Physical and mechanical properties and microstructures of submarine soils in the Yellow Sea

In recent years,the exploration of seabed has been intensified,but the submarine soils of silt and sand in the Yellow Sea area have not been well investigated so far.In this study,the physical and mechanical properties of silt and sand from the Yellow Sea were measured using a direct shear apparatus and their microstructures were observed using a scanning electron microscope.The test results suggest that the shear strength of silt and sand increases linearly with the increase of normal stress.Based on the direct shear test,the scanning electron microscope was used to observe the section surface of sand.It is observed that the section surface becomes rough,with many“V”‐shaped cracks.Many particles appear on the surface of the silt structure and tend to be disintegrated.The X‐ray diffraction experiment reveals that the sand and silt have different compositions.The shear strength of sand is slightly greater than that of silt under high stress,which is related to the shape of soil particles and the mineral composition.These results can be a reference for further study of other soils in the Yellow Sea;meanwhile,they can serve as soil parameters for the stability and durability analyses of offshore infrastructure construction.

Numerical Simulation of Rainfall-induced Xianchi Reservoir Landslide in Yunyang,Chongqing,China

A calamitous landslide happened at 22:00 on September 1,2014 in the Yunyang area of Chongqing City,southwest China,enforcing the evacuation of 508 people and damaging 23 buildings.The landslide volume comprised 1.44 million m^(3) of material in the source area and 0.4 million m^(3) of shoveled material.The debris flow runout extended 400 m vertically and 1600 m horizontally.The Xianchi reservoir landslide event has been investigated as follows:(1)samples collected from the main body of landslide were carried out using GCTS ring shear apparatus;(2)the parameters of shear and pore water pressure have been measured;and(3)the post-failure characteristics of landslide have been analyzed using the numerical simulation method.The excess pore-water pressure and erosion in the motion path are considered to be the key reasons for the long-runout motion and the scale-up of landslides,such as that at Xianchi,were caused by the heavy rainfall.The aim of this paper is to acquired numerical parameters and the basic resistance model,which is beneficial to improve simulation accuracy for hazard assessment for similar to potentially dangerous hillslopes in China and elsewhere.

State-of-the-art on the anchorage performance of rock bolts subjected to shear load

Rock bolts are extensively utilized in underground engineering as a means of offering support and stability to rock masses in tunnels,mines,and other underground structures.In environments of high ground stress,faults or weak zones can frequently arise in rock formations,presenting a significant challenge for engineering and potentially leading to underground engineering collapse.Rock bolts serve as a crucial structural element for the transmission of tensile stress and are capable of withstanding shear loads to prevent sliding of weak zones within rock mass.Therefore,a complete understanding of the behavior of rock bolts subjected to shear loads is essential.This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of the research progress of rock bolts subjected to shear load in three categories:experiment,numerical simulation,and analytical model.The review focuses on the research studies and developments in this area since the 1970s,providing a comprehensive overview of numerous factors that influence the anchorage performance of rock bolts.These factors include the diameter and angle of the rock bolt installation,rock strength,grouting material,bolt material,borehole diameter,rock bolt preload,normal stress,joint surface roughness and joint expansion angle.The paper reviews the improvement of mechanical parameter setting in numerical simulation of rock bolt shear.Furthermore,it delves into the optimization of the analytical model concerning rock bolt shear theory,approached from the perspectives of both Elastic foundation beam theory coupled with Elastoplasticity theory and Structural mechanic methods.The significance of this review lies in its ability to provide insights into the mechanical behavior of rock bolts.The paper also highlights the limitations of current research and guidelines for further research of rock bolts.

Mechanical behaviour of fiber-reinforced grout in rock bolt reinforcement

Grouted rock bolts subject to axial loading in the field exhibit various failure modes,among which the most predominant one is the bolt-grout interface failure.Thus,mechanical characterization of the grout is essential for understanding its performance in ground support.To date,few studies have been conducted to characterize the mechanical behaviour of fiber-reinforced grout(FRG)in rock bolt reinforcement.Here we experimentally studied the mechanical behaviour of FRG under uniaxial compression,indirect tension,and direct shear loading conditions.We also conducted a series of pullout tests of rebar bolt encapsulated with different grouts including conventional cementitious grout and FRG.FRG was developed using 15%silica fume(SF)replacement of cement(by weight)and steel fiber to achieve highstrength and crack-resistance to overcome drawbacks of the conventional grout.Two types of steel fibers including straight and wavy steel fibers were further added to enhance the grout quality.The effect of fiber shape and fiber volume proportion on the grout mechanical properties were examined.Our experimental results showed that the addition of SF and steel fiber by 1.5%fiber volume proportion could lead to the highest compressive,tensile,and shear strengths of the grout.The minimum volume of fiber that could improve the mechanical properties of grout was found at 0.5%.The scanning electron microscopy(SEM)analysis demonstrated that steel fibers act as an excellent bridge to prevent the cracks from propagating at the interfacial region and hence to aid in maintaining the integrity of the cementitious grout.Our laboratory pullout tests further confirmed that FRG could prevent the cylindrical grout annulus from radial crack and hence improve the rebar’s load carrying capacity.Therefore,FRG has a potential to be utilized in civil and mining applications where high-strength and crack-resistance support is required.

Surrounding rock pressure in the tunnel portal section through moraine under freeze-thaw action

Moraines,characterized by the accumulation of rock and soil debris transported by glacial activity,present unique challenges for tunnel construction,particularly in portal sections,due to prevailing geographical and climatic conditions that facilitate freeze-thaw action.Despite these challenges,there is a dearth of studies investigating the influence of freeze-thaw action and water content on the mechanical properties of moraines,and no research on calculating surrounding rock pressure in moraine tunnels subjected to freeze-thaw conditions.In this study,direct shear tests under freeze-thaw cycles were conducted to examine the effects of freeze-thaw cycles and water content on the mechanical properties of frozen moraine.A comprehensive parameter K,integrating the number of freeze-thaws and water content,was introduced to model cohesion c.Drawing on Terzaghi Theory,we propose an improved algorithm for calculating surrounding rock pressure at the portal section of moraine tunnels.Using a tunnel as a case study,surrounding rock pressure was calculated under various conditions to validate the Improved Algorithm's efficacy.The results show that:(1)Strength loss exhibits a linear trend with the number of freeze-thaw cycles at water content levels of 4%and 8%,while at 12%water content,previous freeze-thaw cycles induce more significant damage to the soil.(2)Moraine saturation peaks between 8%and 12%water content.Following repeated freeze-thaw cycles,moraine shear strength initially increases before decreasing with varying water content.(3)The internal friction angle of moraine experiences slight reductions with prolonged freeze-thaw cycles,but both freeze-thaw cycles and water content significantly influence cohesion.(4)Vertical surrounding rock pressure increases after the initial freeze-thaw cycle,particularly with higher water content,although freeze-thaw cycles have minimal effect on it.(5)Freeze-thaw cycles lead to a substantial increase in lateral surrounding rock pressure,necessitating reinforced support structures at the arch wall,arch waist,and arch foot in engineering projects to mitigate freeze-thaw effects.This study provides a foundation for designing and selecting tunnel support structures in similar geological conditions.

Numerical analysis of loess and weak intercalated layer failure behavior under direct shearing and cyclic loading

The mechanical behavior of the joints inside a loess layer is greatly important in weak intercalation studies owing to its involvement in a wide range of landslides in the loess region in China.The shear behavior of the joints in the loess stratum during direct shear and cyclic loadings was investigated using the PFC2D discrete element software.Loess mudstone and mudstone with weak intercalated layer materials were subjected to direct testing,and cyclic shear tests were conducted with consideration to the influence of normal stress and shear velocity.The macroscopic properties and damage patterns were obtained for six numerical configurations;namely,loess-weathered mudstone with 0°,10°,and-10°joints and weathered mudstone with 0°,10°,and-10°weak intercalated layers.The numerical test results revealed that,in the direct shear tests,the shear stress and shear displacement of the samples increased with the normal stress.In the cyclic shear tests with a total cycle number N=20,the shear stress-shear strain curve of the six different configurations exhibited a hysteresis loop.The numerical tests also revealed that,under cyclic shear,the normal stress and shear velocity affected the shear strength.The degree of damage increased as the shear velocity decreased from 0.1 mm/s to 0.005 mm/s for all six numerical configurations.Compared with the damage pattern of the direct shear tests,the damage of the cyclic shear tests mainly comprised shear cracks and fractures,some shaking consolidation settlement and fewer shear strain occurred around the joints.In the direct shear tests,more compression cracks and fractures occurred in the samples.The damage mainly developed along the joints,and shearing-off damage occurred.The results obtained by this study further elucidate the failure mechanism and microscopic damage response of the joints in the loess stratum in Northwest China.

Trigger mechanism of loess-mudstone landslides inferred from ring shear tests and numerical simulation

Whereas loess-mudstone landslides are widely distributed and frequently occurred at the loess Plateau,this type of landslides is hard to detect due to its particularity,and easily generates serious losses.To clarify the shear characteristics and formation mechanism of loess-mudstone landslides,field investigations,ring shear tests and numerical simulation analyses were performed on the loess specimens collected from the Dingjiagou landslide in Yan’an city,China.The test results showed that both the peak strength and residual strength of slip zone soils have a decreasing tendency with moisture content,while the increasing of normal stress caused an increase in the shear strength.These phenomena indicate that the rise in the moisture content induced by precipitation or the decreasing of normal stress due to excavation activities would result in the weakening of slip zone soils.Numerical simulations of the evolution process of slope failure using the finite element method were conducted based on the Mohr–Coulomb criterion.It was found that the heavy precipitation played a more important role in the slope instability compared with the excavation.In addition,the field investigation showed that loess soils with well-developed cracks and underlying mudstone soils provide material base for the formation of loess-mudstone landslides.Finally,the formation mechanism of this type of landslides was divided into three stages,namely,the local deformation stage,the penetration stage,the creeping-sliding stage.This study may provide a basis for understanding the sliding process of loess-mudstone landslides,as well as guidelines for the prevention and mitigation of loess-mudstone landslides.

Effects of water saturation and loading rate on direct shear tests of andesite

For estimating the long-term stability of underground framework,it is vital to learn the mechanical and rheological characteristics of rock in multiple water saturation conditions.However,the majority of previous studies explored the rheological properties of rock in air-dried and water saturated conditions,as well as the water effects on compressive and tensile strengths.In this study,andesite was subjected to direct shear tests under five water saturation conditions,which were controlled by varying the wetting and drying time.The tests were conducted at alternating displacement rates under three vertical stresses.The results reveal that the shear strength decreases exponentially as water saturation increases,and that the increase in shear strength with a tenfold increase in displacement rate is nearly constant for each of the vertical stresses.Based on the findings of the shear tests in this study and the compression and tension tests in previous studies,the influences of both water saturation and loading rate on the Hoek-Brown failure criterion for the andesite was examined.These results indicate that the brittleness index of the andesite,which is defined as the ratio of uniaxial compressive strength to tensile strength,is independent of both water saturation and loading rate and that the influences of the water saturation dependence and the loading rate dependence of the failure criterion can be converted between each other.

Rock borehole shear tests in dam foundation of Xiangjiaba hydropower station

Xiangjiaba hydropowcr station is one of the complicated geological conditions of its dam foundation, parameters of rock masses are very important issues. To cascade power stations on the Jinsha River, China. Due to the evaluating the rock mass quality and determining the mechanical address these issues, several groups of rock borehole shear tests （RBSTs） were conducted on the black mudstone in the dam foundation of Xiangjiaba hydropower station in the second construction phase. Forty three groups of shear strengths of black mudstone samples were obtained from RBSTs, and the shear strength parameters （c and f） were calculated using the least squares method. In addition, the limitations and merits of RBST employed in the Xiangjiaba hydropower station were discussed. Test results indicate that the shear strength parameters obtained from RBST have a good correlation with the results from sotmd wave test in borehole. It is believed that RBST has a good adaptability and applicability in geotechnical engineering.

Cyclic Shear Tests on Key Connection Joints of Modularized Constructions

Modularized construction is a new type of prefabricated building system with green environmental protection and excellent performance. There are few studies on the seismic performance of its key connection joint. This paper presents a new type of assembled connection joint for the high-rise modularized construction. Cyclic shear tests of full-scale joints were carried out, and the key indexes of their seismic performances including the hysteretic performance, ductility, and energy dissipation capacity were analyzed and obtained. The results show that the hysteresis loops of longitudinal and lateral cyclic shear tests were both plump in shapes. The ductility coefficients were 4.54 and 4.98, and the energy dissipation coefficients were 1.83 and 1.43, respectively. The test joint had good ductility and energy dissipation capacity. The positions of yield failure of specimens were mainly concentrated in the connection areas between the column and short beam or end-plate. The research can provide the technical reference for the seismic design and engineering application of related modularized constructions.

Experimental study on the shear performance of quasi-NPR steel bolted rock joints

Quasi-NPR(negative Poisson’s ratio)steel is a new type of super bolt material with high strength,high ductility,and a micro-negative Poisson’s effect.This material overcomes the contrasting characteristics of the high strength and high ductility of steel and it has significant energy-absorbing characteristics,which is of high value in deep rock and soil support engineering.However,research on the shear resistance of quasi-NPR steel has not been carried out.To study the shear performance of quasi-NPR steel bolted rock joints,indoor shear tests of bolted rock joints under different normal stress conditions were carried out.Q235 steel and#45 steel,two representative ordinary bolt steels,were set up as a control group for comparative tests to compare and analyze the shear strength,deformation and instability mode,shear energy absorption characteristics,and bolting contribution of different types of bolts.The results show that the jointed rock masses without bolt reinforcement undergo brittle failure under shear load,while the bolted jointed rock masses show obvious ductile failure characteristics.The shear deformation ca-pacity of quasi-NPR steel is more than 3.5 times that of Q235 steel and#45 steel.No fracture occurs in the quasi-NPR steel during large shear deformation and it can provide stable shear resistance.However,the other two types of control bolts become fractured under the same conditions.Quasi-NPR steel has significant energy-absorbing characteristics under shear load and has obvious advantages in terms of absorbing the energy released by shear deformation of jointed rock masses as compared with ordinary steel.In particular,the shear force plays a major role in resisting the shear deformation of Q235 steel and#45 steel,therefore,fracture failure occurs under small bolt deformation.However,the axial force of quasi-NPR steel can be fully exerted when resisting joint shear deformation;the steel itself does not break when large shear deformation occurs,and the supporting effect of the jointed rock mass is effectively guaranteed.

Dynamic behaviors of rockslides subjected to brittle failure of locked segments

Locked segments are recognized as a critical role that controls the stability of rock slopes but remain an unclear and challenging problem with respect to their role incorporated into the failure mechanism.In order to study the effect of the locked segments on the initial failure process of rockslides,thirty-six groups of locked segment specimens with three different lithologies were prepared,direct shear tests were carried out to obtain the accelerations caused by brittle failure of the locked segment specimens.Experiment results showed that the maximum accelerations caused by the brittle failure of locked segment specimens was 2.91 g in the horizontal direction,and 3.18 g in the vertical direction.We took the Wangjiayan rockslide in 2008 Wenchuan earthquake as an example,the critical balance condition of the sliding mass under combined effect of gravity and accelerations induced by brittle failure of locked segment was analyzed,which indicated that the initial failure process of the Wangjiayan rockslides was notably influenced by the existence of the locked segment.The departure acceleration and direction of the Wangjiayan rockslide were proposed.The study results can provide a new insight into the understanding of the initial failure mechanism of rockslides with locked segments.

Shear behaviour of a rock bridge sandwiched between incipient joints under the influence of hydraulic pressures

The rock bridges sandwiched in incipiently jointed rock mass were considered as barriers that block the fluid seepage,and provide certain shear strength reservation.For better revealing the influence of hydraulic pressure on the failure behaviour of rock bridges,direct shear tests were carried out through a newly proposed method on rock samples that contain two parallel incipient joints.By developing the gypsum-silicone pad coupling samples,a conventional triaxial test system was qualified to implement direct shear tests with satisfied sealing capability.The results showed that the rock bridges could be failed through the tensile failure,shear failure and mixed failure mechanism.The hydraulic pressure would facilitate the tensile failure mechanism and induce rougher fracture surfaces;while the normal stress would facilitate the shear failure mechanism and induce less rough fracture.The hydraulic pressure reduced the global shear strength of the rock block through reducing the efficient normal stress applied on the rock bridge area,which was highly dependent on the joint persistence,k.Moreover,because of the iterating occurrence of the hydraulic pressure lag with the fracture propagation,the rock bridge failure stage in the shear stress-shear displacement curves displayed a fluctuation trend.

Anchorage performance of large-diameter FRP bolts and their application in large deformation roadway

In underground coal mines, fibre reinforced polymer(FRP) bolt is ideal for mined rib reinforcements as it can prevent gas explosions caused by shearer frictional spark. With increasing mining depth, small diameter FRP bolts used in shallow underground mining cannot fulfil the rib support requirements. Under the engineering background of deep underground shortwall mining in Wudong coal mine, this paper systematically studies Φ27 mm FRP bolt support for large deformation coal rib. Specimens with a fan-shaped cross-section were used to enable the tensile testing of the bolt rod, the measured average tensile strength of the studied FRP bolt was(486.1 ± 9.6) MPa with a maximum elongation of 5.7%±0.6%.The shear strength of the bolt was measured as approximately 258 MPa using a self-made double shear testing apparatus. Based on the equivalent radial stiffness principle, a laboratory short encapsulation pullout test(SEPT) method for rib bolting has been developed undertaken consideration of the mechanical properties of the coal seam. Results showed that the average peak anchorage forces of the Φ27 mm FRP bolt and Φ20 mm steel rebar bolt were 108.4 and 66.4 k N, respectively, which were agreed with the theoretical calculations and field measurements. Based on theoretical analysis of the loading states of the bolt under site conditions, bolting method of full-length resin grouting was adopted to offset the weaknesses of the FRP bolt. Numerical method was employed to compare the bolting effect using Φ27 mm FRP bolts and steel rebar bolts. Large diameter FRP bolting was determined as the optimum rib support scheme to increase the productivity of the coal mine and to enhance the ground control capability for+425 level mining roadways. This study provides the laboratory testing design and theoretical prediction of large diameter FRP bolts used for rib support in large deformation roadways.

A novel method for geometric quality assurance of rock joint replicas in direct shear testing-Part 2:Validation and mechanical replicability

Each rock joint is unique by nature which means that utilization of replicas in direct shear tests is required in experimental parameter studies.However,a method to acquire knowledge about the ability of the replicas to imitate the shear mechanical behavior of the rock joint and their dispersion in direct shear testing is lacking.In this study,a novel method is presented for geometric quality assurance of replicas.The aim is to facilitate generation of high-quality direct shear testing data as a prerequisite for reliable subsequent analyses of the results.In Part 1 of this study,two quality assurance parameters,smf and V_(Hp100),are derived and their usefulness for evaluation of geometric deviations,i.e.geometric reproducibility,is shown.In Part 2,the parameters are validated by showing a correlation between the parameters and the shear mechanical behavior,which qualifies the parameters for usage in the quality assurance method.Unique results from direct shear tests presenting comparisons between replicas and the rock joint show that replicas fulfilling proposed threshold values of σ_(mf)<0.06 mm and
|V_(Hp100)|
<0.2 mm have a narrow dispersion and imitate the shear mechanical behavior of the rock joint in all aspects apart from having a slightly lower peak shear strength.The wear in these replicas,which have similar morphology as the rock joint,is in the same areas as in the rock joint.The wear is slightly larger in the rock joint and therefore the discrepancy in peak shear strength derives from differences in material properties,possibly from differences in toughness.It is shown by application of the suggested method that the quality assured replicas manufactured following the process employed in this study phenomenologically capture the shear strength characteristics,which makes them useful in parameter studies.

BOP shear force evaluation under complex scenarios

As the“throat”of the drilling well control system,ram blowout preventers(BOPs)can effectively prevent blowout accidents.However,the ram shear mechanism under complex working conditions is unclear,and it is difficult to evaluate the ram BOP shear force,leading to frequent shear failure accidents in oilfields.Aiming at the above problems,this paper takes the double-V ram BOP as the research object,and integrates the methods of theoretical analysis,simulation modeling,and test verification to analyze the shear force in the pipe shear process under both static and moving conditions.A ram BOP shear force evaluation method is proposed based on equivalent stress.Finally,by comparing with calculation data and experimental data,the error between them is less than 5%,demonstrating the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed method.The research results can provide a theoretical basis for oilfield operations of ram BOPs.

A consecutive joint shear strength model considering the 3D roughness of real contact joint surface

A consecutive joint shear strength model for soft rock joints is proposed in this paper,which takes into account the degradation law of the actual contact three-dimensional(3D)roughness.The essence of the degradation of the maximum possible dilation angle is the degradation of the 3D average equivalent dip angle of the actual contact joint asperities.Firstly,models for calculating the maximum possible dilation angle at the initial and residual shear stress stages are proposed by analyzing the 3D joint morphology characteristics of the corresponding shear stages.Secondly,the variation law of the maximum possible dilation angle is quantified by studying the degradation law of the joint micro convex body.Based on the variation law of the maximum possible dilation angle,the maximum possible shear strength model is proposed.Furthermore,a method to calculate the shear stiffness degradation in the plastic stage is proposed.According to the maximum possible shear strength of rock joints,the shear stress-shear displacement prediction model of rock joints is obtained.The new model reveals that there is a close relationship between joint shear strength and actual contact joint roughness,and the degradation of shear strength after the peak is due to the degradation of actual contact joint roughness.

Method for visualizing the shear process of rock joints using 3D laser scanning and 3D printing techniques

This study presents a visualized approach for tracking joint surface morphology.Three-dimensional laser scanning(3DLS)and 3D printing(3DP)techniques are adopted to record progressive failure during rock joint shearing.The 3DP resin is used to create transparent specimens to reproduce the surface morphology of a natural joint precisely.The freezing method is employed to enhance the mechanical properties of the 3DP specimens to reproduce the properties of hard rock more accurately.A video camera containing a charge-coupled device(CCD)camera is utilized to record the evolution of damaged area of joint surface during the direct shear test.The optimal shooting distance and shooting angle are recommended to be 800 mm and 40?,respectively.The images captured by the CCD camera are corrected to quantitatively describe the damaged area on the joint surface.Verification indicates that this method can accurately describe the total sheared areas at different shear stages.These findings may contribute to elucidating the shear behavior of rock joints.

Experimental Study on Shear Mechanical Properties and Section Morphology of Coal Samples

The mechanical properties of rocks under cyclic and dynamic loading are important research topics for solving the structural stability of large engineering rocks. As underground mining in coal mines goes deeper, ground stresses are increasing and instability damage of coal rocks by shear loading is frequent. Therefore, in order to investigate the shear mechanical properties and section morphological characteristics of intact coal samples in the direct shear test, the RDS-200 rock direct shear instrument was used to carry out direct shear tests on intact coal samples under different normal stresses, and the shear section was scanned for three-dimensional morphology. The results show that: 1) from the strength characteristics, the peak shear strength of the coal samples increased linearly with increasing normal stress, and the residual shear strength increased logarithmically. 2) In terms of deformation characteristics, the peak shear displacement of the coal sample increases linearly with increasing normal stress, the pre-peak shear stiffness increases logarithmically, and the residual normal displacement decreases linearly. 3) From the morphological characteristics of the shear surface, with the increase of normal stress, the section transitions from high-order undulating to flattening type. The maximum height of the fracture surface profile and kurtosis coefficient of the shear section decreased linearly, and the profile area ratio and root mean square of slope decreased as a power function, i.e. the higher the normal stress, the smaller the undulation of the section, the sharpness of the roughness shape and the roughness coefficient JRC, and the flatter and smoother the section. The findings of this study can help to provide some reference for the evaluation of shear instability occurring in coal bodies under different normal stresses.

Effect of rock joint roughness on its cyclic shear behavior

Rock joints are often subjected to dynamic loads induced by earthquake and blasting during mining and rock cutting. Hence, cyclic shear load can be induced along the joints and it is important to evaluate the shear behavior of rock joint under this condition. In the present study, synthetic rock joints were prepared with plaster of Paris(Po P). Regular joints were simulated by keeping regular asperity with asperity angles of 15°-15° and 30°-30°, and irregular rock joints which are closer to natural joints were replicated by keeping the asperity angles of 15°-30° and 15°-45°. The sample size and amplitude of roughness were kept the same for both regular and irregular joints which were 298 mm×298 mm×125 mm and 5 mm, respectively. Shear test was performed on these joints using a large-scale direct shear testing machine by keeping the frequency and amplitude of shear load under constant cyclic condition with different normal stress values. As expected, the shear strength of rock joints increased with the increases in the asperity angle and normal load during the first cycle of shearing or static load. With the increase of the number of shear cycles, the shear strength decreased for all the asperity angles but the rate of reduction was more in case of high asperity angles. Test results indicated that shear strength of irregular joints was higher than that of regular joints at different cycles of shearing at low normal stress. Shearing and degradation of joint asperities on regular joints were the same between loading and unloading, but different for irregular joints. Shear strength and joint degradation were more significant on the slope of asperity with higher angles on the irregular joint until two angles of asperities became equal during the cycle of shearing and it started behaving like regular joints for subsequent cycles.