Statistical models for estimating the uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of rocks from different hardness test methods

In engineering projects (dams, tunnels, slope stability) the strength characteristics of the rocks affect the construction operations. It is sometimes difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to evaluate the engineering properties of solid rocks by performing direct tests. For this reason, various laboratory studies have been carried out by many researchers to predict important engineering properties such as uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and elastic modulus (E) of rocks in a practical way. One of the engineering properties used to estimate UCS-E practically is the hardness of rocks. Hardness tests are easy to apply and non-destructive, and in many of these tests very small specimens are needed. The main objective of this study is to analyze the relations between the UCS-E of the rocks and the various hardness methods (Schmidt hammer hardness, SHH; Shore Scleroscope hardness, SSH; Vickers hardness, HV; Brinell hardness, HB; and Indentation hardness index, IHI). For this purpose, the most appropriate and meaningful relations between hardness tests and UCS-E were determined by simple regression (SR) techniques. Relationships between main engineering properties (UCS, E) and physicomechanical properties were analyzed by multiple regression (MR) techniques using SPSS software. The statistical analyses made revealed the existence of strong correlations between UCS-E and hardness properties of rocks.