Merge Discontinuities

Merge discontinuities enables you to blend overlapping discontinuities which are close enough to meet the parameters specified in the input fields. The discontinuities can be the result of the Extract discontinuities function, or gathered from other analyses and observations. A new container is created which stores the merged discontinuities.

This function aims at avoiding duplication of  data when discontinuities are so similar they are almost on top of each other and would be better represented as a single discontinuity. The result is a new single discontinuity that encapsulates the total area of the original overlapping discontinuities. Merging discontinuities avoids incorrect bias in functions such as Stereonet where overlapping, similar discontinuities can incorrectly increase concentration of data points.

1. On the Geotechnical ribbon tab navigate to the Edit group and select Merge.

   

2. Specify the maximum spacing between the planes of the discontinuities and the maximum angle difference. Discontinuities closer than the spacing setting and within the angle difference will be merged.  

3. Select "Merge across sets" to allow comparisons across different sets of discontinuities. Select appropriate discontinuities (sets) for grouping and click Apply or OK. The function cycles through the selected discontinuities, applying the criteria to two discontinuities at a time and merging them if appropriate. The results are placed in the geotechnical container.

   

   

   

Example of applying Merge discontinuities - before and after screen shots.