added any text or arrows, delete them.

2. Re-display the Set Windows (select Object Visibility > Sets in the sidebar
plot options).

3. Remove the Terzaghi weighting (clear the Terzaghi weighting checkbox in
the sidebar plot options). This will highlight the data contours for Set 4.

You should see the kinematic analysis overlay for flexural toppling as shown below.


Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-17



The key elements of flexural toppling analysis using pole vectors are:

1. Slope plane

2. Slip limit plane (based on slope angle and friction angle)

3. Lateral limits

These are discussed below. Any poles that plot within the critical zone for flexural
toppling represent a toppling risk. This analysis is based on the flexural toppling
analysis described by Goodman (Ref.1).


Slope Plane

The great circle of the slope plane is displayed, and labeled Pit Slope with orientation
45/135 Dip/DipDirection.


Slip Limit

Planes cannot topple if they cannot slide with respect to one another. Goodman (Ref.
1) states that for slip to occur, the bedding normal must be inclined less steeply than a
line inclined at an angle equivalent to the friction angle above the slope.

This results in a slip limit plane which defines the critical zone for flexural
toppling. The Dip angle of the slip limit plane is derived from the PIT SLOPE
ANGLE FRICTION ANGLE = 45 30 = 15 degrees. The
DIP DIRECTION of the slip limit plane is equal to that of the face (135 degrees).


Lateral Limits

The Lateral Limits for flexural toppling have the same purpose as described for
planar sliding. They define the lateral extents of the critical zone with respect to the
dip direction of the slope. For this example we have increased the limits from 20
degrees (used in the planar sliding example) to 30 degrees as suggested by
Goodman.


Critical Zone for Flexural Toppling

The critical zone for flexural toppling is the highlighted region between the slip limit
plane, stereonet perimeter and the lateral limits. Any poles in this region represent a
risk of flexural toppling. Remember that a near horizontal pole represents a near
vertical plane.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-18




Legend

A summary of the flexural toppling results is displayed in the Legend.



In this case there is a significant risk of flexural toppling. The Legend provides results
as a percentage of all poles in the file (26/303), and as a percentage of poles for
individual sets (25/90 for Set number 4). For set number 4 the toppling probability is
nearly 30 percent.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-19



Wedge Sliding

From the Planar Sliding kinematic analysis, it has been shown that a sliding failure
along any single joint plane is unlikely. However, multiple joints can form wedges
which can slide along the line of intersection between two planes.

Select the Wedge Sliding kinematic analysis option in the sidebar or the Kinematic
Analysis dialog.



Also do the following:

1. If you added any text or arrows, delete them.

2. Turn off the display of Set Windows (select Object Visibility > Sets in
the sidebar plot options).

3. Turn off the display of pole vectors (select the Pole Vector Display
checkbox in the sidebar).

4. Turn on the display of Intersection Contours (select Contours >
Intersection in the sidebar).

You should see the kinematic analysis overlay for wedge sliding as shown below.
The key elements of wedge sliding analysis are:

1. Slope Plane

2. Plane friction cone (angle measured from perimeter of stereonet)

3. Intersection plotting

The primary critical zone for wedge sliding is the crescent shaped area INSIDE the
plane friction cone and OUTSIDE the slope plane. Any intersection points that plot
within this zone represent wedges which are able to slide.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-20




Intersections

The points that you see plotted for the wedge sliding analysis are intersection points.
Each point represents the intersection of two joint planes. By default, all planes in the
file are considered (i.e. each plane in the file is intersected with every other plane in
the file, to determine the intersection points). The intersection points represent the
actual trend/plunge of the line of intersection of two joint planes. By default only the
critical intersections are displayed.

There are several options available for the display of intersections:

All planes in the file can be intersected with each other (Grid Data
Planes option)

Intersection contours can be displayed (based on the intersection of all
planes) as shown below.

Major plane intersections can be plotted (i.e. mean set planes and/or
user-defined planes).


Intersection Contours

An immediate indication that wedge sliding is not an issue for this slope orientation,
are the intersection contours. You can see that the main concentrations of
intersections are all well outside the critical zone for wedge sliding.


Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-21



Slope Plane

The pit slope plane defines the daylighting condition for intersections. Any
intersection point which plots outside the pit slope great circle satisifies the
daylighting condition.


Friction Cone

For wedge sliding, it is important to remember that the friction cone (30 degrees) is
measured from the EQUATOR of the stereonet, and NOT FROM THE CENTER,
because we are dealing with an actual sliding surface or line. (When we are dealing
with poles the friction cone is measured from the center of the stereonet).


Critical Zone for Wedge Sliding

The primary critical zone for wedge sliding is the crescent shaped area INSIDE the
plane friction cone and OUTSIDE the slope plane (highlighted in red in the above
figure). Intersections which plot in this zone represent wedges which satisfy
frictional and kinematic conditions for sliding.

However wedges do not necessarily slide along the line of intersection of two joint
planes. Wedges can slide on a single joint plane, if one plane has a more favourable
direction for sliding than the line of intersection. In this case, the second joint plane
acts as a release plane rather than a sliding plane. This can occur in either the
primary or the secondary critical region.

The secondary critical zone (highlighted in yellow in the above figure) is the area
between the slope plane and a plane (great circle) inclined at the friction angle.
Critical intersections which plot in these zones always represent wedges which slide
on one joint plane. In this region, the intersections are actually inclined at LESS
THAN the friction angle, but sliding can take place on a single joint plane which has
a dip vector greater than the friction angle.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-22




Legend

A summary of the wedge sliding results is displayed in the Legend.



For this example, the percentage of critical intersections compared to the total
number is actually very low (about 2 percent) so wedge sliding is not a great concern
for this slope orientation.



To view all intersections, select the Show All Intersections checkbox in the
Kinematic Analysis options in the sidebar. This will give you a better feel for the
relatively small number of critical intersections compared to the total number, as
shown in the above figure.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-23




Mean Set Plane Intersections

Lets demonstrate one more possibility for assessing the risk of wedge sliding. We
will view the intersections of the mean planes (from the four sets we created earlier in
this tutorial).

1. In the sidebar plot options, select Intersections > Mean Set Planes

2. Display the mean set planes (select Planes > Major Planes > Mean
Set Planes).

The plot should look as follows.



Notice that the four mean set planes intersect each other to form six intersection
points. Notice that these intersections correspond with the maximum concentrations
of the intersection contours, as we would expect.

Since none of the mean set plane intersections are within the critical wedge sliding
zone, again we can conclude that wedge sliding is not an issue for this slope
orientation. Note that the Legend indicates zero critical intersections out of a total of
6 mean set plane intersections.

Toggle the Terzaghi weighting checkbox to see the effect of applying bias correction to
the mean set planes. The effect in this case is small.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-24



Discrete Structures

Finally, for wedge sliding you should analyze the shear zones mentioned earlier. If
these shears occur in proximity to one another they may interact to create local
instability.

Perform an analysis similar to the one above using discrete combinations of shear
planes.

Use the Add Plane option to add planes corresponding to the shear
features.

TIP: while using Add Plane, the Pole Snap option (available in the right-
click menu) can be used to snap to the exact orientations of the shear poles.

Determine whether the shears will interact with any of the mean joint set orientations
to create an unstable wedge. Using the procedure described above, the stability of
discrete combinations of shear planes, or of shear planes with the mean joint
orientations, may be analyzed. In the sidebar plot options, select Intersections > User
Planes (or Intersections > User and Mean Set Planes).

You should find that the risk of wedge failure along the shear planes is low, for
this pit slope configuration.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-25



Direct Toppling

There is one more kinematic analysis failure mode that we have not yet discussed
Direct Toppling.

Direct Toppling involves a different set of assumptions in comparison to Flexural
Toppling. The two primary features of Direct Toppling are:

Two joint sets intersect to form intersection lines dipping into the slope
which can form discrete blocks.

A third joint set of near horizontal planes act as release planes (or sliding
planes) for the discrete blocks.

Direct Toppling analysis is somewhat more complicated than the other analysis
modes and is based on the method described in Hudson and Harrison (Ref. 2). This
is left as an optional exercise to experiment with, for more information see the Dips
help system.


Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-26
Info Viewer



Although the Legend displays a summary of kinematic analysis results for the
currently selected method, the Info Viewer provides a detailed summary of
kinematic results for ALL failure modes.

As soon as kinematic analysis is enabled, Dips automatically carries out the analysis
behind the scenes, for all failure modes, for the current input parameters (slope
orientation, friction angle, lateral limits) and this information is available at all times
in the Info Viewer. This is useful for carrying out sensitivity analysis as discussed
below.

Select: Analysis Info Viewer

Go to the Info Viewer to see the format of the kinematic analysis results. For further
details see the Dips help system.

Sensitivity Analysis

The Kinematic Analysis option in Dips makes it easy to perform sensitivity analysis,
by varying the main input parameters (slope angle, slope dip direction, friction angle)
and plotting the results for each failure mode. As noted above, results for all failure
modes are always available in the Info Viewer.


Increased Local Pit Slope

Repeat these analyses for steeper local slopes. If the overall slope is to be
maintained at 45 degrees (see the first page of this tutorial), the local bench slope
will have to be increased to accommodate the roadways. What is the critical local
slope?


Other Pit Orientations




Examine the stability of other
pit slope orientations.
Assume that the joint sets are
consistent throughout the
mine property, and perform
the analyses described in this
tutorial using 45 degree
increments of dip direction
around the pit wall.
Assume that the joint sets are consistent throughout the mine property. Are there any
slope orientations that are more unstable than others? Examine slope dip directions in
45 degree increments around the pit wall.

HINT:

You can import Dips plots into AutoCAD using the Copy Metafile option
in the Edit menu. This will copy a metafile of the current view to the
clipboard, which can then be pasted into AutoCAD.

Pole or Contour plots showing mean planes and the selected pit slope
orientation can be imported into a plan of the pit and placed in their
appropriate orientations for quick reference.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Toppling, Planar Sliding, Wedge Sliding 4-27
Summary



Kinematic analysis of rock slope failure modes using stereonets is an extremely
useful and easy to understand analysis tool which allows you to quickly evaluate
potential failure modes. However keep in mind the following.

The analyses presented here are just a starting point for more detailed
analysis and should always be accompanied by a more thorough field
analysis in cases where a risk of failure is indicated.

Real slopes may exhibit more than one failure mode. It is rare to see pure
examples of these failure modes, particularly with the toppling analysis,
which may exhibit complex behaviours involving sliding, toppling,
rotating etc.

Even if a kinematic analysis indicates risk of failure, this does not
necessarily mean that failure will occur, since factors other than kinematics
and friction angle may work to increase stability (e.g. joint cohesion, joint
persistence etc).

It is important to look beyond statistical results (e.g. mean set plane
orientations) and consider major discrete structures such as shear zones
which may have a dominant effect on stability due to low friction angles and
inherent persistence.

More detailed analysis including safety factor calculation can be carried
out with the Rocscience programs Swedge (wedge analysis) and RocPlane
(planar analysis).

References

1. Goodman, R.E. 1980. Introduction to Rock Mechanics (Chapter 8),
Toronto: John Wiley, pp 254-287.

2. Hudson, J.A. and Harrison, J.P. 1997. Engineering Rock Mechanics An
Introduction to the Principles, Pergamon Press.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Oriented Core & Rock Mass Classification 5-1



Oriented Core and Rockmass
Classification
This tutorial demonstrates a Dips file which uses borehole (oriented core) data as the
orientation input data. Using the information in the Extra Columns of the Dips file, a
rock tunneling quality index Q is estimated.

This tutorial uses the file Exampbhq.dips6, which you should find in the
Examples folder of your Dips installation folder.

Frequently asked borehole traverse questions are discussed at the end of this
tutorial.

Exampbhq.dip File

Navigate to the Examples folder in your Dips installation folder.

Select: File Recent Folders Examples Folder

Open the Exampbhq.dips6 file. Maximize the view.



Switch to the grid view of the file using the tabs at the lower left.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Oriented Core & Rock Mass Classification 5-2





The file contains 650 measurements from 2 oriented borehole cores. The file uses
the following columns:
The two mandatory Orientation Columns
A Traverse Column
4 Extra Columns


Orientation Columns

The Orientation Columns for borehole data record alpha and beta core joint
angles.

The alpha angle, entered in the Orient 1 column, is measured with
respect to the core axis.
The beta angle, entered in the Orient 2 column, is measured with respect to
the core reference line.

NOTE: see the Dips Help system for detailed information about recording oriented
core data.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Oriented Core & Rock Mass Classification 5-3




Extra Columns

The four Extra Columns record the following information:
core position from collar
intact length (calculated in a spreadsheet from position or recorded
directly) between adjacent joints
JA
JR

The latter measurements are qualitative indices of roughness and alteration taken
from the Q Classification by Barton and can be quickly recorded during core
logging. Consult any modern rock engineering text for a definition of these terms.

Lets examine the Project Settings information for this file.


Project Settings

Select: Analysis Project Settings



Note the following:

The Global Orientation Format is DIP / DIPDIRECTION. However,
since we are working with oriented core data, the Global Orientation
Format does NOT apply to the data in the Orientation Columns which
are alpha/beta core angle measurements.
The Declination is zero in this file. Declination would, if present, be
applied to the borehole trends (azimuths).
The Quantity Column is NOT used in this file, so each row of the file
represents an individual measurement.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Oriented Core & Rock Mass Classification 5-4



Traverses

Lets inspect the Traverse Information. Select the Traverses button in the Project
Settings dialog (the Traverses dialog is also available directly in the Analysis menu).



As you can see in the Traverse Information dialog, this file uses two borehole
traverses. A borehole traverse in Dips requires THREE orientation values in order to
fully define the orientation of the borehole and oriented core:

Orient 1 both traverses have an Orient 1 value of 180. This denotes a
reference line (along the length of the core) that is 180 degrees from the
top of the core (i.e. at the bottom of the core as it would be in situ).

Orient 2 the Orient 2 value indicates the drilling angle from the vertical.
Traverse 1 has an Orient 2 value of 135, indicating that the borehole was
drilled at 135 degrees from the vertical, or with a plunge of 45 degrees.
Traverse 2 was drilled at 160 degrees from the vertical, or a plunge of 70
degrees.

Orient 3 the Orient 3 value indicates the azimuth (i.e. clock- wise angle
from compass north) of the downhole direction of the borehole. Orient 3 is
40 degrees for Traverse 1 and 135 degrees
for Traverse 2.

NOTE: see the Dips Help system for detailed illustration of the borehole orientation
requirements for Dips input.

Select Cancel in the Traverse Information dialog. Select
Cancel in the Project Settings dialog.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Oriented Core & Rock Mass Classification 5-5



Rock Tunneling Quality Index Q

The rock tunneling quality index Q is defined as:

Q = ( RQD / JN ) * ( JR / JA ) * ( JW / SRF )

Consult any modern rock engineering text (see the references at the end of this
tutorial) for more information if required.

Set the water parameter JW = 1 (dry) and stress reduction factor SRF = 1 (moderate
confinement, no stress problems) for this example.


Determination of RQD





Use a spreadsheet and the
INTACT LENGTH
extra data column to
determine a value for RQD.
Using the intact lengths, RQD (Rock Quality Designation) can be
calculated using a spreadsheet. RQD is taken as the:

Cumulative length of core pieces greater than 10 cm
--------------------------------------------------------------------- x 100
Total length of core


Determination of JN

JN is the joint number. To obtain a value for this parameter, lets view a Contour
Plot, to determine the number of (well) defined joint sets. Select the Contour Preset
toolbar button.

Apply the Terzaghi Weighting, so that we can view the weighted contours.
Select the Terzaghi Weighting checkbox in the sidebar plot options.



NOTE: Dips has automatically converted the borehole alpha and beta angles to
true dip and dip direction, using the borehole traverse orientations entered in the
Traverse Information dialog.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Oriented Core & Rock Mass Classification 5-6





View a WEIGHTED Contour
Plot of the data.
The three well defined joint
sets result in a Barton JN
value = 9.














The three well defined joints sets result in Bartons JN = 9.

Now use Add Set Window to determine the mean orientations of the three joint sets.
(See Tutorial 03 for details about creating Sets with the Add Set Window option.)
NOTE: when you create the Sets, make sure the mean planes are displayed using the
checkbox in the Add Set Window dialog. Since the Terzahgi weighting is applied the
WEIGHTED mean planes are displayed, as indicated by the letter w displayed
beside the Set ID number.

Finally, lets add a LINE through the center of the stereonet, to represent a proposed
tunnel axis. Assume a tunnel trend of 20 degrees.

Select: Tools Trend Line

1. Place the cursor at APPROXIMATELY Trend = 20 degrees, and click the
left mouse button (remember that the cursor coordinates are visible in the
Status Bar).

2. In the Add Trend Line dialog, if your graphically entered orientation is not
exactly 20 degrees, then enter 20 and select OK.



Turn on the display of pole vectors (in the sidebar plot options select Pole Vector
Display > Poles). Use the Add Text tool to add the label Tunnel to the trend line.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Oriented Core & Rock Mass Classification 5-7











Superimpose the tunnel axis
on the mean joint planes to
judge the critical joint set for
Q classification.










It is not immediately obvious which is the critical joint in this case. However, it can
be shown that joint set 1 is most likely to prevent any development of tension in the
roof and therefore will reduce the self- supporting nature of the tunnel roof. Let us
then use this as the critical joint set for Q classification. Note the sliding wedge
(closed triangle in the above plot formed by the three joint sets) which appears in the
roof of the tunnel.


Estimation of JR and JA

The next step is to use the Chart option to look at JR and JA. These indices can
be viewed as either QUALITATIVE or QUANTITATIVE. Quantitative
analysis allows a mean calculation and so is preferred.

Select: Analysis Chart

Create Quantitative Charts of
the JR and JA Extra Columns,
to estimate mean values of
JR and JA for the critical
joint set.
In the Chart dialog, select Data to Plot as NGI-JR, select the Quantitative button, and
select Set 1 in the Set Filter. (NOTE that Set 1 in this example is the joint set at the
upper left of the stereonet. If you used different Set IDs, then enter your Set ID for
this Set). Select OK.


Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Oriented Core & Rock Mass Classification 5-8





Notice the mean and standard deviation at the bottom of the Chart. The mean value
of JR is approximately 1.3.

Now change the data type to NGI-JA. In the sidebar Chart Settings > Setup select
Column = NGI-JA and make sure the Type = Quantitative. The mean value of JA is
approximately 3.2.



For the purposes of classification, a JR of 1 to 1.5 and a JA of 3 to 4 would be
adequate in this example.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Oriented Core & Rock Mass Classification 5-9



Calculation of Q Values

RQD, as calculated in the spreadsheet was 60%. Using the JN value of 9, and the
upper and lower limits for JR and JA (see above), gives:

A lower Q of ( 60 / 9 ) * ( 1 / 4 ) * ( 1 / 1 ) = 1.7

An upper Q of ( 60 / 9 ) * ( 1.5 / 3 ) * ( 1 / 1 ) = 3.3

This range of values can now be used for further empirical support design according
to Bartons design charts see the figure below. Real values for JW may be
evaluated qualitatively from borehole inflow notes. SRF can be determined from
the depth of the proposed excavation according to Barton.



Tunneling support guidelines, based on the tunneling quality index Q (bolt lengths
modified for cablebolting). Ref. 1, after original Ref. 3.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Oriented Core & Rock Mass Classification 5-10



Frequently Asked Borehole Traverse Questions

To conclude this tutorial we will answer 3 frequently asked questions regarding
borehole traverse and oriented core data processing with Dips.

1. How do I obtain a listing of true dip / dip direction values from oriented
core data?

Answer: use the Process Data option in the Analysis menu and save a
new Dips file in the processed format of your choice.

2. Can I define a curved borehole in Dips?

Answer: it is NOT possible to define a curved borehole in Dips as a single
borehole traverse. To analyze oriented core from a curved borehole, you
will have to divide up the borehole into an appropriate number of smaller
sections, and define an individual borehole traverse for each section,
assuming a constant orientation for each section of the borehole.

3. I already have processed borehole data from televiewer
measurements. What type of traverse do I use in Dips?

Answer: the borehole traverse option in Dips is strictly for processing
oriented core data. If your borehole data has already been processed (e.g.
direct measurement of fracture orientations by optical or acoustic
televiewer), then you do NOT use the borehole traverse option. In this case
you can define each section of the borehole as a LINEAR traverse in Dips,
and enter the Trend / Plunge of the borehole as the traverse orientation in
the Traverse Information dialog.

See the Dips help system for futher information.
Dips v.6.0 Tutorial Manual
Oriented Core & Rock Mass Classification 5-11
References



1. Hutchinson, D.J. and Diederichs, M. 1996. Cablebolting in
Underground Mines, Vancouver: Bitech. 400 pp.

2. Hoek, E., Kaiser, P.K. and Bawden, W.F. 1995. Support of
Underground Excavations in Hard Rock. Rotterdam: Balkema.

3. Grimstad, E. and Barton, N. 1993. Updating the Q-System for NMT.
Proc. int. symp. on sprayed concrete - modern use of wet mix
sprayed concrete for underground support, Fagernes, (eds Kompen,
Opsahl and Berg). Oslo: Norwegian Concrete Assn.