Drilling Techniques for Rock Mass Characterization

Drilling-based investigation remains a cornerstone of geological and geotechnical assessment, enabling direct interrogation of subsurface materials and structures. Conventional rotary and percussion coring provide intact samples for laboratory testing and visual inspection, while more specialised approaches such as digital core drilling capture high-resolution imagery and quantitative cutting data in real time. Measurement-While-Drilling (MWD) systems record parameters—rate of penetration, torque, weight on bit and vibration—that reflect mechanical properties of the penetrated rock. These data are increasingly filtered and normalised to mitigate operational artefacts before being used to infer discontinuity patterns, strength variations and lithological changes. Advances in down-hole sensing, including optical televiewers and acoustic logs, complement drilling data by resolving fracture orientation and aperture. The integration of machine learning and statistical models with drilling parameters has enhanced the accuracy of discontinuity recognition and strength prediction, adapting to site-specific geology. Applications span mineral exploration, tunnel design, infrastructure development and geothermal reservoir characterisation, where reliable forecasts of rock quality and support requirements are essential. Together, these methods form an evolving toolkit that addresses the complexity and heterogeneity of rock masses on a global scale.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Research from all publishers

Recent studies have enhanced structural recognition in underground operations by calibrating a discontinuity index derived from MWD parameters alongside machine learning classifiers trained on in-hole imaging. This dual approach yields recognition rates of up to 96%, demonstrating robust adaptation to varying geological settings. Developments in digital core drilling have introduced cutting-based mechanical models that link drilling torque and penetration behaviour to uniaxial compressive strength, enabling continuous, in situ prediction of rock strength during core extraction. In tunnelling projects, real-time MWD data have been normalised to replicate in-face geological mapping, improving the correlation with established quality classification systems and optimising support design. These examples illustrate how diverse drilling modalities and data-driven processing schemes converge to produce timely, high-fidelity characterisation of rock masses in both mining and civil engineering contexts.

Drilling Techniques for Rock Mass Characterization publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in drilling techniques for rock mass characterization across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Measure-While-Drilling (MWD): Real-time acquisition of drilling parameters (rate of penetration, torque, weight on bit, vibration) used to infer rock properties during drilling.

Discontinuity Index (DI): Quantitative metric derived from variations in drilling parameters, employed to detect fractures and bedding planes in rock mass.

Digital Core Drilling: Coring technique that records continuous mechanical and imaging data during sample retrieval to predict rock strength and fabric.

Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS): Maximum axial stress that a rock sample can sustain under unconfined loading, fundamental for support design.

Machine Learning (ML): Computational methods that identify patterns and predict geological characteristics from complex, multivariate drilling datasets.

References

1. Rock mass structural recognition from drill monitoring technology in underground mining using discontinuity index and machine learning techniques. International Journal of Mining Science and Technology (2023).
2. Relationship between rock uniaxial compressive strength and digital core drilling parameters and its forecast method. International Journal of Coal Science & Technology (2021).
3. Improved filtering and normalizing of Measurement-While-Drilling (MWD) data in tunnel excavation. Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology (2020).
4. Application of Measurement While Drilling Technology to Predict Rock Mass Quality and Rock Support for Tunnelling. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (2019).