Dr. Nick Barton. (September 2025). The Q-System Explained, TBM Performance & Modern Rock Mass Design

Dr. Nick Barton — The Q-System, TBM Performance & Modern Rock Mass Design
Recorded at the Rock Mechanics Laboratory, Seoul National University.

In this lecture, Dr. Nick Barton, the originator of the Q rock mass classification and an authority on tunnelling and rock engineering, reviews the history, rationale, and modern applications of the Q-system, QTM for TBMs, Q-slope, and related rock quality correlations (RMR, GSI, SRF, velocity/modulus relations). Using extensive case records and practical examples, Dr. Barton explains how Q guides support selection, predict deformation, and relate to TBM advance/penetration behavior.

What you’ll learn:

The origins and development of the Q classification and its rating tables.
How Q links to RMR, GSI, and empirical design equations.
Q applications for tunnels, slopes (Q-slope), and TBM performance (QTM).
Practical case records: tunnel support, overbreak, TBM deceleration, and risk zones.
How to use Q and supporting equations for quick field logging and design judgment.

About the speaker
Dr. Nick Barton, renowned rock mechanics engineer and co-developer of the Q classification, shares decades of case-record experience and insights into practical rock engineering for tunnelling and slopes.

Recorded: Rock Mechanics Laboratory, Seoul National University. September 2025.
Download the script of this lecture here:
https://rockbench.ir/barton/
https://rockbench.ir/Docs/barton/