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The importance of in-situ rock block characterization has been realized for decades in rock mechanics and engineering, yet how to reliably measure and characterize the geometrical properties of blocks in varied forms of exposures and patterns of jointing is still a challenging task. Using a point cloud model (PCM) of rock exposures generated from remote sensing techniques, we developed a consistent and comprehensive method for rock block characterization that is composed of two different procedures and a block indicator system. A semi-automatic procedure towards the robust extraction of in-situ rock blocks created by the deterministic discontinuity network on rock exposures (PCM-DDN) was developed. A 3D stochastic discrete fracture network (DFN) simulation (PCM-SDS) procedure was built based on the statistically valid representation of the discontinuity network geometry. A multi-dimensional block indicator system, i.e., the block size, shape, orientation, and spatial distribution pattern for systematic and objective block characterization, was then established. The developed method was applied to a synthetic model of cardboard boxes and three different rock engineering scenarios, including a road cut slope from Spain and two open-pit mining slopes from China. Compared with existing empirical methods, the proposed procedures and the block indicator system are dependable and practically feasible, which can help enhance our understanding of block geometry characteristics in related applications.

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