Dataset and code for the manuscript "Cluster analysis of rock block shapes: A novel quantitative method for characterising rock mass structures"

This dataset supports the manuscript titled “Cluster analysis of rock block shapes: A novel quantitative method for characterising rock mass structures.” The study develops a quantitative geometric characterisation framework for rock block systems at the system scale, with the aim of providing a more representative description of complex block geometries for site-specific engineering analyses. The proposed method introduces a Shape Similarity Index (SSI) to quantify the geometric similarity between polyhedral rock blocks based on their maximum volumetric overlap ratio. Pairwise SSI values are then used to construct a shape similarity matrix, which serves as the basis for spectral clustering of the rock block system. For each resulting block group, the dominant size category is identified to ensure engineering relevance, and the representative shape, representative size, and representative rock block are subsequently determined.The dataset includes three main components. The first contains the MATLAB source code implementing the proposed clustering-based characterisation method, together with the supporting function files required for geometric calculation, point-in-polyhedron testing, scaling, and representative block determination. The second contains the case-study datasets for an open-pit mine in the United States, including both the structural plane system (DFN) data and the derived rock block system data, such as structural-plane centre points, orientations, radii, block vertices, block topology, and block volumes. The third contains the rockfall simulation data used in the illustrative downstream application presented in the manuscript, including geometric input models for the slope and representative blocks, simulation output files storing block position, translational velocity, angular velocity at each time step, and the corresponding C++ source files used in the MechSys simulations.Together, these files provide the code, input data, simulation data, and workflow documentation required to reproduce the main results of the study, including:(1) construction of the SSI-based shape similarity matrix;(2) clustering-based grouping of the rock block system;(3) determination of representative block shapes and sizes; and(4) the illustrative application of representative blocks in rockfall trajectory simulations.This dataset is intended to support transparency, reproducibility, and future reuse of the proposed framework in the quantitative geometric characterisation of rock block systems and related engineering analyses.