New criterion for rock joints based on three-dimensional roughness parameters

The shear behavior of rock joints is important in solving practical problems of rock mechanics. Three group rock joints with different morphologies are made by cement mortar material and a series of CNL(constant normal loading) shear tests are performed. The influences of the applied normal stress and joint morphology to its shear strength are analyzed. According to the experimental results, the peak dilatancy angle of rock joint decreases with increasing normal stress, but increases with increasing roughness. The shear strength increases with the increasing normal stress and the roughness of rock joint. It is observed that the modes of failure of asperities are tensile, pure shear, or a combination of both. It is suggested that the three-dimensional roughness parameters and the tensile strength are the appropriate parameter for describing the shear strength criterion. A new peak shear criterion is proposed which can be used to predict peak shear strength of rock joints. All the used parameters can be easily obtained by performing tests.

Investigation on the physical mechanism of cavity percentage dependent shear strength for rock joints considering the real contact joint surface

To explain the effect of joint roughness on joint peak shear strength(JPSS)and investigate the effect of different contact states of joint surface on JPSS,we try to clarify the physical mechanism of the effect of joint cavity percentage(JCP)on JPSS from the perspective of the three-dimensional(3D)distribution characteristics of the actual contact joint surface,and propose a JPSS model considering the JCP.Shear tests for red sandstone joints with three different surface morphologies and three different JCPs were performed under constant normal load condition.Based on test fitting results,the reduction effect of the JCP on JPSS is investigated,and a JPSS model for cavity-containing joints is obtained.However,the above model only considers the influence of JCP by fitting test data,and does not reveal the physical mechanism of JCP affecting the JPSS.Based on the peak dilation angle model for consideration of the actual contact joint morphology,and the influence of JCP on the roughness of the actual contact joint surface,a theoretical model of the JPSS considering the JCP is proposed.The derivation process does not depend on the test fitting,but is entirely based on the joint mechanical law,and its physical significance is clear.It is proposed that the essence of the influence of the JCP on JPSS is that the JCP first affects the normal stress of the actual contact joints,further affects the roughness of actual contact joints,and then affects the shear strength.