Rock Fracture Aperture Characterization based on Corner Segment Algorithm in Image Analysis

Rock aperture measurement is a hot topic in many rock engineering applications. To measure rock fracture aperture using digital image processing technique accurately, it is better to divide the aperture into a number of segments first, then, measuring each of those segments. Since information of aperture is concentrated at the corners, this paper presents a corner segment algorithm for measuring rock fracture aperture. The algorithm divides segments by corner segment algorithm and measures the width of fracture aperture by best-fit rectangle method. It draws the conclusion by analyzing the result; the combination of corner segment algorithm with best-fit rectangle method is one of the best methods for measuring the width of rock fracture aperture. The method not only achieves automatic measurement by computer, but also improves high accuracy of aperture measurement comparing to the other algorithms