Measuring fracture orientation at exposed rock faces by using a non-reflector total station

Measurements of fracture orientation are usually taken by using a compass-inclinometer device on exposed rock faces. The drawbacks when using this method is that it is time-consuming if many fractures are measured and that measurement might be impossible if the rock face cannot be safely reached physically. To improve field mapping of rock fractures, a method for applying a non-reflector total station to measuring fracture orientation is presented in this paper. A non-reflector total station is a geodetic device that captures three-dimensional co-ordinates of target points without using a reflector. Therefore, physical touching the rock surfaces is no longer required. To determine a fracture orientation, co-ordinates of a set of points on the exposed fracture surface are captured at a distance from the rock face. The best-fit plane of the exposed fracture surface is defined by the co-ordinates of the target points, and the orientation (e.g. dip angle and dip direction) of the fracture surface is determined as that of its best-fit plane. This paper presents the technical procedure and a portable system designed for the field mapping of fracture orientation. Results of a case study performed at an exposed rock face are also included.