An evaluation of structural analyses of discontinuities in carbonate rock

The main goal of the study was to compare two methods of structural analysi s, based on different principles: an engineering method and the Erase metho d. The first one was developed with the intention of studying geotechnical and hydraulic properties on freshly exposed rock surfaces, while the second one is based on microtectonic analysis and is mainly applied on surface ou tcrops. Structural analysis of discontinuities in fractured and karstified rock at one experimental field site in Slovenia was performed. Measurements were carried out on surface outcrops and in an underground artificial tunn el, twice in two different seasons (autumn 1999 and summer 1996), but by th e same personnel. Both methods were found to be more or less repeatable and applicable both on the surface outcrops (weathered rock) and on freshly ex cavated rock surfaces (artificial tunnels and quarries), and on a macroscal e. The results have shown that we can infer from the macroscale data set to the (regional) mega-scale. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.