A multifunctional shear apparatus for rocks subjected to true triaxial stress and high temperature in real-time

Deep engineering disasters,such as rockbursts and collapses,are more related to the shear slip of rock joints.A novel multifunctional device was developed to study the shear failure mechanism in rocks.Using this device,the complete shearedeformation process and long-term shear creep tests could be performed on rocks under constant normal stiffness(CNS)or constant normal loading(CNL)conditions in real-time at high temperature and true-triaxial stress.During the research and development process,five key technologies were successfully broken through:(1)the ability to perform true-triaxial compressioneshear loading tests on rock samples with high stiffness;(2)a shear box with ultra-low friction throughout the entire stress space of the rock sample during loading;(3)a control system capable of maintaining high stress for a long time and responding rapidly to the brittle fracture of a rock sample as well;(4)a refined ability to measure the volumetric deformation of rock samples subjected to true triaxial shearing;and(5)a heating system capable of maintaining uniform heating of the rock sample over a long time.By developing these technologies,loading under high true triaxial stress conditions was realized.The apparatus has a maximum normal stiffness of 1000 GPa/m and a maximum operating temperature of 300C.The differences in the surface temperature of the sample are constant to within5C.Five types of true triaxial shear tests were conducted on homogeneous sandstone to verify that the apparatus has good performance and reliability.The results show that temperature,lateral stress,normal stress and time influence the shear deformation,failure mode and strength of the sandstone.The novel apparatus can be reliably used to conduct true-triaxial shear tests on rocks subjected to high temperatures and stress.

Analysis of strength characteristics of loess before and after freezing using a hollow cylinder torsional shear apparatus

This paper aims to comprehensively analyze the influence of the principal stress angle rotation and intermediate principal stress on loess's strength and deformation characteristics. A hollow cylinder torsional shear apparatus was utilized to conduct tests on remolded samples under both normal and frozen conditions to investigate the mechanical properties and deformation behavior of loess under complex stress conditions. The results indicate significant differences in the internal changes of soil particles, unfrozen water, and relative positions in soil samples under normal and frozen conditions, leading to noticeable variations in strength and strain development.In frozen state, loess experiences primarily compressive failure with a slow growth of cracks, while at normal temperature, it predominantly exhibits shear failure. With the increase in the principal stress angle, the deformation patterns of the soil samples under different conditions become essentially consistent, gradually transitioning from compression to extension, accompanied by a reduction in axial strength. The gradual increase in the principal stress axis angle(α) reduces the strength of the generalized shear stress and shear strain curves.Under an increasing α, frozen soil exhibits strain-hardening characteristics, with the maximum shear strength occurring at α = 45°. The intermediate principal stress coefficient(b) also significantly impacts the strength of frozen soil, with an increasing b resulting in a gradual decrease in generalized shear stress strength. This study provides a reference for comprehensively exploring the mechanical properties of soil under traffic load and a reliable theoretical basis for the design and maintenance of roadbeds.

Development of a dynamic load direct shear apparatus for the study of permafrost

The dynamic parameters of permafrost are crucial to and directly affect the accuracy of engineering design and numerical simulation. This paper describes a new dynamic load direct shear apparatus that was developed to measure these parameters. The power systems and measurement and control systems of the device are described, as is a successful validation experiment. The results show that this dynamic load direct shearing device can accurately derive dynamic shear parameters within a certain range of frequencies and ampli- tudes of shear load.

Using a modified direct shear apparatus to explore gap and size effects on shear resistance of coarse-grained soil

This work used a modified direct shear apparatus, created newly by the authors, to explore effects of the gap between shear box halves and specimen size on the shear resistance of coarse-grained soil. The shear boxes of this apparatus were assembled from a series of steel structures capable of superimposition and nesting. Such characteristics facilitated variation of specimen size in both diameter and height. The new device can also maintain a constant gap during shearing. We performed a series of gap-effect and size-effect tests for two uniformly graded, coarse^grained soil samples. The test results showed that both the gap space and specimen size bad significant influences on shear resistance of the coarse-grained soil. Further, analysis of variations in shear strength indices led to a reasonable gap dimension and specimen size of the two soil samples.