Determination of the structural properties of rocks with image analysing methods

The developments of the image capturing technology especially depending on the developments of the computer technology in recent years has increased the usage of the image processing methods as a method of measuring and observing in various research areas. As a natural result of the increasing usage of the image processing techniques, image processing and analyzing techniques have been investigated intensively and many new techniques have found the research areas for itself to be applied in an industrial scale. In this study the capability of applying the image processing techniques on the rocks has been investigated and the capability of determining some rock features as an alternative measuring method has been discussed. In mining process, analyzing the information regarding the physical and mechanical features of the rocks in a quick and safe way is of importance in terms of the continuousness of the process. Conducting of these analyses by the conventional methods at the field is time consuming and costly functions. Instead of this, image processing methods developed as alternative measuring methods can enable easier analyzing in a quick way. In the scope of this study, firstly the studies conducted previously by applying image analyzing methods on the rocks have been evaluated. An image analyzing software has been developed aiming at determining the rock features by using Visual Basic programming language. In the so-called computer software referred to as Kaya Görüntü Analizi (KGA), in addition to the basic image enhancement and resizing functions, special functions which enable the rock to be analyzed have been developed. By means of these functions, grain-size distribution mineral percentages have been obtained from the thin cross sectional images. Discontinuity analyses have been carried out for the rock mass images captured from the slope faces. Moreover, the size distribution of the muck pile occurred by blasting has been determined successfully by using image processing methods. In the result of the study the capability of determining the rock features based on color differences by using image processing methods has been revealed.