Development of a new rock mass classification method in the determination of block dimensions extracted out of marble fields

A rock mass should be in accordance with the physico-mechanical and technological properties and should have the desired color and texture and should give blocks within a range of 1.5-10 m3 volume in order to yield block marble at commercial dimensions. For this reason, prior to opening a marble quarry, the field parameters should be investigated in depth from the aspects of decision-making for production and production planning.In this study which is forwarded to the development of a new classification system in the determination of block dimensions, block volume and volumetric joint count in the RMI system which was developed by Plamström for the support of tunnel and underground support and discontinuity spacing, continuity of discontinuity, volumetric joint count defined by ISRM have been adapted to marble mining and a new definition and grading method has been developed.By using Visual Basic software, from the geotechnical studies conducted on the benches and faces of 12 marble quarries, the blocks produced depending on the results of the laboratory tests are decided depending on the end use ( tiling, cladding), conformity to CE certificate which is desired in export is determined under the software called MBA-Marble Block Analysis.